Project Scope
PORTAL: Participatory Access to Trauma-Informed Mental Health Care for Migrant Children
PORTAL aims to improve timely and equitable access to mental healthcare for migrant children and young people across Europe by transforming their rights to healthcare and support into accessible, child-centred practice. The project addresses the barriers that migrant children and their families face when navigating mental health services, including fragmented support systems, language barriers, limited awareness of available services and difficulties accessing appropriate care.
By developing a participatory, trauma-informed access model, PORTAL seeks to establish stronger connections between the places children already know and trust — such as schools, shelters, NGOs and youth services — and the professionals and services they may need, including mental health clinicians, interpreters, guardianship and child protection services. Through collaboration among children, young people, carers, practitioners and policymakers, the project aims to create sustainable, coordinated pathways that respond to the diverse needs and experiences of migrant children.
Particular attention will be given to children and young people facing heightened vulnerability, including unaccompanied and trafficked children, young people transitioning into adulthood, and the families, guardians, carers and communities supporting them.
General Objective
The project aims to secure timely and equitable access to trauma-informed mental healthcare for migrant children and young people by developing and scaling participatory, child-centred approaches that transform healthcare rights into routine practice. Through stronger cooperation between communities, frontline professionals and mental health services, PORTAL seeks to reduce barriers to care, improve continuity of support and ensure that migrant children receive appropriate assistance according to their individual needs.
Specific Objectives
To strengthen cross-country cooperation and knowledge exchange by establishing a European Community of Practice for transferring and adapting tested trauma-informed practices across different national contexts.
To develop accessible, coordinated and child-centred pathways to mental healthcare through Local Adaptation Roadmaps, a European Practitioner's Handbook, a Modular Competence Library and digital tools supporting collaboration and implementation.
To improve migrant children's access to mental health support through the implementation of the PORTAL Access Programme in eight EU Member States, combining psychoeducation, therapeutic group support and supported pathways into clinical care.
To strengthen the capacities of professionals working in health, social care, education, NGOs and interpretation services through practical learning exchanges, mentoring and competence development.
To promote the meaningful involvement of migrant children, young people, carers, guardians, communities and policymakers in shaping, adapting and improving mental health services and ensuring sustainable, coordinated support systems.
Partners
Netherlands: Stichting ARQ Centrum'45 (Coordinator); Stichting Voice of All Women (VOAW)
Cyprus: CIIM Innovations Ltd / University of Limassol; Hope For Children CRC Policy Center
Greece: KMOP – Komvos Ekpaidefsis Kai Kainotomias; European Public Law Organization (EPLO)
Spain: MetaMedicsVR SL
Ireland: Global Health Connector (GHC)
Austria: INTERAKTION – Verein für ein Interkulturelles Zusammenleben
Italy: CIFA – Centro Internazionale per l'Infanzia e la Famiglia ETS
Poland: VELA – Fundacja VELA Organizacja Humanitarna na Rzecz Ochrony i Edukacji
Portugal: Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (CVTT-ISCTE); Aldeias de Crianças SOS Portugal
France: AFEJI Hauts-de-France
Funding Reference
The project is funded by the European Union under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), within the AMIF-2025-TF2-AG-INTE call.
Project Number
PORTAL (Project ID: 101290702)
Implementation Period
01/10/2026 – 30/09/2029 (36 months)