Resilient People

Move Forward (Leap) promotes resilience and increases conflict management skills, which not only makes young people more resilient, but also strengthens the resilience of professionals even when the situation is tense.

• Resilience and mental well-being of youth - research and training to improve the mental health of youth by equipping professionals with the knowledge, resources and skills needed to be successful in low-impact promotion, prevention and early intervention in youth mental health. Strengthen mental health/resilience in youth, - (classroom) management and empowerment of students, - mental health education, identify mental health problems in students, provide low-threshold support to students with mental health problems, get help from professionals for students with mental health problems. We conducted an in-service training consisting of curriculum and evidence-based materials.
• Drama and theater interventions with young people (and professionals) - The main goal is to create situations that require decisions within a protected group by interpreting the scenes performed by the group creating the scene (actors) together with the young people, providing opportunities for reflection and participation. Youth can articulate their own opinions, experiences and reactions.
• Dealing with aggression in the workplace - research and training for professionals on a range of techniques for dealing with aggression, including both verbal and non-verbal behavior.
• Youth care impact research - to measure whether the outcome achieved is caused by the program rather than other, external factors. We use the “theory of change” to explain how activities are conceived to produce a set of outcomes that contribute to achieving the ultimate intended effects. We always consider the context, resources and program design in determining which combination of evaluation approaches to use. To demonstrate causality between a program and the observed outcome versus a counterfactual, we collect baseline data to measure the observed changes, using mixed (qualitative, ABR and quantitative) methods, and understand the cost-effectiveness of the program. 

Prevention and management of relational conflicts is a second core line. Disputes between (ex-)partners, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as child abuse and divorce are the themes in which expertise is being built together with stakeholders. The aim of this line is to develop methods for screening the issues, substantiated counseling, methods from mediation to treatment and interdisciplinary cooperation

• Detect and signal violence - Implement systems and protocols to detect signs and signals of violence, ensure early detection and intervention to prevent new violence. For example, we have developed a screening protocol for child care professionals to detect signs of child abuse in infants and toddlers (ECLIPS). We also train psychosocial and educational professionals to talk to children about possible domestic violence and sexual violence (Babo).
• Addressing violence - Develop strategies and interventions to directly address violence, including effective response and efficient measures to reduce negative impacts. For example, we redesigned the website of the local helpline for citizen inquiries about violence, abuse and child abuse (Helpline 1712). We also created a training program for government actors to see and address gender-based violence in the people they work with (IGVM prevent GBV).
• Prevent new violence - Focused on developing and implementing proactive assessments and interventions to address the roots of violence, with the goal of breaking the cycle of violence and preventing future outbreaks of violence through training and awareness-raising activities. For example, we have developed a risk assessment tool for intimate partner violence in Flanders (RTI PG). Next fall we will also start a new project designing an edugame on online sexual violence that sensitizes young people, their parents and their teachers (PWO Online sexual violence). 
• Promoting recovery from violence - Providing comprehensive support and resources to people who have experienced violence, addressing their physical and psychological needs, to overcome stress or trauma and build deeper connections with those who matter. For example, we organized the “talk picnic” method for older adults and healthcare professionals to talk about elder abuse (PWO Elder abuse). In addition, we are currently developing a support toolbox that mediators can use to engage children whose parents are getting divorced in divorce mediation (PWO Voice of Kids).

Strong families invests in projects that support the first 1,000 days of life and invests in healthy, promising and safe new generations. Spearheads are perinatal resilience for (expectant) parents, their children and the professionals involved, a smooth return to work after maternity leave, a supportive expectation regarding parenting and breastfeeding counseling and being born into families with a specific intergenerational history.

• Resilience during pregnancy and early childhood. This line of research focuses on preventing perinatal mental health problems by increasing resilience in (expectant) parents. We defined the concept of perinatal resilience through a concept analysis and Delphi survey. Based on this model, we developed an online resilience promotion intervention for pregnant women with a human support component. In the future, we plan to further explore the power of resilience in the transition to parenthood. 
• Resilient work resumption. In addition, we focus on resilient work resumption after maternity/paternity leave. Therefore, we focus on exploring and stimulating capacities, opportunities and motivations among employees and employers to address work-life balance and reduce the gender gap. We are currently developing an awareness campaign for the Flemish part of Belgium on this topic.
• Resilience among birth professionals. We have developed a simulation-based team training to increase the resilience of birth professionals (midwives and gynecologists). This training focuses on knowledge, compassionate communication and feedback through an online simulation program. 

Stimulus (Stimulans) focuses on strengthening ethical competencies. The experiential stimulation of ethical resilience in people, organizations and education in care, welfare and human resource management is central. Care ethics as a source of inspiration, through an integral, participatory and connecting approach, is common to the projects

• Strengthening ethical competencies through experiential learning - coordinator ERA ETHCOM
• Patient participation based on values and with an appreciative inquiry approach. How can we become person-centered in our department?
• Resilience for healthcare professionals “What is your story” - in-depth photovoice method to gain awareness of ethical thoughts in a professional context.
• Resilient in your job, ethical leadership: how to remain resilient in our jobs in a new era of technology with Artificial Intelligence. What is the value of an employee beyond the knowledge that can be generated by AI systems?