Pilot model finished with conference in Plovdiv 

(30 July) Yesterday in hotel “Seven hills” - Plovdiv the final conference on project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of the institutions for children” was carried out. The conference marked the end of the project which is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund - IGA in partnership with Association “Centre Open door” - Pleven, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the Central commission for prevention of juvenile delinquency (CCPJD) and the Local commissions for prevention of juvenile delinquency (LCPJD) of Pazardjik, Septemvri, Belovo and Pleven. Participation in the forum took representatives of the local authority, the court, the prosecution, the police, the Directorates “Social assistance”, the State agency for child prevention, LCPJD, Plovdiv university “Paisii Hilendarski”, directors of CBS, psychologists, pedagogists, experts, representatives of the nongovernmental sector and others. Dimitar Rusinov – Program Director of Fund – IGA presented the results from the project implementation. Lubomir Stoytchev from Bulgarian Helsinki Committee made an Analisys of the activity of the Local commissions for prevention of juvenile delinquency. Ass. D-r Vladimir Velinov from the Clinic for court psychology and court psychiatry acquainted the participants with the Structural risk assessment instrument (SRAI), tested in the frames of the project. In the conference agenda were also included lectures of Ass. D-r Dora Levterova - Head of the Pedagogical faculty of Plovdiv university “Paisii Hilendarski”, Genadii Matveev – pedagogical advisor, author and leader of alternative programs for children with deviant behavior and Zlatka Macheva form Association “Centre Open door”, Pleven. The project is implemented by Fund – IGA with the financial support of the European Commission, “Deinstitutionalization through provision of community based services for risk groups” of the Ministry of labor and social policy.
On the photo: Krassimir Angelov – deputy mayor of Plovdiv Municipality and general Yordan Kiumiurdjiev – Chairman of the Municipality council – Plovdiv open the conference.

 The results from project supporting the reforming of the institutions for children were discussed 

Informational day in the frames of project “Pilot Model for Alternative Services in Support to Pre-Structuring and Reforming the Institutions for Children” was carried out yesterday from 10.30 am in the hall of the Regional Agency for Economical Development (RAER) - Pazardjik.
One of the main aims of the informational forum was to present the achieved results of the project. The effects from the work with the children and the activities of the project in CBS “Angel Uzunov” – Rakitovo and CBS “Hristo Botev” – Podem village, Pleven Municipality were shared and analyzed. Participation in the presentation of the results took Stanimir Petrov and Lubomir Stoytchev from Bulgarian Helsinki Committee – project partners. Representatives of institutions from District Pazardjik which are engaged in the theme participated in the Informational day.
The project is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund – IGA with the financial support of the European Commission, “Deinstitutionalisation through provision of community based services for risk groups” Programme of the Ministry of the Labour and Social Policy.

Training carried out within the frameworks of a project of IGA aimed at supporting the pre-structuring and reforming of the institutions for children  

From 23rd to 25th of June in “Elbrus” Hotel – Velingrad, a three-day training course was carried out under “Pilot Model for Alternative Services in Support to Pre-Structuring and Reforming the Institutions for Children” Project, which is implemented by Crime Prevention fund – IGA with the financial support of PHARE Programme of the European Community. Participants in the training were the specialized staff of CBS “Angel Uzunov” - Rakitovo, representatives of SPBS “Maksim Gorki” – village of Stoykite, Municipality of Smlyan, representatives of “Protection of Child” Department, Children Pedagogic Room and Regional Court – Pazardzhik, Local Commissions for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency from Pazardzhik and Septemvri, social workers and representatives of the non-government sector.
Lecturers on the training were Ass.prof. Dr. Vladimir Velinov from Clinics on Forensic Psychology and Forensic Psychiatry «St. Naum», Stanimir Petrov and Liubomir Stoychev from Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Genadii Matveev – pedagogic advisor, author and manager of alternative programmes for children with deviation behavior, Zlatka Macheva – chairwoman of Association “Centre Open Door” – Pleven, Dimitar Russinov – programme director of Fund IGA and Valentina Gesheva – manager of Center for Social Services under Fund IGA. The following subjects were presented in front of the participants: Corrections of the deviation behavior through surviving in conditions of isolation, International standards for rights of child, Analysis on the activities of the Local Commissions for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, Planning and managing cases, Behavior related to violence, Methods and tools for assessment of cases of juvenile offenders, Tool for assessment of the educational level (СИООН) and others.

 First results from the application of SRAI announced 

(20 March) Today,10.30 p.m., in the hall of the Regional Agency for Economical Development and Business Incubator and CEIBG - Pazardjik an Informational day within the project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of the institutions for children” was carried out. The project is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund - IGA with the financial support of the European Commission, Programme Deinstitutionalisation through provision of community based services for risk groups of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
Valentina Gesheva - Head of the Center for social rehabilitation and integration at Fund – IGA presented the results from the implementation of the project, Andrey Momchilov - International Projects Manager from Fund - IGA and Stanimir Petrov from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee gave an overview of the results from the inquiry made among children from CBS “Angel Uzunov” - Rakitovo, and Georgi Yanushev - Director of CBS “Angel Uzunov” commented the role of the project in regard to the institutions for children.
In the informational forum participated the Deputy-mayor of Pazardjik municipality Angel Velkov, representatives of “Social assistance” Directorate - Pazardjik, Child Protection Offices in Pazardjik and Belovo, “Labor bureau”, “Child protection” Department, District investigation office, Regional Health Center, Correctional Boarding School - Rakitovo and the secretaries of LCPJD of Pazardjik and Septemvri.
N.B. SRAI - Structural Risk Assessment Instrument – measuring the risk of re-offending for juveniles and minors.

 60 people from CBS and specialized institutions improved their qualifications within a Fund - IGA project

From 3rd to 7th of October in Sunny beach Black Sea resort was carried out the first training of the Regional multidisciplinary teams (RMT), established in the frames of project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of institutions for children”. Participation took representatives of the investigation service and the prosecution office from Pazardjik, the specialized staff of Correctional Boarding School (CBS) “Angel Uzunov” - Rakitovo, inspectors from CPO in Pazardjik and Velingrad as well as social workers from Fund - IGA.
On the seminar “Structure Risk Assessment Instrument”, developed for the specialized schools by a national working group was presented. Discussed were themes like “Assessment and case management - specialized programs for social rehabilitation and integration”, “Bio-psycho-social model of delivering of social services for juveniles”, “International standards for children rights”. Lecturers on the training were Ass. Prof. Vladimir Velinov from Clinic for court psychology and court psychiatry, Konstantin Tomanov - secretary of CCPJD, Stanimir Petrov from Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and others. The second training of RMT within the project will start on 10th of October. Participation in it will take representatives of different institutions from Pleven as well as the specialized staff of Correctional Boarding School “Hristo Botev” - Podem and CBS - Kereka (District Pleven). Project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of institutions for children” began during the spring of 2007. Partners in the project are Association “Open Door Centre” - Pleven, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Central commission for prevention of juvenile delinquency, as well as the LCPJD of Pazardjik, Pleven, Belovo and Septemvri.
The project is funded by Program PHARE of the European Commission. Its main aim is to reduce the levels of institutionalization of juveniles settled in the specialized schools.

 A model for work with children in specialized institutions will be implemented 

Methodology for adoption of the model that works with children in specialized institutions and also children that can be accommodated or leave those kind of institutions is ready. It is developed within the frames of project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of restructuring and reforming of institutions of children”, funded by PHARE Program at the European Commission. The project been implemented by Fund - IGA in partnership with Association “Center Open door” and Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. The model includes 4 main elements: Individual social assessment of cases; Planning and case management; Specialized programs for social rehabilitation, integration and Training program for specialists working with the target group. On practice, the methodology will gather all elements of the model. The whole program contains theoretical and practical modules. The theoretical part will include international standards in the target area, observation of the Bulgarian legislation and the institutional frame, successful practices and models in Bulgaria and Europe. After the methodology is finalized, two five-day training for social workers, the staff of the specialized institutions - CBS, representatives of LCPJD, Child Pedagogic office, “Child Protection” department and other institutions in Pleven and Pazardjik will be carried out.

 Multidisciplinary team for work with children was established 

On 18th of May in the office of Fund – IGA a work meeting in the frames of project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of restructuring and reforming of institutions for children” was carried out. The aim of the meeting was establishment of multidisciplinary team, which will implement the project activities directed towards the delivering of social services for children at risk. In the meeting participated the coordinator of the project from Fund – IGA and representatives of different institutions from the region, who were invited to take place in the team. For a couple of days a similar meeting will be carried out in Pleven – the other region in which the project is implemented. Association “Open door centre” as a partner of Fund – IGA on the project will initiate the establishment of the second multidisciplinary team, in which representatives of institutions from District Pleven will participate.

 Work meeting gathered institutions from Pazardjik and Pleven 

Work meeting on project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of institutions for children” was carried out of 5th and 6th of April in hotel “Elbrus” – Velingrad. For participation in the meeting arrived the partners from Association “Open door Centre” – Pleven and Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. Participation took also experts from REI, LCPJD, the directors of the boarding schools (CBS and SPI), representatives of the prosecution, The District directorate “Police”, the Directorate “Labor bureau”, the departments “Child protection”, and the Directorate “Social assistance” from Pazardjik and Pleven. On the meeting were introduced the project and the project activities. The secretary of CCPJD introduced before the participants the situation of the juvenile delinquency in the country. The adapted version of the model of ASSET – system for evaluation of the risk, was introduced from the associate professor Vladimir Velinov - Clinic for forensic psychology and forensic psychiatry – Sofia. The participants were briefed about the situation in the boarding schools and the juvenile delinquency in the regions of Pazardjik and Pleven. The proposed criteria for establishment of Expert group and its members were also discussed.
The work meeting provoked a big interest in the experts from Pazardjik and Pleven, which evaluated the opportunity to share experience and practices in the project sphere.
The project “Pilot model for alternative services in support of the restructuring and reforming of institutions for children” is been implemented with the financial support of Program PHARE of the European Commission.