The City Council presents to 30 European cities the Youth Psychological Support and Coaching Service
Madrid City Council has presented the Youth Psychological Support and Coaching Service to 30 European cities in the framework of Eurocities latest meeting, of which Madrid is a member. The presentation was organized by the City of Leeds, chair of the Working Group on Children and Youth. This working group was created in 2020 in order to enable the experience exchange between cities on issues such as child poverty, digital inequality and psychological care, among others.
The Service, which depends on the Department Of Youth related to Families, Equality and Social Welfare Area, seeks to contribute to the development and personal growth of young people of Madrid.
The presentation made by Madrid City Council has explained in general terms this initiative, which will start and be fully operational from June 1st. This project has been selected to be presented and discussed at the working session held on September 15th. It is focused on the mental health of young people, and the solutions offered by municipalities to the challenges posed by the pandemic in the sphere of mental health.
The Delegate of the Family Governance, Equality and Social Welfare Area, Mr José Aniorte, stated that “the Social Assessment Review confirmed that the pandemic of COVID-19 and its restrictions have caused a psychological toll, especially for young people”. The launch of this new Public Service shows the commitment of the City Council on the stability and protection of youth mental health: "This commitment is more important than ever, and it will be maintained over time because we know it is a fundamental issue”.
The main target of this Public Service is to evaluate, guide and promote individual and collective actions among young participants, with a preventive and therapeutic perspective.
Founded in 1986, Eurocities is currently made up of 140 of the largest cities in Europe, with the collaboration of 45 Partner Cities, bringing together 130 million people from 39 countries. It organizes forums and working groups on a wide range of topics, and allows the exchange of experiences in public policies. It aims to strengthen the role that local governments should play in a multi-level governance structure.