Mental Health Awareness Week: strengthening probation practice through mental health

On 27 and 28 May 2026, Bucharest hosted the CEP Workshop on Caseload and Workload: Supporting Sustainable Probation Through the Human Dimension. With 40 participants representing 18 European jurisdictions, as well as delegates from South Korea, the workshop offered opportunities to exchange knowledge and develop strategies to manage the increasing caseload and workload in probation. Designed as an interactive space, it provided participants – practitioners, managers, researchers and experts – with reflections on current pressures within probation services and it explored practical, evidence‑informed solutions from across Europe.

On Tuesday 26 May 2026 CEP Expert Group on Caseload and Workload gathered in Bucharest, Romania, for its annual face-to-face meeting, held ahead of the Workshop on Caseload and Workload: Supporting Sustainable Probation Through the Human Dimension. Hosted by the National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania, the meeting was opened by the Deputy Director Diana Mustatea and CEP Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin. They both stressed the importance and relevance of the topic in supporting effective and sustainable approaches to caseload and workload management, contributing to improved outcomes for both staff and service delivery.

On 21 May 2026, the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) hosted the webinar “The European Mental Health Curriculum for Probation Officers”, bringing together probation professionals, mental health experts, policymakers, and practitioners from across Europe to present an innovative training initiative aimed at strengthening mental health awareness and competencies within probation services.

The 20th episode of Division_Y features Anke Spoorendonk, former State Minister of Justice in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, representing the Danish minority party SSW.

In this article, you can explore the newly published European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers, learn about the call for a national pilot implementation, and find details about the upcoming webinar on 21 May presenting the curriculum modules.

This week, during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Confederation of European Probation is highlighting the importance of mental health in probation practice across Europe.