Description
The project addresses the inadequate reform of the social care for people with mental disabilities. The project aims at studying the reform and launching advocacy campaigns to ensure better quality care for such people. First, a set of indicators and monitoring criteria will be developed to assess deinstitutionalization and the existing alternatives. Second, the quality of care in 60 institutions will be monitored and the state of deinstitutionalization will be mapped out. Third, a series of advocacy campaigns will be launched including 3 round tables with experts on the quality of social care, guardianship and quality of healthcare. Fourth, international advocacy with the UN and CE will be carried out. Finally, 4 strategic cases for violations of fundamental rights will be filed with Bulgarian and international courts. The project will benefit about 7000 people with mental disabilities placed in institutions, their families, the competent authorities and the public in general.
Summary of project results
In 2013-14 the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) followed the change in the children’s care in Homes for Medical and Social Children’s Care and established that the majority of them have not changed a lot. The findings made it necessary to check whether the same was true for adults with mental disorders who were moved from the institutions to smaller residential care homes as well as check the conditions in the institutions where people are still placed. Thus our project aimed at studying the progress of the reform in the care provided to people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders placed in specialized institutions and the community-based residential care alternatives through the registration, monitoring and reporting of specific violations of human rights and formulation of recommendations for reform. The monitoring of the alternative services showed that only few of them had the needed quality for the clients. The new services reinforced the institutional care model. BHC presented to advocacy initiatives including to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy its conclusions that there was no actual reform of the care policies for adults with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities. The information activity raised the topic for discussion by various interested parties. The analysis The Deinstitutionalization of People with Mental Disorders in Bulgaria that has not happened presented to the responsible state institutions external expert’s assessment about the institutions and alternative services and the impact of deinstitutionalization on clients. The survey covered the quality of care provided to 4013 clients in 40 specialized institutions and 81 residential care alternatives including through tête-a-tête personal interviews. An advocacy film called The Lilac House was created under the project which can be seen here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTX6bNUGFks
Summary of bilateral results