Symposium on resilience in youth welfare in Jena

A multifaceted topic was the focus of a youth welfare conference in Jena on Thursday. In cooperation with the youth welfare committee and many youth welfare organizations, the youth welfare office organized an exchange on crisis competence in dealing professionally with children and young people in the rooms of the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena. Christine Wolfer, Head of the Youth and Education Department, led the day.

Inclusion demands a lot from society

In his welcoming address, Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche expressed his appreciation for the employees who work responsibly with young people on a daily basis. This requires daily crisis competence, which must be met in a variety of ways.

Dr. Andreas Lambert, Professor of Theory and Practice of Social Work at the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences in Jena, gave a keynote speech on the conflicting priorities of inclusion and resilience. For him, inclusion is a practice of freedom. However, this demands a lot from society - very often beyond what is normally tolerable. Methods of strengthening resilience need to be researched and offered to those involved. Anyone who has visions for positive, inclusive coexistence should not go to the doctor - such ideas should be spoken out loud! He made a strong case for a society in which being human is enough - without being categorized.

Exchange in workshops

Over the course of the conference, the participants discussed their experiences and expectations in relation to the topic of resilience in five workshops. What makes children strong? How can help planning be individually supported? How can health promotion respond better to the needs of youth welfare services?

The results of the conference were summarized in an unusual format: The Freie Bühne Jena performed improvised scenes from inputs collected from the workshops. A successful conclusion to a comprehensive conference on problems faced by young people and youth welfare professionals. Another municipal conference on youth welfare is already being planned for 2024.