Community Bridge-Building in Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark

How can a collaboration between civil society and psychiatry look in practical terms if we are to help more young people experiencing mental health challenges to join community associations?

That was one of the main questions yesterday when we held the kick-off workshop for the Community Bridge-Building in the Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark.

The project is led by the Social Health Bridge-Building Programme and is carried out in close collaboration with the Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark.

The aim is to offer support to community associations for individuals connected to the psychiatry in Odense and Svendborg. The project has a particular focus on young people aged between 18 and 30.

The Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark is a partner in the project, concentrating on supporting the implementation and gathering knowledge about what works in the collaboration.

That is why at the kick-off workshop on 23 April 2025, we brought together a range of good people:

• Volunteer bridge-builders and staff from the Social Health Bridge-Building Programme
• Managers, nurses and peer workers from psychiatry
• ONE OF US peer ambassadors and more 

Everyone contributed with important insights into what is needed to ensure that the community bridge-building initiative becomes a meaningful and effective offering for both the volunteer bridge-builders, the psychiatry staff, and not least the young people connected to psychiatry.

We are very much looking forward to following the project and the collaboration over the coming three years.