The project arose from the need to seek grassroots solutions that would reduce the number of suicide attempts among children and youth in Radom. We focused on the issue of mental health among children and youth because, according to data from the Police, Radom has been consistently among the top Polish cities in terms of the rate of suicide attempts in this age group. Specialized support options in our city are significantly inadequate and insufficiently promoted. The only existing strategic document commissioned by local authorities did not address the problem of mental disorders among children and youth.

We established a participatory team whose task was to develop a civic program for promoting mental health and preventing mental disorders among children and youth. We invited parents of children with emotional disorders, colleagues from Radom’s non-governmental organizations working with children and youth in emotional crisis, employees from the Municipal Social Assistance Center and schools, as well as psychiatrists to participate. We also organized a debate on the support system for children with mental disorders in Radom. Subsequently, we formed a committee that prepared and submitted a proposal for a resolution regarding the civic program. The resolution was adopted by the City Council.

The project’s partner was the LATOROŚL Association, which has extensive experience in implementing participatory processes and provided substantive support for the project, including the preparation of a social campaign, conducting participatory and informational meetings, as well as promoting the project on various social media platforms.

Through the project implementation, we drew the attention of authorities, local institutions, and the local community to the pressing issue of children and youth mental health. Thanks to our efforts, the local community actively participated in the work of the participatory team.