SaHaSo - Happy and Safe in the Society. Inclusion of People with Mental Disabilities through Education for Relationship, Emotional and Sex Life.

We applied for this project to address pressing needs within our community, as observed by our youth/social workers. Young people with mental disabilities and social communication difficulties face significant challenges in recognizing and responding to abuse, particularly sexual harrasement. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the significance of digital resources and remote support mechanisms. Considering the specifics of mental disabilities, an efficient response to such needs would require periodical repetition of the information in ever-new and diverse ways. SaHaSo supported young people with mental disabilities and social youth workers who mentor them, providing adapted, easy-to-understand information, as well as skills to recognize, respond to, and report various forms of harassment, especially sexual abuse. SaHaSo provided experience exchange, skill development, and access to new tools for six youth social workers. This included integrating the concept of Education on Relationships, Emotional, and sexual life and art therapy techniques. The project promoted transnational cooperation, enabling organizations to learn from each other's experiences and expand their operations internationally.

SaHaSo project had a two-fold objective. Firstly, to increase the capacity of the 3 partner organizations to work with youth with mental disabilities in the crucial and sensitive field of relationships, emotional and sex life, incl. online, through transnational cooperation to create together & pilot a new, blended course on the subject. Secondly, to provide prevention of emotional & sexual abuse of young people with mental disabilities, to enhance their autonomy & social inclusion through blended Education for Relationships, Emotional and Sex life with art (ERESL). The project involved an exchange of expertise between social/youth workers from the 3 partner organizations in instructing social and developmental skills, in art techniques, and online work with youth with special needs. The young people with special needs participated in the pilot of the innovative SaHaSo programme and contributed to its outcomes and some multiplier events. They received non-formal instruction comprising regular, stimulating activities with artistic means of expression and virtual exchanges with international peers on ERESL topics suitable for public/online discussion.

The project team planned and implemented 5 activities, as follows: Activity 1: Exchange of expertise and best practices for Social Inclusion and Education in Relationships, Emotional and Sex Life of Youth with Mental Disabilities (3 segments covered respectively over 6, 3 and 1 sessions). Activity 2: Planning and design of a joint blended course for Education in Relationships, Emotional and Sex Life of Youth with Mental Disabilities (2 parts: design/plan pilot programme and online module and modify to produce 2 project outputs). Activity 3: Piloting of a Joint Blended Course for Education in Relationships, Emotional and Sex Life of Youth with Mental Disabilities (37 in-person sessions and 3 online sessions). Activity 4: Multiplier events (11 events organised, including 10 in-person and 1 hybrid ). Activity 5: Transnational project meetings (3 in-person meetings organised).

Results planned&delivered: Tangible • 6 youth/social workers exchanged expertise & best practices on ERESL & inclusion of youth w/ mental disabilities. • 12-month blended joint course designed on ERESL & inclusion for young people w/ mental disabilities. • Free-access e-Guide containing the online module, designed (ERESL part appropriate to use publicly). • 12-month blended joint course, piloted in BE & BG with 35 young people (18-30) and 15 adults (over 30 y.o.) with light- to medium mental disability. • Preventive work done against sexual abuse, enhancing confidence, autonomy & social inclusion of young people w/ mental disabilities through a joint, blended ERESL course. • Estimated 370 young people, NGO representatives, officials & members of academic & peer professional communities participated in multiplier events & learned about project outputs, abuse prevention & social inclusion of young people w/ mental disabilities. Intangible • Increased capacity of 3 grassroots NGOs to work with young people w/ mental disabilities on skills for relationships &emotional and sexual life. • Increased capacity to implement virtual learning for youth w/ mental disability for 3 NGOs. • Increased European&transnational perspectives of 3 NGOs