Final conference on IGA’s project gathered representatives from five European countries 

The Final conference of Project “Vocational Training Program – Assessment and Case Management” was carried out on 25th of September in the city of Vught, Netherlands. The conference marked the end of 2 years long project, which was prepared and implemented by Crime Prevention Fund – IGA in partnership with 4 organizations – from France, Sweden, Netherlands and Lithuania.
In the program were included visits to the prisons in Breda and Vught and introduction of the model “Safety center” in Breda. Experts from Fund – IGA had a meeting with the administration of Hertogenbosch in order to establish a stable partnership with the Dutch Municipality.
The visit prolonged from 22nd to 25th of September. The project is funded by the European Commission, as a program in the sphere of the professional training “Leonardo da Vinci”.

 Representatives of Fund - IGA attended international meeting in Sweden

From 2nd to 6th of June in Vanersborg, Sweden a work meeting on project “Vocational program - Assessment and Case Management” was carried out. The project is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund – IGA in partnership with 4 organizations – from France, Sweden, Netherlands and Lithuania. Along with Fund - IGA – leading organization on the project, there are PSW - employment consultancy – Netherlands, the French partner “ALAJI”, the Lithuanian “Labor bureau for education and consultancy – Alytus” and the hosts of the meeting Educational Department of Vanersborg Municipality – Sweden.
The aim of the project is the development, testing and implementation of the assessment and case management qualification program for professionals working with young offenders through contemporary methods of social work in the period before and after their release.
On the work meetings carried out so far the organizations presented national studies made in the five countries, analyzed the needs of education of social workers for work with young offenders in the community as well as the situation with social services before and after release. The participants discussed also the development of two modules – Assessment management and Case management as well as the criteria for testing of offenders on the program modules. The analysis from the testing of the modules done in the five countries among 100 offenders before and after their release – obstacles, needs, achieved results was also presented.
In Sweden the participants from the 4 countries visited the prison in Brinkeberg, the Clinic for forensic psychiatry, the Probation Service in the region, the Correctional boarding school in Margretelunds and the Center for young offenders in Lidkoping. On the present meeting a Training plan for training of trainers on the Program for assessment and case management was also developed.
The project is funded by the European Commission on Programme for activities in the sphere of the vocational training “Leonardo da Vinci”.

 International seminar in Plovdiv

(7 April) International seminar for training of trainers on program “Vocational training program – Assessment and Case Management” was carried out during the last week in hotel “Sankt Peterburg” in Plovdiv. This is the fourth event on the project in which participation took representatives of four countries – France, Sweden, Lithuania and Bulgaria. Crime Prevention Fund – IGA, Bulgaria is the leading organization on the project. Partners are the Educational Department of Vanersborg Municipality – Sweden, “ALAJI” from France – organization which operates Centers for social services in Northeastern France and a big team from trainers and experts; “Labor market orientation and consultations – Alytus” – Lithuania – Municipality training center, part from the national system of labor services.
During the training seminar lecturers of the Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” and experts from IGA presented for the first time the entire variant of the program for professional training “Assessment and Case Management”, developed for the needs of the people who works in the prison system, the probation, the system for juvenile justice, the social services and the school psychologists. 25 representatives of the four organizations, the Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, experts in the penitentiary area and psychologists were trained. The specialized program for Assessment and Case Management is the first such program in Bulgaria incorporating some of the best European practices in this direction. In the frames of the program were presented specialized instruments as SRAI-J Structured Risk Assessment Instrument for Juveniles (developed on the model of the English Instrument ASSET) and SIAELO – Structured Instrument for Assessment of the Educational Level of Offenders. Presented was also the methodology of the service Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration of Young Offenders.
The guests visited the District Probation Service – Plovdiv and the Complex for Social Services for Children and Families – Plovdiv. The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Commission – within the program supporting activities in the field of the vocational training “Leonardo da Vinci”.
On the photo: Participants in the training

 “The Parliament” – presents IGA in Brussels  

Crime Prevention Fund - IGA is already in the pages of “The Parliament” - Brussels. “The Parliament” is a magazine which guides the reader through the maze of European politics with balanced, objective and informative coverage and examines in different aspects the European Community including the civil society point of view. In edition 256 from November 12th the organization is presented on the hole page mainly with the implementation of the project “Vocational training program - Assessment and Case Management”, funded by the European Commission on Community Vocational Training Action Programme “Leonardo da Vinci”.
“The history of the probation in Bulgaria closely follows the history of an NGO, once small and enthusiastic, now strong and recognized” - is written in the magazine. When probation legislation was been developed Crime Prevention Fund - IGA had its pilot probation center already running. And by the time the legal provisions finally came into force the organization had already served more than 1200 officers, trained the first 20 probation officers and published the first books on probation n the country. And after being presented with the International Community Justice Award in 2004, the team knew that this was a one-way journey to the end.”
After IGA’s presentation in the sites of UN, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), the European Organization on Probation (CEP) and the European and International research Group on Crime, Ethics and Social Philosophy (ERCES) this is the serial prestige presentation of IGA as an organization, which works not only on regional and national level, but also creates international authority.

 Tests among 100 prisoners from 5 European countries were analyzed  

From 24th to 28th of October a meeting of them 5 organizations - partners on project “Vocational program - Assessment and Case management”, developed by Fund – IGA was carried out in Alytus - Lithuania.
Fund - IGA - leading organization on the project, PSW - Employment Consultancy – the Netherlands, the Educational Department of Vanersborg Municipality, the French partner “ALAJI” and the Lithuanian “Labor market for trainings and consultations - ALYTUS” are the organizations who presented and discussed the analysis from the testing among 100 prisoners (20 for each organization) modules “Assessment” and “Case management”. The participants took decisions for the development of common frame of the Program, which is going to be developed by Fund - IGA and the partners from Sweden until the beginning of 2008. The representatives from the five organizations - partners on the project had the opportunity to visit the Prison in Alytus and to be introduced with the order and the conditions of the Lithuanian penitentiary system.
The next stage of the project foresees training of trainers which are going to be representatives of the partner-countries for dissemination of the program in their countries.
The project is financed from the European Commission on Community action program for vocational training “Leonardo da Vinci”.
On the photo: Visiting the Alytus prison

Representatives of five countries will discuss in Lithuania on Fund - IGA project

Tomorrow in Lithuania will start work meeting on project “Vocational program - Assessment and Case Management”. The project is developed and implemented by Crime Prevention Fund - IGA in partnership with 4 more organizations from France, Sweden, Netherlands and Lithuania. In Alytus (Lithuania) the five countries will carry out their third work meeting. Except Fund - IGA - leading organization on the project, the organizations are PSW - Employment Consultancy - Netherlands, representatives of the Educational Department of Vanersborg Municipality - Sweden, the French partner “ALAJI” and the Lithuanian “Labor market for trainings and consultations - ALYTUS”, who is also host of the meeting.
The project aim is development, testing and implementation of the assessment and the case management among young offenders through contemporary methods of social work in the period before their release from the prison.
On the firs work meeting which was carried out during January in Bulgaria, the organizations presented them prepared national studies from the five countries. The extended conditions for training of social workers to work with young offenders in the society as well as the level of the social services before and after their release from the prison were analyzed. The second International work meeting was carried out during June in Nancy - France. The participants discussed the development of two modules - case assessment and case management as well as the criteria for testing of the offenders according to the Program modules. On the forthcoming meeting the analysis from the testing of the modules, which are done in them five countries among 100 offenders before their release from the prison - occurred difficulties, needs, achieved results will be presented. For participation in the meeting from Bulgaria will leave the project coordinator from Fund - IGA and a representative of our penitentiary system.
In the next stage from the project implementation the partners will develop Plan for training of trainers on the Program for assessment and case management.
The project is funded from the Community action programme on vocational training “Leonardo da Vinci” of the European Union.
On the photo: Moment from the presentation of the Lithuanian partners on the meeting in Bulgaria

 IGA begins survey among social workers 

Fund – IGA begins survey among social workers working with offenders. The survey will be implemented within the frames of the project “Vocational Training Program “Assessment and Case Management” on the Leonardo da Vinci Programme at the European Union.
The aim is identification of the training needs of them social workers from institutions such as Prison, Probation Service, Child Pedagogic Office, Directorate “Social Assistance”, Directorate “Labor Bureau”, The Local Commission for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency etc. A training program will be elaborated within the project’s frame in accordance with the results that appeared from the survey.
Initially, the survey will range the territory of the cities Pazardjik and Pleven with option for expansion in 10 more regions.
The expectations are over 500 social workers from the entire country to participate and to share specific details of their training and qualification needs.

 International work group carried out its first meeting 

On 27 and 28 of January in the conference hall of hotel “Elbrus” in Velingrad, was carried out International work meeting within project “Vocational training program – Assessment and case management”. The project was developed and is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund – IGA in partnership with 4 organizations from France, Sweden, Netherlands and Lithuania.
During the work meeting the organizations introduced their activity and after that they presented the performed national researches in the five countries. The existing ground for training of social workers for work with young offenders in the society was analyzed, as well as the level of development of social services before and after release from the prison. The next steps in the project implementation were defined. The next work meeting will be carried out in France.
The project is funded by the European Commission within Program “Leonardo da Vinci”.

 Organizations from France, Sweden, Netherlands and Lithuania – on work meeting on Fund IGA project 

Tomorrow (27th January) in the conference hall of hotel “Elbrus” in Velingrad will start an international work meeting on project “Vocational training program – Assessment and case management”. The project is implemented by Crime Prevention Fund – IGA in partnership with 4 organizations from France, Switzerland, Netherlands and Lithuania. Representatives from these organizations departed for Bulgaria for the first work meeting. They are: PSW – Consultancy on the Labor market – Netherlands, the biggest labor-consultative organization in South Netherlands with a lot of experience in the field of the development and the implementation of programs, as well as work with ex-offenders. The Organization has a strong influence over the sector in Netherlands (consults the Government) and it can disseminate the results from the project to all key institutions. Participating will be also representatives of the educational department of Municipality Vanersborg – Sweden, which develops and implements training programs for the Swedish prisons and Probation services and take care for corrections in juvenile justice. The department is responsible for the training of students for work as social workers in this system. The Lithuanian partner “Labor market education and consultancy – Alytaus” is municipality labor and training center with experience with the European projects as well as the work with the target sector. It is a part of the national system for labor services. The organization has established cooperation with the prison administration and the social services in Alytus. The French partner “ALAJI – APRELOR” has a lot of experience in the implementation of European projects. The organization has a lot of centers for social services in Northeastern France and a big team of trainers and experts. It is responsible for the training of their social workers as well as the target group. The aim of the work meeting is to introduce the performed national studies and to analyze the conditions for training of social workers for work with juveniles in the society, as well as the level of development of social services before and after release from prison. The project is funded by the European commission on Program Leonardo da Vinci.