Psychological Support for Children and Adolescents in Crisis – a postgraduate study programme for educational counsellors and school psychologists to be launched again under the auspices of Adamed Pharma

“The programme was created in reaction to the effects of the prolonged period of the pandemic. Research suggests that long-term isolation, remote learning, limited direct interactions with peers and health concerns have adversely affected students’ mental condition. Moreover, Polish schools often face the problem of a lack of professional psychological assistance. The current situation in schools is also compounded by the growing numbers of refugee children they admit, which creates a need among in-house educational counsellors and psychologists to expand their knowledge about the consequences of war trauma and the migration crisis. This study programme is not only a reaction to new social needs, but it is also an expression of the obligation of the academic circles to support schools in these areas,” says Ewa Odachowska-Rogalska, Ph.D., Head of the Psychological Support for Children and Adolescents in Crisis Study Programme.

In the previous academic year, the programme was received with great interest by prospective students. Therefore, the Maria Grzegorzewska University has decided to launch another edition in the academic year 2022/2023, while Adamed Pharma decided to continue its support for this vital education path. It is a vital component of the company’s corporate social strategy which it has been implementing through numerous social campaigns and programmes.

“Mental health problems experienced by children and adolescents are an increasingly relevant topic for parents, guardians, teachers and school psychologists. The last three years have been fraught with difficult and often overwhelming events, such as the pandemic or the war in Ukraine, which translated into a growing need for psychological support, especially in the youngest age group.  For many years, Adamed has been actively implementing a number of projects to promote mental health, e.g. the “Odnaleźć siebie” (“Finding Yourself”) social programme, which is why we have decided to continue our cooperation with the Maria Grzegorzewska University. By engaging in such educational activities, we seek to enable as many educational counsellors and psychologists as possible to enhance their knowledge and skills, so that they can offer better assistance to young people in crisis”, said Katarzyna Dubno, Director for External Relations and Health Economics at Adamed Pharma S.A.

Programme content

The postgraduate study programme aims to enable pedagogy and psychology graduates to acquire the competences necessary to support children and adolescents in a mental health crisis. This development period is characterised by numerous crises which can be addressed with various forms of support. Equipping the teaching staff and school psychologists with such competences is a necessary precondition for the correct operation of any education institution. The programme starts on 1 October 2022 and will last for 2 semesters.

The programme consists of four themed modules important from the perspective of a children’s development, the theory of crisis and the forms of support for children at school and at home:

• introduction to the developmental psychology of children and adolescents,
• intervention in a mental health crisis in children and adolescents,
• forms of psychological support for children and adolescents,
• psychological support depending on the type of disorder,
• supporting the family and the school in a crisis.

The Psychological Support for Children and Adolescents in Crisis Postgraduate Study Programme is intended for educational counsellors and psychologists who would like to enhance their competences related to supporting children and adolescents in their local environment. The prerequisite for admission to the postgraduate program is a master's degree in psychology or pedagogy and being employed in an education institution or an organization working in direct partnership with such an institution (a school, kindergarten, nursing home, psychological and pedagogical counselling centre or an emergency intervention centre – work with children).

Enrollment is possible online on: https://rekrutacja.aps.edu.pl/pl.