International collaboration for youth mental health: the Mental Matters project
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How can we build more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful mental health support for young people across borders? This is the central question explored in the Mental Matters project, where expertise from different countries, practical methodologies, and a shared commitment to youth well-being come together.
Mental Matters is an Erasmus+ cooperation project involving partners from Finland, Germany, and Portugal. The goal is to develop new approaches and strengthen existing practices that have proven effective in supporting youth mental health. The project began in March 2025 and runs until March 2026.
A key focus of the project is to strengthen the skills of professionals working with young people and to improve the sustainability of mental health services—both financially and in terms of content. Equally important is the promotion of volunteer-based activities as part of everyday mental health work. Mental Matters also provides practical tools for professionals and organisations, including workshops, digital materials, and curated summaries of funding opportunities.
Alongside co-development, the project highlights intercultural learning. Practices are shared between countries, and a common understanding is built around what kind of structures and methods are needed to support young people in different local contexts across Europe.
“At the heart of the Mental Matters project is a commitment to strengthening the skills of professionals who work with young people while also developing mental health services to become more sustainable— both in content and in funding. We believe that volunteer-based work is a cost-effective way to support young people’s well-being, and we want to see it integrated more closely into mental health support systems. The project also produces practical tools—such as workshops, digital learning materials, and funding resource guides. Intercultural learning and cooperation are essential elements of this work,” says Hannu Stark, project coordinator from the Sosped Foundation.
Three countries, three perspectives on mental health
The project’s international learning visits—so-called job shadowing weeks—have provided participants with opportunities to explore how youth mental health is approached in different national contexts. The first job shadowing took place in Finland, followed by Portugal, and the final visit was held in Germany.
During the week in Finland, partners visited the Sosped Foundation’s Culture Houses in Helsinki and Tampere. The programme included peer support discussions, hands-on participation in low-threshold group activities, and workshops on project management and communication. For many, it offered an entirely new perspective on how a community-based, experience-led model can support young people in their everyday lives.
In Portugal, participants learned about the Supported Volunteering Methodology, which emphasizes inclusion, empathy, and community engagement through volunteer action. Throughout the week, they followed and took part in youth-led projects—such as food bank work, recycling initiatives, and local well-being campaigns. The combination of practical exercises and dialogue deepened participants’ understanding of how volunteer-based approaches can foster youth development and well-being in multiple ways.
The final visit took place in Passau, Germany, where participants were introduced to local youth work structures and organisations focusing on mental health and youth participation. The week also involved finalising the project’s core outputs, including the e-book, e-journal templates, and dissemination plans. The visit concluded with a reflective synthesis of lessons learned and concrete planning for the final phase of the project.
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