Inclusive Mental Health Services for Youth

Dear friend,

Thank you for supporting Inclusive Mental Health Services for Youth. Your generosity allows us to respond where help is needed most — in real-time crises in people’s lives.

Here’s a glimpse into how we’ve been showing up in recent months.

We supported families after a devastating fire

In July, a tragic fire in the village of Spišský Štiavnik left over 140 people — most of them children — without homes. Within hours, our crisis team arrived on-site to support those affected.

For two intense weeks, we provided over 120 psychological interventions to families in emergency shelters. We helped children process the trauma of losing their homes, assisted community workers under immense pressure, and supported a fragile community coping with loss, fear, and chaos.

We also helped coordinate crisis response efforts, working hand in hand with volunteers, local authorities, NGOs, and donors. This was a powerful reminder of why being ready matters — and why psychological help must be a standard part of emergency response.

We raised our voices for suicide prevention

On September 10 — World Suicide Prevention Day — we launched our annual campaign #BODKOCIARKA (Semicolon). Across Slovakia, people drew semicolons on their skin to show support for those struggling. The message: even if it feels like the end, your story can continue.

This year, we also held a memorial mass for those lost to suicide, creating space for remembrance, healing, and connection — especially in communities where this topic is still stigmatized.

We reopened a youth club in Košice

We’re proud to share that we reopened the Connect Club in Košice — a safe, welcoming space for young people up to 30 years old. Here, they can receive anonymous and free psychological support, join skill-building programs, and most importantly, find connection and community.

The opening was emotional — full of hope, tears, and laughter. One young visitor even joked that we might need a bigger space soon, because “it was packed from morning to night.” A good problem to have!

We launched our first mental health festival

After dreaming for three years, our Prešov team brought the first-ever mental health festival to life. With over 400 people attending — from children to seniors — the “Bodkociarka Festival” became a true celebration of resilience, connection, and care.

Through concerts, talks, and community events, we showed how important it is to talk openly about mental health — and how deeply it connects us all.

We keep going to places where life is at stake

Sadly, there are still so many places where people choose to end their lives. And so we go — again and again. Our Crisis Intervention Team returns to high-risk railway areas, installing signs offering support and showing that help exists.

These signs carry a big message: You are not alone. There is another way. And there is someone who will listen.

Thanks to our partnership with the Slovak Railway Company (ZSR), we continue expanding this suicide prevention initiative to new areas.

We train so we’re ready for anything

To show up in difficult moments, we have to be ready — professionally and emotionally. That’s why our team regularly trains in field simulations with partners like the Slovak Red Cross.

We simulate real-life crises so our psychologists learn how to react calmly and compassionately, even in situations full of chaos, grief, or fear. Because when a person in crisis turns to us, there is no space for hesitation — they must feel safe, seen, and supported.

Because of you, #HelpExists

Your support allows us to respond to crises, offer our help, and be there in the hardest moments. Whether we’re online, in the field, on the IPcko Crisis helpline (Krízová linka pomoci IPcko), behind closed doors in our safe spaces around Slovakia, or out on stages — we’re there because people like you believe in our work.

Thank you for standing with us, and for helping us say again and again: #HelpExists.

Links:

• Find out more about us