Letter of Address by the President of the Association

Dear Colleagues,

The Association for child and adolescent psychiatry in Bosnia and Herzegovina was found in February, 2011. as a voluntary organization of experts who are involved in child and adolescent psychiatry In Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is found for organized act on improvement and popularization of scientific disciplines who are involved in mental health protection and treatment of psychical disturbances in children and adolescents. Aims of the Association are:

• Active participation in high quality child and adolescent mental health improvement programs according to European standards.
• Development of prevention, intervention and protection of children’s mental health services so they can guarantee the respect of human rights and diversity, including children and adolescent rights.
• Cooperation with health, education, social and other bodies and organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to protect mental child and adolescent health.
• Affirmation of child and adolescent psychiatry in the medical disciplines offering the child and adolescent health services.
• Organization and implementation of seminars, lectures, counselling and workshops on child and adolescent psychiatry in order to provide a continuous education to the Association members (information and introduction of most recent scientific and professional achievements)
• Advocacy on behalf of the Association members;
• Presentation of the opinions and intentions of the Association to relevant bodies
• Finding ways to improve the work conditions in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry
• Encouraging multidisciplinary professional practice through common education in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry in the applicable mental health protection fields
• Supporting the development of unique specialization and sub-specialization programs in child and adolescent psychiatry in Bosnia and Herzegovina according to modern European and world standards.
• Protection and improvement of children’s rights according to specific international conventions
• Publishing books, bulletins, brochures, education-promoting materials and other publications needed to meet the Association goals.
• Exchanging experience and information with the same or similar associations and other non-governmental organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad.

Main principals of Association are tolerance, democracy, diversity, voluntarity and openness.

The membership in Association is voluntary and it begins with fulfilment of member’s application, included in the register of members and by paying annual fee.

The Association became a member of European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP) in May 2018. (approachable on web page: https://www.escap.eu/index/escap-members/bosnia-and-herzegovina.)

In July 2018 our Association has also became a member of International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions – IACAPAP. With membership in leading world and European associations of child and adolescent psychiatry we improved our possibility for cooperation with experts from this field worldwide, improved our possibility to present our working results and achievements, to cooperate and learn from the bests.

The Association is going to improve its activities and there is a possibility for making some sections under the Association who would be active in specific area within child and adolescent psychiatry.

One of our main interests is organising expert meetings and symposiums with the aim of strengthening of professional identity and spreading the knowledge in child and adolescent psychiatry. Frequent reports on our web site and with publishing of periodic reports we are going to inform our members and others about activities of the Association, we are going to continuously improve our activities and accomplish it with European and world standards.

I would like to thank to all members and friends of our Association for their activities and persistent support which they have showed in previous years.

I would like to call all who are interesting to join our noble aim in improvement of mental health for children and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with that, for the improvement of our whale community.