Description
There is no temporary respite care service (TRCS) providers in Vilnius, which would give an opportunity for families raising children with mental disabilities to leave them for some time under care of specialists and in the meantime take care of the needs and interests of other family members. Project aims at creating TRCS for children with mental disabilities, providing opportunities for unfettered life to families raising disabled children. This is going to be achieved by implementing broad advocacy campaign, supported by legislative initiative regarding rights of mentally disabled children and their families to access social services. As a result of these actions a standardized model of TRCS including establishment and functioning procedures will be created and promoted for adoption at the state and municipal levels. The advocacy activities will be supplemented by capacity building of project promoter (incl. trainings on advocacy and strategic planning for members of project promoter as well as preparation of strategic plan). Beneficiaries: children with mental disabilities and their families. Target groups: state and municipal authorities, NGOs.
Summary of project results
More than half of members of Welfare society “Viltis” are parents, family members and other care takers of persons with mental disabilities. It is obvious that these persons have their own needs to exercise but little time for them in between of taking continuous care of mentally disabled persons. In some more socially developed countries this situation is solved by temporary respite care services that are provided by social care experts at specialized institutions. This service allow relatives of persons with disabilities to take care of their own necessities or simply get rest of their uninterruptable care executed. However, suchlike services are almost not present in Lithuania, neither any methodology is developed or recognized by authorities. Goals of this project were to establish (or at least initiate) temporary respite care service in municipalities and to strengthen an administrative capacity of Viltis through advocacy training and strategic planning. Project promoter has completed several tasks and activities to achieve these goals: the advocacy team was assembled, cooperation and experience sharing with Icelandic partner implemented, regulation and detailed description of temporary respite care service drafted, presented to relevant authorities and followed by advocacy efforts, team members or Viltis and its partners trained and prepared for provision of TRCS. Project promoter has also engaged in legal consultations and counseling of families with mentally disabled children. The project has resulted in multiple dimensions. Deinstitutionalization process has accelerated – the number of persons with mental disabilities in the large social care institutions decreased, implementation of Article 19 of UN Convention was promoted drawing attention of relevant stakeholders to securing equal rights of persons with mental disabilities. A new non-stationary social care practice – permanent special care and maintenance service for persons with intellectual disabilities – was introduced and followed by development of skills and professional competence of specialists involved. This opened new opportunities for welfare NGOs to participate in the market of social services. It is very likely that results of this project shall remain sustainable as a number of municipalities are interested in introduction and development of TRC services, while the state and municipal authorities are willing to review funding opportunities for these services.
Summary of bilateral results
The topic of emigration is continuously escalated in the public space, however little attention is paid to so-called disabled emigrants. A number of families taking care of a disabled persons have already left Lithuania because of lack of access to social services often resulting in violation human rights or simply denying human dignity. Such families often choose Iceland where services for persons with disabilities (including temporary respite services (TRS)) are highly developed and arranged according to the individual needs of disabled persons and their relatives. Viltis has long cooperation history with Icelandic Association „Landssamtökin Throskahjalp“ that has kindly agreed to share best practice and knowledge thus assisting to create temporary respite service in Lithuania as well as develop system of social services for people with mental disabilities. Representatives of „Viltis“ visited Reikjavik by invitation of the partners and met with care institutions for disabled persons: day care centres, houses of independent living, temporary respite services, associations, educational institutions, got acquainted with provision of out-patient social services, discussed aspects of legal regulations of TRS service, service charges, provision and payment arrangements. Association “Landssamtökin Throskahjalp“ has also initiated a meeting with the leaders, representatives and specialists of care institutions for disabled persons during which the best practice of Iceland was presented as well as the major TRS system development challenges and prospects were discussed. The renewed relations with Icelandic partner has enhanced bilateral partnership and outlined common guidelines of future activity.