Alonissos: Strengthening the School and Health Community with Mental Health at the Center

As part of a collaboration with the Mobile Medical Units (MMU) of the NGO Regeneration & Progress, which began in the fall of 2025, the Children & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) visited Alonissos from January 28 to February 2, 2026.

The visit was organized with the island's school units, and the Primary Health Care Team's psychologist and social worker coordinated the meetings, underscoring the value of local networking and collaboration.

Alonissos, one of the most remote islands of the Northern Sporades, has a permanent population of approximately 2,700 residents and covers 64 sq. km. Its main settlements — Patitiri, Old Alonissos (Chora), Steni Vala, and Votsi — make up a small but vibrant community, where education and health professionals are called upon to meet multiple needs with limited resources and at significant distances from specialized services.

The visit focused on raising awareness about CAMHI's work and training programs, strengthening professionals who work with children and adolescents, and establishing stable channels of collaboration between schools, health services, and local support structures.

The following activities took place during the mission:

→ A meeting at the Alonissos Regional Clinic with medical and nursing staff (a general practitioner, a rural physician, a dentist–Director, two nurses, and the pediatrician–Director of the Skopelos Health Center, who is also responsible for the island's pediatric population), where Ms Efi Kapsimalli, a child & adolescent psychiatrist and member of CAMHI's scientific coordinating committee presented CAMHI and the training program on mental health screening. It was proposed that the program be extended to the staff of the Skopelos Health Center as well.

→ A meeting with all of the island's teachers, held at the event space of the Elementary School, with 24 participants (teachers, two psychologists, and a social worker). CAMHI's work and the "Mental Health Literacy" program were presented, while issues teachers face in their daily practice were discussed, including topics such as adoption, divorce, and self-harm.

"The educational community of Alonissos shows a particular dynamism — over the past two years, new school units have been established (an Evening High School and a Vocational High School), while the Junior High School participates in CAMHI's Network of Active Schools for the Mental Wellbeing of Adolescents," said Ms. Kapsimalli. The island also has a speech therapist, while families travel to a specialized therapy center in Skopelos for more specialized treatments — a fact that underscores the challenges of accessing services.

"The experience in Alonissos confirmed that in small island communities, mental health is directly tied to the collaboration and mobilization of local professionals. Being present in the field builds trust, facilitates networking, and creates the conditions for more stable and meaningful forms of support for children, adolescents, and families," noted Ms. Kapsimalli.

The joint efforts of CAMHI and the Mobile Medical Units of Regeneration & Progress represent one more step toward reducing inequalities in access to mental health prevention and care services, ensuring that even the most remote island communities have the support they need.

• CAMHI's program is developed and implemented by a nationwide network of public-sector mental health organizations and professionals, in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute (New York) and with the support of the Ministry of Health. The Children & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative is supported exclusively by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the SNF's Global Health Initiative (GHI).
  
• The Mobile Medical Units (MMU) are an initiative undertaken by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) in collaboration with the Health Units S.A. (AEMY S.A.), within the framework of the National Primary Health Care Program, implemented by the NGO Regeneration & Progress under the scientific supervision of the 1st Orthopedic Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.