The HEARTS project (HEARTS: Higher Education Action Response for Trauma Support, 2023-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000158841) held a Partner Exchange Meeting for Method Exchange between June 10th to the 13th, 2024, in Turin, Italy.
The meeting was held in SPAZIO BAC - Barolo Arti con le Comunità hosted by COREP – SCT – Social Community Theatre Centre, with the six partners of the HEARTS project (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Iscte, University of Malta, University of Cagliari, University of Turin, and IUHPE: International Union for Health Promotion and Education). During this exchange workshop, the partners shared their expertise and methodologies to serve as a basis for developing a pilot for intervention in mental health promotion and trauma prevention in higher education communities.
Picture courtesy of the project team
Carla Moleiro and Gustavo Aybar Camposano from CIS-Iscte conducted Iscte’s participation in this exchange meeting. They organized a two-hour workshop focused on multicultural competencies training and intersectionality. In the first hour, Carla Moleiro used a practical exercise to raise awareness and discuss multicultural competencies when working with and for people from different social minority backgrounds. In the second hour, Gustavo Aybar Camposano presented the potential challenges professionals may face when working with intersecting stigmatized identities or double minorities by using LGBTQ+ migrants as a case study.
The workshop finished by presenting ways for professionals to develop multicultural competencies and the health-enhancing benefits of groups. It also provided the HEARTS team with tangible recommendations to account for when developing mental health interventions with and for diverse university students and staff.
HEARTS team is currently surveying and interviewing Iscte students to better understand their needs. That way, the HEARTS pilot interventions can be tailored to Iscte students and staff (and their needs).
Picture courtesy of the project team
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