Blerta Sulhasi, Health and Social Welfare Group Fellow

Blerta’s HF leadership project aimed to establish a School-based Psychological Services Program, removing barriers to adolescents’ access to mental health services, and preventing and treating mental and emotional health problems among youth. The project, by design, identifies, prevents, and treats mental health issues. It also improves the availability of mental health services in general. Through successful use of this strategy, the project will contribute to students’ better academic performance by decreasing absenteeism, tardiness, and school discipline or behavior problems – factors which impact students’ focus and engagement in the classroom. Project objectives: (1) to build the capacity of schools to increase prevention and mental health promotion programs and services in the school setting for all students; (2) to increase student access to quality mental health services; (3) to increase all students’ developmental and academic success; and (4) convince the MoE to implement student counseling services across more regions of Kosova.

Since being back from Washington Leadership Program through Hope Fellowships, Blerta started implementation of her project, precisely in mid January 2012 and finalized it in July 2012. The project activities included: Group Meetings, Individual Meetings, Radio Shows, and the establishment of a project Web-Page.

GROUP MEETINGS: Once a week, groups of students with 10-12 students each, and with two leading psychologists, got together on school grounds, to discuss mental health concerns. They also participated in different psychological activities for 7 weeks. Overall, 90 students were involved in these meetings.

INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS: Two psychologists held individual sessions for those students in need. The psychologists filling this role were already serving as psychology teachers in the participating school. One of the psychologists was the Program Director, Ms. Blerta Sulhasi and the other was a teacher of psychology at the High School Gymnasium “H.Dushi.” Students that were referred by teachers or student leaders, or were self “walk-ins,” could access this service.

WEB PAGE: The Program’s internet page on Facebook, provides up-to-date information assisting students, parents, mental health professionals and educators promote the mental health of students, and conduct awareness-raising about adolescents’ mental health. On this site, students and parents have access to psychological articles, and can find links to mental health resources. This web page aims to provide users with tools that prevent and reduce symptoms of mental/emotional health issues. It also encourages users to consider the many ways they can strengthen and promote good mental health skills and recommit themselves to adolescent’s positive mental health development.

RADIO SHOW –SBPSP aired a weekly Radio Show on Radio Gjakova between February and July 2012. In partnership with Radio Gjakova, SBPSP used the radio program to dramatically increase the reach of SBPSP’s message and information, especially to adolescents and parents wanting to learn more about psychological issues. SBPSP invited different mental health professionals each week to serve as guest experts. The SBPSP Program Director, Blerta Sulhasi, used the first show to introduce the public to the School-Based Psychological Services Program. Ms. Sulhasi also shared her Hope Fellowship Program experiences from Prishtina and Washington DC. During the second week, SBPSP invited the executive director of the NGO, Children for Tomorrow – Kosova, as a guest of the show. Children for Tomorrow talked about the activities they provide, and gave more information on where Gjakova’s adolescents can go to find psychological services. Ms. Sulhasi and Children for Tomorrow (CFT) – Kosova, also spoke about the partnership between the School-Based Psychological Services Program and CFT. The next 16 radio shows discussed: Adolescence, Depression, Stress, Drugs, Bullying, Aggression, Conflict Resolution, Eating Disorders, Interpersonal Relationships, the role of school psychologists in Kosova, Anxiety, Self-Esteem, and so on.

Conclusion: The School-based Psychological Services Program pilot project started as planned in January 2012. Activities that were part of this pilot project, and that have been completed as of July 2012, include: Meetings with Hajdar Dushi’s school principal, psychologists, Children for Tomorrow’s director and staff (SBPSP’s partner NGO); 20 individual sessions; 56 weekly group meetings with students; The creation and maintenance of SBPSP’s web page and the development and commencement of a weekly SBPSP radio show. This pilot project, has served more than 100 students from Gjakova and Obliq, Kosovo. Additionally, various magazines, newspapers and national TV have run stories about the program and its importance to young people.

“If the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health adopt this program for the long term, we will begin to see a real improvement in the mental health of students” added Blerta.