Best practices catalogue: #to sem jaz, Slovenia

Interview with the experts team of the program To sem jaz

The mental health program for young people, "To sem jaz" was established in 2001 at the National Institute of Public Health. It focuses on strengthening the mental health and psychological resilience of young people by developing skills and competencies that support adolescents during their growth and act as protection in crisis situations. The program is based on online counseling approaches and preventive work in schools. This evidence-based program has been recognized multiple times in the international professional community as a good practice example in the field of organized care for the mental health of children and adolescents. It is also described in a publication by the World Health Organization.

What do you think are the key elements or principles that make your practice successful? How do you ensure it remains relevant and impactful for youth?

The online counseling platform #Tosemjaz has been connecting with young people online for over 20 years, supporting multiple generations as they grow up. It provides complementary support for addressing everyday challenges and creates a space where adolescents can ask about anything that troubles, excites, interests, inspires, or saddens them. Young people have access to a public, simple, free, and anonymous service offering professional help and online expert advice.

The platform remains relevant, likely because many find it easier to write about personal dilemmas than to talk about them. Over its existence, the counseling service has responded to nearly 60,000 inquiries related to the struggles and dilemmas of growing up. Young people often emphasize how important it is for them to have a quiet space to write and share their burdens, knowing they will receive reliable answers from experts while remaining anonymous. They can ask anything without embarrassment.

The online counseling platform is a safe space where professionals from various fields help adolescents understand the challenges of growing up. The program’s creators believe in this approach and its future, continuously adapting to the current needs of young people. Today, the program operates not only virtually but also in person, in schools. To this end, a comprehensive, tested, and evidence-based model of 10 excellent preventive workshops is available, conducted by teachers or school counselors.

These workshops help young people develop key social and emotional skills essential for building a healthy personality and psychological resilience. Among other things, they enable young people to cope effectively with stress, build positive relationships, and take responsibility for their lives. These skills can be encapsulated as psychological resilience, shaping an individual's sense of their ability to handle life’s challenges.

What were some of the biggest challenges that were faced in developing, running or engaging youth with this practice? How did you overcome them?

Young people have always engaged with the program with interest, as they greatly value the opportunity for online consultations with experts. They also show a strong interest in participating in preventive workshops in schools. The biggest challenge for the program's creators remains the effort to integrate the proven, comprehensive model for preventive work (supported by publicly available guidebooks) into the school system.

We advocate for programs aimed at supporting young people in strengthening their mental health to be professionally validated, systematically standardized, and equally accessible to all children and adolescents within the framework of school preventive practices.

Could you please share a success story or impactful moment from your work that illustrates the power of »To sem jaz« programme?

The strength of the program lies in the story of the birth of the #Tosemjaz online counseling platform and the creation of a network of expert volunteers. With the To sem jaz program, we were pioneers in online counseling for adolescents, building a working model based on our own experiential practice. Today, it is the largest and oldest online counseling service in the field of public health in Slovenia, specializing in professional support for young people.

We are incredibly proud of the interdisciplinary and interinstitutional network of experts who have become our online counselors. The network now includes over 100 professionals (psychologists, doctors, and more), all of whom are volunteers! This is a remarkable team with exceptional professional and human capital. Our counseling network is built on volunteerism, which is rare—and profoundly inspiring—in today’s world.

At the same time, the online counseling service is professionalized through the existence of an editorial team that ensures the smooth flow of information between adolescents and experts, appropriate communication, and user safety. The editorial team works diligently every day to maintain the platform’s stability and continuity.

Our success story is grounded in expertise and compassion—this is the foundation from which we strive to connect with the world of young people. By combining professionalism and volunteerism, we aim to ease the challenges of growing up and make a meaningful, positive impact on young lives.

What have your experience and work with the »To sem jaz« program taught you is the most important thing for people working with youth to keep in mind when addressing mental health?

The most important lesson? Take a genuine interest in the world og young people - their needs, dilemmas, and struggles - how they think and live. Do not design programs without involving young people! Listen to their ideas, stay informed through research, and adapt your work to meet their needs.

When we started the To sem jaz program 25 years ago, we had no idea how important the internet would become as a counselling tool in the future - but young people guided us with their responses toward mental health and online counselling. Let's remain open to their suggestions and ready to embrace change.

If you had a magic wand and there was one change you could make globally today to improve youth mental health, what would it be?

With a magic wand, we would bring top-tier preventive programs into the lives of young people, especially into school curriculums, to help them develop psychological resilience. These programs would empower them to achieve excellent immediate and long-term life outcomes. At the same time, every young person would have at least one trusted adult by their side—someone who serves as a healthy role model and provides support along their journey.

What message or piece of advice would you give to young people about maintaining good mental health based on your experience?

Dear young people, get ready to explore your well-being and health. Would you like to better understand your experiences and reactions? Open your eyes and learn about yourself, your relationships with others, your thoughts, both pleasant and unpleasant emotions, choices, and decisions. How satisfied are you with yourself? What is your attitude toward your imperfections? Do you have realistic and achievable goals? And how do you take care of yourself—regarding sleep, exercise, and nutrition? Can you calm yourself and find trust and optimism? How do you respond when pressures pile up on you?

All of these are aspects of mental health and skills that can be learned. It's important to recognize that challenges are a natural part of life and growing up. Even the greatest worries and the hardest situations can be resolved—they won’t last forever. When you can’t manage on your own, seek help at the right place and at the right time, before the struggle grows and feels overwhelming. Every successful encounter with a difficult situation strengthens your psychological resilience—just like trees grow strong roots in tough terrain.

From the To sem jaz program, you can start using these resources today: