Suvot Newsletter nº 2

Issue 2 August 2011

Fundaci贸n INTRAS

Newsletter

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SUVOT SUVOT SUVOOTT SUV

Spicing Up Vocational Training

Spicing Up Vocational

Training

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This is our second newsletter and, first of all, we would like to say thank you for the great success.

Te a t r G r o d z k i w w w. t e a t r g r o d z k i . p l

In this issue we present the situation of people with mental illness in Spain, Germany, Slovenia and Poland make our audience aware of the big challenge we are facing up.

Moreover, we will explain you our last achievements and the next steps within SUVOT project.

We hope you enjoy the reading!

CJD Frechen

Suvot TEAM

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SUVOT

Spicing Up Vocational Training

1. EMPLOYABILITY AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN EUROPE SITUATION IN SPAIN In Spain about 300.000 persons suffer from mental illness or disorders (INE EPA, 4º trimestre 2010). Despite the rise of employment rate since 2007 for persons suffering mental illness in Spain (around 9% according to the Statistic data of State Observatory on Disability), figures confirm the situation of high dependence for people affected by schizophrenia or mental disabilities. One out five persons suffering schizophrenia does not have any income neither any disability benefit. 70% of them live with parents and only 11% of them have a job. More than 60% of these persons have been unemployed for more than four years, while 72% of schizophrenic persons have never tried to find a job and half of them consider looking for a job to be negative (Estudio Obra Social Caja Madrid). 2.5% of Spanish population live in a dependence situation and 0.25% of them (about 90.000 persons, IMSERSO) are in this situation due to a mental illness. Pensioners’ annual income is half of average annual income (INE. Mercado de trabajo y pensiones en las fuentes tributarias. Serie 2002-2007).

INTRAS Foundation has always been aware of the fact that employment is a key factor to reach the social normalization of people with disabilities. In this regards, INTRAS sets as one of its main priorities the creation of employment for people with disabilities and individuals at risk of marginalization, favouring in this way their professional integration, self-confidence and personal autonomy. The INTRAS programme SOCIAL EMPLOYMENT, among others, aims to reach the professional integration of people suffering from mental illness in the labour market, supporting at the same time their psycho-social integration.

INTRAS Foundation supports the search for employment thanks to the establishment of Employment Special Centres and by the collaboration with ordinary enterprises. INTRAS participated in the establishment of ARTMO BENE, SL. and PRODISZA, SL., social companies that only hire people with mental illness. These collaborations aim to encourage the reach of public awareness but also support enterprises committed to the job normalization of these target groups amongst their priorities.

SITUATION IN SLOVENIA Ozara Slovenija National Life Quality Association is one of the two largest Slovenian NGOs dealing with people with mental health problems offering programmes of psychosocial rehabilitation. We have started in 1994 with a day care centre in Maribor and today we can proudly present three main programmes in 22 different locations.

The three main programmes are: Day care centres (5), Group homes (16 group homes in 8 locations, 64 residents), Counselling and information offices (16). Additionally there are also a number of supportive programmes like: clubs of relatives, clubs of volunteers, preventive activities, publishing, leisure time activities, etc., which are all a part of the main programmes.

Generally in Slovenia there are 170.000 people with disabilities, which is 8,5% of all the population. This means that every 13 people in Slovenia there is a person with disabilities and has the right to access all the social and other rights to be able to live as ‘normal’ as possible. Additionally there are also 230.000 people with chronic diseases which also access special rights when it comes to employment policies and social rights. When it comes to employment, 2 to 3 times more people are unemployed than the healthy population. Of those people with disabilities who are employed, 16% encounter difficulties due to their disability. Anyway, there is an elaborate system of legislation about the employment of people with disabilities. A person with disability can be employed, unless they have been declared as work-unable due to the illness. Every company that has more than 20 employees has to employ a certain number of people with disabilities. If they don’t, they have to pay a fee to the state, or pay a disability enterprise for the employment of a person with disabilities. For all those people with disabilities, who have certain restrictions due to the kind of disability, there is the possibility of sheltered employment or a placement in a social inclusion programme.

CONTACT

http://suvot.intras.es

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suvot-Project/166486543372824

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SUVOT

Spicing Up Vocational Training

SITUATION IN GERMANY According to a statement of the Federal Office of Statistics in Germany, in 2007 there were about 6.918.172 people who have the status of being severely disabled. 9, 9% out of them suffer from mental illness and disorders. (Destatis Fachserie 13 Reihe 5.1).

Since the 19th century it is official the duty of the state to ensure care and education for handicapped people.

In the beginning there were separate places for handicapped people; in consequence they were isolated and excluded from society. To change this situation there are many concepts and approaches like integrative kinder gardens and schools to include handicapped people more into society.

“NOBODY IS TO BE DISCRIMINATED BECAUSE OF HIS DISABILITY”… (Article 3 Abs. 3 Satz 2 of German law) …Is the central statement, which is anchored in the German law and leads to many measures that ensure handicapped people to have the same options and choices as non-handicapped people. A big issue is accessibility.

People with handicap have special rights and charges. Starting from early intervention up to rehabilitation care for any age there are clear guidelines. Also in the German health system there are special guidelines for handicapped people to be supported.

Talking about the employment situation: German law strictly prohibits to put somebody at a disadvantage because of his handicap. On the other hand, it is legal to prefer somebody for that reason. The law says as well, that institutions with more than 20 employed people are in duty to employ a special percentage of handicapped people. (§ 71 SGB IX) If the employer does not employ them, he has to pay a compensatory levy.

Though the German law is designed to handicapped people, reality often looks different: People are refused for flimsy reasons and have trouble finding a job, despite their high qualification. Many do not even try to find a job but live on the support of the state, which is not satisfying.

CJD is one of the institutions making a point to change this by educating handicapped people and ensuring a solid vocational training, which can be a first step into society.

SITUATION IN POLAND In Poland around 1,5 Mill. people a year undergo treatment in psychiatric hospitals, which is the largest percent of population in Europe. In 2007 over 100.000 of them suffered from most serious psychotic illnesses. Around 80% of mentally ill people in Poland are unemployed and they are the first group to be dismissed from work or not offered a job. Researchers point out that Polish psychiatry embraces a model of rehabilitation/therapy which is not focused on active approach of maintaining or undertaking employment.

Grodzki Theatre Association has been running educational and vocational programmes for people with disabilities, including mental illness since 1999. We provide employment and transport to work for 62 people with physical and mental disabilities in our Printing House in Bielsko-Biała and Hotel and Rehabilitation Centre in Beskidy Mountains.

We also run an Occupational Therapy Workshop, providing artistic and life-skills activities for 30 persons with serious mental or physical illnesses. Our Association is called Grodzki Theatre as we started off by offering theatre workshops to people who need support. For the last 11 years we have been running from 7 to 20 groups a year in different therapy and education centres, including two groups for people with mental illness. The performances prepared by our groups are often of very high quality, which enables them to perform at local, regional and national events, including theatre and cultural festivals and festivities for citizens of different towns.

CONTACT

http://suvot.intras.es

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suvot-Project/166486543372824

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SUVOT

Spicing Up Vocational Training

2. ¿A WORKING DEVELOPMENT TOOLS MEETING IN POLAND Last March (2-3th), SUVOT team met in Bielsko-Biala (Poland) to deeply discuss about the teaching tools development.

It was our second meeting and we had the opportunity to discuss about logistics of the curriculum and the simulation methodology development that will last until October 2011.

A press conference followed the end of the meeting, where SUVOT objectives and expected benefits for society were explained by representatives from Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Spain.

We are really happy about the big impact of SUVOT project in the Polish mass media; we hope this will be a little step in the fight against the social stigma that usually accompanies the mental illness.

3. NEXT STEPS WITHIN SUVOT PROJECT Nowadays, we are working very hard on the training manual and the trainees textbook. Experts in cooking from Germany are creating the contents and planning all the theoretical and practical sessions that will be implemented next year, during the SUVOT course. Also, experts from Poland are working on the simulation methodology in order to find the best way to use drama and theatre techniques to develop and/or improve social skills in our target group.

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission (Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo Da Vinci sub-programme) of the European Union“. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

CONTACT

http://suvot.intras.es

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We will discuss the materials developed during the next meeting that SUVOT team is going to hold in Maribor (Slovenia) next October, trying to obtain the best teaching materials in order to perform a high quality cooking course.

During the next months, SUVOT team will continue spreading this initiative at local and national level, trying to inform as much people as possible about mental illness and the important role that people with mental illness can play in our society.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suvot-Project/166486543372824

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