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Description
The project will be implemented in partnership with the Municipal Centre for Addiction Prevention in Kraków and the Kraków Foundation for Psychotherapy and Development "Therapy house". The aim of the project is to introduce a comprehensive program of activities aimed at strengthening the quality of relationships into the area of domestic violence prevention. Considering the occurrence of violence in a relationship as a consequence of disturbances in partner relations, it is planned to create a Family Centre open to the residents of Kraków, where specialists from many institutions involved in the prevention of domestic violence, with particular emphasis on psychologists and psychotherapists, will provide new types of services that have not been offered at the municipal level so far. The project will also introduce an innovative type of substantive support for specialists working with project participants in the Family Centre which is training supervision in the form of a substantive consultation over the course of the support process conducted with an experienced supervisor.
The project provides for several activities aimed at supporting equal treatment and counteracting exclusion, including combating stereotypes and prejudices as well as the effects of discrimination. All activities will be carried out in architecturally accessible rooms and support will be provided for people with special needs. The project emphasizes relations, including communication, therefore all direct activities (e.g. training, supervision) will include the subject of counteracting exclusion and ensuring equal opportunities. In addition, the Family Centre established in the project increases the availability of support for people for whom the expenditure on private psychological/therapeutic assistance would be unbearable.
The project takes into account the differences and needs of both sexes, emphasizes important values for both sexes, includes gender-related educational issues.
Summary of project results
„The Power of Relationships” project aimed at preventing domestic violence by strengthening the quality of relationships within the family. The key problem sought to be addressed was low emotional security in partnerships and lack of communication skills, which could lead to escalating conflicts. The project focused on working with families, including couples, people raising children in alternate care and those experiencing relationship crises. This project was implemented in the Municipality of Krakow by the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Krakow, in partnership with the Municipal Center for Addiction Prevention and the Krakow Foundation for Psychotherapy and Development "House of Therapy." The project was aimed at families and couples in both formal and informal relationships. It focused on activities related to improving commitment in relationships. As part of the project, a Center for Families was created, whose main role was to provide, in one place, free specialized support aimed at strengthening bonds in relationships, developing communication skills, resolving conflicts, and enhancing parenting skills.
As part of the project, a Center for Families was established, which functioned in an integrated model, which means that all services were implemented in one place, where beneficiaries received full support within the available services in the area of relational support.
Undoubtedly, the project had an innovative character, as it implemented the "under one roof" model. This approach allowed individuals to access various forms of relational support in a single location. A particularly effective practice at the Center for Families was the position of Case Manager, who, in addition to conducting qualification using the Relational Risk Assessment Tool, coordinated the entire assistance process for beneficiaries at the Center for Families. Project participants indicated that this was a significant convenience, especially when utilizing multiple forms of support.
It should be noted that the team of specialists at the Municipal Social Welfare Center developed an auxiliary scenario for the Relational Risk Assessment Tool. This document served as a resource for specialists conducting diagnoses, providing a set of guidelines, additional supporting questions for assessing the level of relational risk in relationships, and instructions for tailoring the assistance offered based on the diagnosis results. Group support sessions were also organized at the Center for Families.
An important target group of the project’s activities was the local community, with a strong emphasis placed on raising public awareness of the importance of healthy relationships and their protective role in preventing domestic violence.
Among the activities implemented under the project were:
individual psychological, family and social counseling,
couples/marriage/family therapy,
support groups for mothers and fathers,
workshops for parents of teenagers to strengthen parenting skills, and a school for parents,
psychoeducation on relationships,
individual consultations and group workshops in the area of addiction prevention,
supervisions and training for anti-violence professionals,
implementation of the Relationship Risk Assessment Tool (NORR), which allowed to diagnose risks in relationships,
universal prevention activities aimed at developing a functioning local system to counter domestic violence.
The project has produced concrete and measurable results, including both direct activities aimed at beneficiaries and long-term effects.
As part of the project:
499 people took part in relational diagnosis,
470 beneficiaries benefited from the services of the Center for Families,
441 people benefited from psychological counseling,
210 people participated in couples/marriage/family therapy,
38 participants benefited from family and social counseling,
61 people took part in individual counseling in the area of addiction prevention,
75 beneficiaries participated in workshops to strengthen parenting skills,
15 people completed a support group for mothers and fathers,
44 beneficiaries took part in activities within the psycho-education group conducted,
29 people participated in workshops on addiction prevention,
318 professionals were trained in the application of the violence prevention model,
within the framework of universal prevention, among others: 4 articles were published in the local press, 10 radio broadcasts were aired, a press conference was held, information on events related to the implemented project was shared, and the promotional reach of the project in social media reached at least 1,800 users.
The implementation of the project has contributed to improving relationships in relationships, increasing public awareness of the importance of good relationships and strengthening interdisciplinary activities resulting in the prevention of violence, thus fulfilling its preventive mission. The implemented model proved to be effective, and its operation continues after the end of funding
from the Norwegian funds, thanks to securing its own funds by the Municipality of Krakow.
During the implementation of the project, the Beneficiary undertook activities aimed at strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation by organizing training sessions for specialists working in the field of counteracting domestic violence and professionals providing support to individuals and families.
The support offered by the Center for Families was met with great interest, as evidenced by the high demand for these services. A total of 409 beneficiaries accessed the Center''s assistance, demonstrating that the implementation of the project contributed to improving relationships within families in Krakow.
As part of universal prevention efforts, various activities were carried out to develop a functional local anti-violence system by raising awareness within the local community about the importance of relationships, the impact of addiction on relationships, and the prevention of domestic violence.
An important element of the project was the strengthening of interdisciplinary activities aimed at preventing violence. Representatives of various institutions participated in training sessions, informational meetings, and a seminar. The activities undertaken within the project demonstrated that the prevention of domestic violence was a key component of the social policy of the Municipality of Krakow.