More information
Description
The project was developed to meet the needs of addicts treated in support programmes to boost their resources to find and start a job. Addicts are a group that is often ignored by institutions and that despite their treatment cannot reintegrate adequately in the social and economic life. They are young adults (aged 28-55) who are not engaged in a socially acceptable activity and challenged in their professional development. The project will enable 80 addicts treated in a support programme to put in effort and acquire self-confidence, knowledge and skills to find a job. The project will offer: 1. a survey among 80 addicts, employers and labour offices about work habits, employment and attitudes to employment of addicts. The findings of the survey will help support employment of the group. 2. Empowerment of addicted clients to enter the labour market. They will be provided with discussions, training sessions and flyers on topics related to employment in order to boost their capacity to find a new job. 3. Working meetings to support addicts to find a job. Addicts will take part in putting forward proposals and will have the opportunity to communicate with employers and institutions in order to be empowered to take part in the social and economic life. The project invests in the skills and resources of young people of active working age to join actively the social and economic life and be part of the public.
Summary of project results
The project was developed and implemented in the context of drug-use harm reduction and aimed at supporting treatment needs of the drug users on methadone for economic and social involvement and finding and starting a job. Drug users are often neglected by the institutions and despite treatment steps they hardly manage to re-integrate adequately in the social and economic life. Usually they are people aged 28-55, most of them unengaged in a socially-accepted activity and can hardly reach appropriate self-fulfillment.
The project provided an opportunity to 80 drug users on methadone treatment to take efforts and gain self-esteem, knowledge and skills to find a job.
The project offered: 1. Research among 80 drug users on methadone treatment, 10 employers, 2 representatives of the Labor Office, 4 representatives of methadone treatment programs for work habits, employment and work attitudes of drug users. The research data were presented in a report and were helpful in working with the target group. 2. Empowering drug users to participate in the labor market. Discussions and trainings were conducted and flyers disseminated to more than 50 people on topics of employment. 3. Work meetings in support of finding a job for drug users on methadone treatment. They were involved in developing proposals and had the opportunity to communicate directly with employers and institutions, thus participating in social and economic life.
The project was implemented in the city of Burgas.
With the discussions and consultations on challenges in finding and starting a job for addicted people several main conclusions were reached for the purpose of sustainability of project results and future necessary initiatives:
For adequate economic and social involvement necessary are:
• Structural measures – linking the employment of addicts with benefits for employers;
• Easy access of the addicts to health and social support services;
• Cooperation and networking among all participants engaged in social and economic involvement of drug users;
• Adequate financial and logistic support of local and government authorities.
Sustainable working programs for empowering of drug users and harm reduction in the country and abroad increase their social and economic involvement.
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