Sunčana Kusturin is a social worker, a university specialist in supervision in psychosocial work, and holds a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Policy. She is also an experienced trainer, having attended several training for trainers (such as Gender-Based Violence, Non-Formal Education of Youth, and the two-year advanced course TALE – Trainers for Active Learning in Europe). She has contributed to numerous national and international seminars, trainings, study visits, and networking activities.

The beginning of her professional journey was marked by volunteering at a Youth Center, and since then, working with young people has become an integral part of her professional path. For seventeen years, she worked in a non-governmental organisation, where she had the opportunity to work directly with children and young people, their parents, and teachers, while also collaborating with and supporting the professional development of volunteers and professionals from various fields.

Sunčana is currently self-employed at SUKUS, collaborating with various organisations in Croatia and abroad. Although she now works in the private sector, she continues to actively support community-based programs. She volunteers with the Zvone Initiative, which recognises and celebrates exceptional caregivers, and she dreams of creating a new educational documentary that explores what it means to be a good caregiver from the perspective of people with lived experience in care.

About Sunčana Kusturin

Experience as a Trainer/Educator

Her training expertise spans youth work, alternative care, non-formal education, creative techniques, social inclusion, volunteering, and mental health.

She has extensive experience in providing training for organisations, mentors, and volunteers involved in the European Solidarity Corps program, including specialised trainings on supporting volunteers’ mental health through mentoring. For many years, she has supported professionals in the field of education in making their Erasmus+ projects more inclusive and diverse.

Sunčana participated in the development and implementation of the youth studies programs “Study of Youth for Youth”(organised by the Croatian Youth Network) and “Youth in a Contemporary Society”, a lifelong learning program carried out in cooperation between the Institute for Social Research (IDIZ) and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka.

She has trained care professionals in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Benin on topics related to the rights of children in care, leaving care, and alternative care in general.

Experience as a Supervisor / Metasupervisor

Having strong supervision support during the early stages of her career greatly influenced both her personal and professional development and reinforced her belief that caring for one’s mental health is essential.

She is licensed supervisor in psychosocial work and has supervised more than 80 supervision groups of volunteers and professionals working in civil society organisations, schools, welfare centres, and children’s homes.

Sunčana is an external associate of the Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, where she provides supervision for second-year students during their field placements and participates in supervising students of the University Specialist Study “Supervision in Psychosocial Work.”

She is also a licensed metasupervisor, meaning she provides supervision for other supervisors.

Creating Publications and Educational Tools

While working for the NGO Play, she participated in the development of Sedo associative cards, board games for families, and three educational films: Taste of Care, Problems in behaviour – A View from a Different Corner, and 2 poles – Violence and Suicide. She was part of the team that created educational videos on inclusion for the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes: Inclusion and diversity; Projects that promote inclusion and diversity; Results and impact.

Sunčana is the author/editor of several publications and research papers:

Supervision:

• S. Kusturin (2011) „Smjernice za prezentaciju supervizije psihosocijalnog rada“ Ljetopis studijskog centra socijalnog rada", godište 18, broj 2.

• S. Kusturin (2007) „Supervizija-oblik podrške profesionalcima“, Metodički ogledi, vol.14, No. 1, Zagreb, siječanj-lipanj 2007

• S. Kusturin (2024) “Vignette: Creative techniques and sense of wonder” European Journal for Supervision and Coaching. Storytelling and narratives. Vol 8. Issue 2. ANSE

Alternative care

• S. Kusturin (2002) “Potrebe mladih u odgojnim domovima” Ljetopis socijalnog rada, Vol. 9 No. 2

• OkvirKO – priručnik za osnaživanje mladih u procesu izlaska iz alternativne skrbi: Zašto Okvirko?; Kako- Katalog kompetencija?; Ja ću ovako, Udruga Igra, (2014)

• Smjernice za zadovoljavanje potreba mladih izašlih iz sustava skrbi, Udurga Igra i Forum za kvalitetno udomiteljstvo (2011)

• „Kako kontaktirati" - priručnik za odgajatelje i druge stručnjake koji rade s djecom i mladima uključenim u institucionalni tretman, Udruga Igra (2009)

• Edukativna brošura Katapult, Udruga Igra (2007)

Volunteering

• S. Kusturin (2024) “Volunteers and stress” Agencija za mobilnost i Programe EU.

• Priručnik za mentore volontera , Agencija za mobilnost i Programe EU (2021)

Youth work

• S. Kusturin, B. Ćulum Ilić (2021) “Guide community-engagement metors”, Institut za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu

Inclusion

• Dukić, P. Kusturin, S., Luša, J. with contributions from event participants: Roadmap towards active engagement: Inclusion and Diversity in Erasmus+ , Agency for mobility and EU programs, Croatian NA(2024)

• Dukić, P. Kusturin, S., Luša, J. with contributions from event participants: Outreach recipes: Inclusion and Diversity in Erasmus+ Agency for mobility and EU programs, Croatian NA (2025)

• “I CAN’T, even if I can”, Association Play (2012)

• U potrazi za uključivanjem i raznolikosti Agencija za mobilnost i Programe EU (2021; 2022)

Trailer: Okus skrbi

Igra van okvira #1 – Mladi iz alternativne skrbi: Izazovi i snage | dr. sc. Sunčana Kusturin

Audio podcast Mentoring Under Construction: Mental Health in Volunteering

Focus on supporting volunteers in time of crises:

• How can you spot the signs that a volunteer might be struggling?

• What should a mentor do (and not do) when mental health challenges come up

• And how can tools like reinforced mentorship and even insurance help make sure volunteers feel safe and supported?