Low-threshold Youth Counseling Centers

The program “Low-Threshold Youth Counseling Centers” in Lower Austria specifically supports specialized psychosocial counseling and therapy services for young people. Non-profit organizations can apply for grants of up to €100,000 per year to establish and operate local facilities staffed with qualified professionals. The goal is to provide anonymous, low-threshold initial counseling as well as further support services, independent of school-based youth work and location-bound youth centers. The funding targets projects that respond to regional priorities according to demand and ensure a professional infrastructure for individual and group sessions. In doing so, the program makes an important contribution to strengthening the psychosocial care of young people in both rural and urban areas of Lower Austria.

A prerequisite for funding is the determination of eligibility pursuant to § 9 para. 1 NÖ JWG 1991 as well as activity within the framework of social services for child and youth welfare based in Lower Austria. Initial applications must be submitted by March 31 of each year, and follow-up applications by January 31 of the current year, to the Office of the Lower Austrian State Government. Required documents include the official application form for funding requests and a current extract from the association or commercial register or an equivalent proof of eligibility. The guidelines for lump-sum funding as well as further instructions on accounting and documentation are set out in the relevant funding guidelines of the State of Lower Austria. This funding opportunity enables non-profit organizations to establish low-threshold counseling structures for young people and thus contribute to the healthy development of adolescents.