Center for youth CEZAM-place for healing and recovery

Traumatic experiences can have profound and lasting effects on children and adolescents, particularly when mass violence disrupts environments traditionally perceived as safe. In May 2023, Serbia experienced two unprecedented mass shootings within 48 h, resulting in 19 fatalities, all involving children and young people. These events underscored the urgent need for rapid, accessible, and developmentally appropriate psychosocial responses beyond existing institutional frameworks. This paper presents the development and implementation of CEZAM (Centar za Mlade-Centre for Youth), a novel community-based model of psychosocial support for young people in Serbia. CEZAM was established as a non-stigmatizing, freely accessible service for children, adolescents, and young adults aged 10-30, as well as their families. The CEZAM model integrates three interconnected components: time-limited psychosocial counselling, preventive educational and wellness programmes, and structured youth engagement through volunteering and outreach activities. Between April 2024 and December 2025, CEZAM provided services to 3342 users, indicating unmet needs for accessible community-based support. The findings demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of an integrated, multi-sectoral psychosocial service model in post-trauma contexts and highlight the importance of early, accessible interventions in supporting recovery, resilience, and long-term mental well-being among young people.