Academy

BHIDAPA Services

In accordance with the Statute, BHIDAPA has 3 centers that encompass primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, which are:

Educational Center

The tasks of the Educational Center are:

  1. Promoting and developing postgraduate educational programs in the field of integrative psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counseling for children and adolescents, integrative psychotherapy, and supervision in Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with European standards (EIATSCYP; EAIP; EAP), with the aim of preserving and improving the mental health and well-being of every child/adolescent, as well as improving the quality of life of families, children and young people;
  2. Advocating for the promotion of professional training in the areas of: techniques and skills in working with children, crisis interventions and strengthening multidisciplinary and intersectoral networks, through lectures, workshops and training;
  3. Improving the implementation of educational activities in the field of developmental psychotherapy and related professions, and encouraging a high level of professional and scientific work through research, in the manner prescribed by law;
  4. Developing interdisciplinary cooperation with domestic or foreign related associations, institutions and individuals, in projects dealing with the education and treatment of children, adolescents and adults in accordance with the law;
  5. Promoting the development of unified standards for the protection of children’s and adolescents’ rights and improving conditions for proper mental development, in accordance with European and global standards;
  6. Advocating for the inclusion of all professions dealing with the protection of health and well-being of children and young people in certain forms of education and cooperation in accordance with the law.

Center for Child protection

The tasks of the Interdisciplinary therapeutic center for the protection of the health of children, young people and families are:

  1. Advocating for the establishment of the organization and implementation of protection measures for traumatized, abused and neglected children, with the aim of establishing and implementing multidisciplinary diagnostics and team planning of the best possible treatment for each child and parents in cooperation with related institutions in the best interest of the child and their well-being (schools, kindergartens, CZSR, CMZ, police, homes, children’s villages, dr.), in the manner prescribed by law;
  2. Advocating for the implementation of the best possible treatment with psychotraumatized children and their parents (which includes abused and neglected children), with children who are at risk of abuse and neglect (children with learning difficulties, with ADHD syndrome, with chronic illnesses, prematurely born children, children from families with disturbed dynamics and at-risk families, children whose parents are under more intense parental or general stress, high-conflict divorce, etc.), as well as children and young people in contact with the law;
  3. Improvement in the organization of continuous professional development in the application of new methods of working with psychotraumatized children and young people, and their families, and advocating for coordinated cooperation with other mental health professionals, related associations, institutions and individuals, with the aim of exchanging experiences and creating joint programs and approaches, domestically and abroad;
  4. Advocating for continuous and systematic supervision of professionals who work with children, young people and families, and the development of regular contacts with related institutions that communicate with the child (hospital, kindergarten, school, center for social welfare, police, court, children’s home).

Research Center

The tasks of the scientific-professional research center are:

  1. Working on encouraging professional and scientific work and research of association members through continuous education, supervision, personal development, and participation in professional and scientific gatherings domestically and abroad;
  2. Advocating for continuous and systematic supervision of professionals who work with children, young people and families, and the development of regular contacts with related institutions that communicate with the child (hospital, kindergarten, school, center for social welfare, police, court, children’s home).
  3. Organizing professional seminars, lectures, experiential workshops, conferences, congresses, in order to achieve the goals and activities of the association in accordance with the law;
  4. Publishing scientific journals, manuals, textbooks, brochures, promotional materials, with the aim of promoting children’s rights and sensitizing society, especially professionals, about the seriousness of the problem of child abuse, the possibility of recognition and providing appropriate help and support, and raising public awareness about the importance of preserving and improving the mental health and quality of life of children, adolescents and families, in order to achieve the goals and activities of the association in the manner prescribed by law;
  5. Raising public awareness about the importance of preserving and improving the mental health and quality of life of children, adolescents and families, in order to achieve the goals and activities of the association in the manner prescribed by law.

Working on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse and advocating for zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse (protection from sexual exploitation and abuse – ZSEZ) with the aim of advocating an explicit policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse (in accordance with the UN definition).

Support for initiatives to raise awareness among association members regarding abuse (protection from sexual exploitation and abuse – ZSEZ), mandatory training for all members on ZSEZ policies and procedures of the organization, responsible action through responding and reporting violations.

The interdisciplinary team of professionals and educators consists of: integrative psychotherapists, neuro-psychiatrists, psychiatrists, gestalt psychotherapists, psychoanalysts with psychodynamic orientation, cognitive-behavioral therapists, supervisors, psychologists, pedagogues and lawyers.

The goals of BHIDAPA are the promotion, development and improvement of education in the field of integrative psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counseling for children, young people and adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of preserving and improving the mental health and well-being of every child/adolescent, as well as improving the quality of life of families, children, young people and adults; raising public awareness about the determinants of health and healthy development, the importance of quality family and school environment, promoting children’s rights, the importance of multidisciplinarity and intersectoral cooperation in child protection, the consequences of abuse and neglect on the mental health of children and young people, through constant communication with the public via education, lectures, workshops, media, website, and distribution of promotional materials, brochures and manuals.

The healthy growth and development of children and adolescents, and society as a whole, largely depend on our actions today, both in recognizing children’s needs and organizing, accordingly, an optimal environment and influences, especially from the standpoint of preventive as well as curative activities. We believe that through our actions we will help in early recognition and interventions through primary, secondary and tertiary preventive programs of providing quality assistance.

Dr. sc. Mirela Badurina, founder of BHIDAPA-e
WCPC, EAGT, ECP, ECAP, ECIP psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor