Support of transformation in Moldova

Project full name:

Support of transformation process of care for people with mental disorders and people with learning difficulties in Moldova

Contracting Entity:
Czech Development Agency
www.czda.cz

Project Aim:
An increased expertise of stakeholders who will perform transformational changes in the Moldovan mental health care system.

Key Activities:
1. Support for the transformation of 4 residential care institutions: three psychoneurological institutions for adults, in Brinzeni, Cocieri, and Balti, and one institution for mentally handicapped girls in Hincesti
Results:
Mapping of these residential institutions
Four transformational action plans for these institutions

2. Educating the participants in the Moldovan transformation in a modern approach to people with mental illnesses and learning disabilities
Results:
8 coaches trained in the Czech Republic (scope of training: 40 hours)
45 people trained in Moldova (scope of training: 40 hours)

3. Sharing the Czech experience with transformation with Moldova
Results:
16 leaders of the transformation in Moldova will undertake internships in the Czech Republic

4. Support of the transformational process in Moldova from Czech experts
Results:
Situational analysis and a feasibility analysis of transformation with regards to the local situation (31/12/2015)
Written recommendations for the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family
Draft - Strategy for a Mental Health Care and Protection Reform

5. Information about the project, support of the destigmatization of people with mental illnesses and disabilities
Results:
Continuous provision of information about the project
Support of destigmatization
Conference on the project’s results

Project Partners:
Czech Republic: 
-    Centrum podpory transformace, o.p.s. (www.podporatransformace.cz)
Moldova: 
-    People in Need, o. p. s. (www.clovekvtisni.cz), 
-    Keystone Human Services International Moldova Association (www.keystonemoldova.md)
The project will be conducted in close cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family (www.mmpsf.gov.md)
We also expect cooperation with other organizations who take part in reforms and development in the field of mental health care.

Time frame: 1 September 2015 – 30 September 2017
Contact: Pavel Říčan, rican@cmhcd.cz, +420 775 552 166
 

News in the project

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Final conference of the Project

 

The final conference of the „Deinstitutionalization process in the Republic of Moldova, achievements and perspectives” project was held on October 31, 2017, with the participation of clients of institutional care. Thanks to the project, clients have been involved in the planning of social services and the care transformation process. The lecturers evaluated the contribution of the Czech project up to now as well as the prospects for the oncoming period. The Minister of Health, Labour and Social Protection declared their commitments to implement the reform of deinstitutionalization and social inclusion of people with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova. Pavel Říčan, Director of the CMHCD, together with People in Need, our project partner, evaluated the support of the DI process in Moldova through a Czech project, which have involved transformation plans for six residential care institutions. The directors of these institutions then shared their experience of the transformation process, talking about how they were preparing and moving clients into community care. Jan Pfeiffer, an expert at the DI, presented his experience of the transformation process in the Czech Republic and European countries. Peer specialist Zdeněk Heřt shared the Czech experience of the involvement of persons with mental illness in the field of social services and advocacy.

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2016

The whole project has significantly moved forward during 2016. The Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family (MPSOR) has formally accepted the Action Transformation Plans for all institutes.

Thanks to this project, the institutes have changed their status, from now on they can legitimately establish community services outside the institute - approved by MPSOR. The responsibility of directors is to set up community services. The transformation plans have become a binding document.

Besides, the use of institutes budgets for house and apartment purchases has been approved by the Treasury.

In the following year 2017, the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family will draw up the National DI Program.

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1. two-day teaching in Moldova on deinstitutionalization, its aims, principles, the difference between life in the institution and in community
2. a five-day educational program in the Czech Republic, which alternated teaching sections and visits to different types of facilities

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At the end of May and at the beginning of June 2016, we received the representatives of ministries, NGOs and institutions for people with mental illnesses and learning disabilities from Moldova

Within the four-day internship program, our Moldovan colleagues heard the story of the complete closure of the Social Care Institute in Brandys nad Labem, which has gradually been replaced by other services supporting the lives of people with disabilities in more common conditions. With the staff of Vyšší Hrádek we have visited the "Home for the Disabled" service with different levels of support, located in the common households in the city.

Inspiration about how the non-profit organizations help people with disabilities to integrate into everyday life was interesting not only for representatives of the non-profit sector in Moldova. They were interested in discussing with Jurta Děčín's staff about what the "Social Therapeutic Workshops" offer, how they improve the level of self-sufficiency of their clients, but also about their involvement in the activities on the farm and many others.

Our Moldovan colleagues also received valuable information from the director of the Fokus Labe service. In her presentation she highlighted how community care is crucial to recovery. Our peer specialists shared their experience in managing mental illness, showing that recovery is possible, which gives hope to the clients and their families. Our Moldovan colleagues have been inspired during a visit to the Vaňova cuisine, an example of employing mentally ill people, where up to 800 products are prepared each day to supply all their facilities. Together we also visited Fokus Kafe and their sheltered housing.

On the occasion of the visit of representatives of Moldovan ministries and heads of institutes, a press conference was held with representatives of the Czech Development Agency and the Centre for Mental Health Care Development. Moldovan media representatives appreciated the direct engagement of institutional staff in the transformation of care, the diversity of services developed by NGOs to support the integration of people with disabilities into society and in the open labour market. It is the way they want to go in Moldova. They also expressed thanks for the support the Czech Republic provides them with.

The process of care transformation in the Czech Republic has been presented to Moldovan representatives also during their visit of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, where they were also interested in legislation related to the care provided to people with disabilities.

We shared our experience of employing disabled people at the AdAstra Café. The friendly atmosphere and the charm of the service (people with disabilities) have confirmed the Moldovan partners that they have gone the right way. Examples of Czech good practice have allowed Moldovan colleagues to change their way of thinking about people with disabilities and to see them more in their potential.




 

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Provision of the Coordination Council














-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Memorandum of Understanding includes the following fields of activities:

1. Support for the transformation of 4 residential care institutions
2. Training of the main deinstitutionalization actors in a modern approach to people with mental disabilities
3. Sharing the Czech transformation experience with Moldova