Description
Project supplements the offer targeted at the groups in particularly difficult health and life situation and proposes the services that have not been included in the Polish model of support for those groups. Project purpose is to enhance access to support for excluded and potentially excluded people who suffer from addiction, HIV, homelessness; and to involve them in activities for their own community. We propose advocacy measures in the context of access to support through social debates and campaigns, creating the missing link in the system of assistance for people with addiction who are in crisis; training for activists recruited from among the excluded; support for self-organization and volunteering. Excluded people will get access to friendly and comprehensive assistance in one place (JUMP Crisis Intervention Center in Warsaw), and they will be able to improve their quality of life as well as become inspired for social outreach activities. Solutions will be described, discussed and disseminated. Project will benefit c.a. 40 persons.
Summary of project results
"Assistance for persons addicted to drugs does not comply with the national guidelines in this field. An important deficiency of the existing system is neglecting social, medical and legal work. In Mazowsze region, the National Healthcare Fund fails to finance re-adaptation hostels, integrated services, social and assistance activities are lacking (the Report of the Advocate for the Rights of Addicted Persons, 2013). The aim of the project was to broaden the access to proper assistance for persons endangered by exclusion and excluded because of addiction, living with HIV, homeless, and to include them in activities for their community. Comprehensive services intended to improve the quality of life for addicted persons were offered based on social work (street working), psychotherapeutic and medical activities, support for the process of re-adaptation (daytime club), housing assistance, legal advisory services and a specialist therapeutic program for cannabis users (Candis). Social situation of 100 persons was improved. Three persons engaged in self-help activities. The Report of the Advocate for the Rights of Addicted Persons was published, containing recommendations on organisation of integrated offer for socially excluded drug users. Social work was conducted in the meeting places of persons using drugs (211 meetings with 73 persons), a hostel was organised with eight sleeping places (used by 19 persons), individual therapy (100 hours, including Candis program) and group therapy (100 hours) were conducted for 37 persons. Other initiatives included a daytime club (operating eight hours a day: 44 visitors), advisory services in harm reduction (72 consultations with 35 persons), psychiatrist services (consultations for four persons), legal advisory services (105 consultations for 52 persons). 12 persons from among clients were trained in the field of self-help activities and harm reduction. About 40 interventions were undertaken in response to reports on unequal treatment of persons addicted to drugs. The third Report of the Advocate for the Rights of Addicted Persons was published. 300 copies of the report were distributed among the participants of the International Conference Urban Drug Policy (Warsaw, 2016). The help from the organisation directly benefited about 200 addicted persons from Warsaw and persons coming from all over Poland."
Summary of bilateral results