Natalia Zachartzis

graduated from the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside Hull Campus in 2003 and received her degree in Social Work. During her time in England she worked in organisations such as Cornerhouse Yorkshire where she was involved in educating adolescents on addiction prevention and sexual health, SureStart & HomeStart Hull where she was involved in supporting single parent families and in particular abused dads caring for underage children and Ravenswood Northern Hull where she was involved in caring for mentally ill and disabled people and training them in independent living. Since 2008 she has been the Scientific Director of the Centres for the Prevention of Addictions and Promotion of Psychosocial Health SIRIOS (Municipality of Thessaloniki in collaboration with Okana). The programmes of the Prevention Centres include trainings for parents, teachers, adolescents and children on prevention issues (emotions, active listening, communication, conflict resolution and management, bereavement, etc.) with the aim for adults to be protective cushions for their children and for children to be empowered to make healthy and informed choices for their lives. In 2020 she received her MSc in Criminal Law & Addictions from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her thesis focused on the “Experience of prisoners in the autonomous Treatment Community KETHEA PROMITHEAS and the Day Care Community of KETHEA EN DRAZEI”, emphasizing the importance of providing treatment instead of imprisonment for addicted drug users. Since 2020 she is a member of the Board of Directors and Organizing Officer of ISSUP GREECE (International Society of Prevention & Treatment Professionals – Greece Branch). From 1999 to 2012 she worked voluntarily with people with disabilities, both in structures (ELEPAP, KEPEPEP, ESVE, etc.) and in summer camp programs. Since 2022 she has been working in parallel as a Social Worker – Protection Officer at the KDAP-mea “Action for Something Else”. Since 2021 she has participated as a lecturer in training programs for Judicial Officers organized by the National School of Magistrates (ESDI). Since 2022 she is a lecturer at the National School of Public Administration in the course on the integration of people with disabilities at work and a member of the Observatory for Friendly Justice for Children of the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the University of West Attica. In recent years she has organized and participated in many conferences. She speaks English, French, Spanish and can communicate using sign language.