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The three-day workshop on the accreditation of the training program was held in the period from 4th to 6th March 2015, at the Hotel “Ždrelo” in Petrovac na Mlavi. The workshop was led by Miroslav Brkić, Vito Flaker, Dragana Stanković and Andrea Rafaelič, project experts and was attended by representatives of all social care institutions involved in the project and also modules for future training programs.

 
The workshop initiated work on the preparation of educational programs for accreditation in the social welfare system, or the Republic Institute for Social Protection as accreditation body.
Participants were first acquainted with the standards for accreditation of training programs, how to implement the accreditation process, as well as the content of tender documents, where the emphasis was on defining the general and specific objectives of the program, competencies to be developed through training programs and effects in practice and for users.

 
All representatives of institutions that are carriers of the module (on the themes of personal planning, normalization, risk analysis, teamwork and organization of new services) have worked in groups to develop drafts for their own theme, which contained the basic elements that need to be defined in order to meet the standard for accreditation.
Working in groups was followed by reporting, discussion and giving suggestions from other participants and experts on the presented drafts.

Process of deinstitutionalization of persons with mental disability and mental health disorders started in Aleksinac municipality and the new service “supported housing” is established for the first time. This activity is part of the project “An Open Gate for a New Beginning”.
On 13 February 2015 in village Tesica, near Aleksinac the prefabricated house was opened for four users who were relocated from the Working Unit in Tesica which is part of the Geriatric Center „Jelenac“ from Aleksinac.
The house was opened by Mr. Ramunas Janusauskas, Head of Information, Communication and Press of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran Care and Social Issues, Republic of Serbia and Mr. Dragan Veselinovic, Director of Geriatric Centre. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Nenad Stankovic, Mayor of Aleksinac, employees of the Working unit Tesica and representatives of other institutions.
 
“We are struggling for de-institutionalization process to be fast, but it must be possible and must be sustainable,” said Minister Vulin during the opening ceremony. He pointed out that “the house is not enough, but the people are those who determine whether something will succeed”. He added that the opening of the facility would not be possible without the support of the EU and local self-government of Aleksinac. Vulin said that the process of de-institutionalization began; it is far advanced and is irreversible.
Mr. Ramunas Janusauskas said that the house was built under the project “An Open Gate for a New Beginning” funded by the EU. Total budget of the project is around 180.000 EUR, out of 84 % is EU donation.
“It is important to understand that citizens with mental disabilities in Serbia have the right to participate in all aspects of social life. Relocation of people with mental and intellectual problems from institutions has just begun. We all know that this is a difficult process. It is a process with which they face and the other European countries, and now it’s Serbia, “said Janusauskas.”Our goal is that people with mental health problems become active members of the local community,” he said.
 
Director of the Gerontology Center Dragan Veselinovic said new house is “a new beginning and a new challenge” for the Gerontology Center. Veselinovic added that sustainability of new services will be a great challenge and that to care that “people who have moved into the house does not let down” after the completion of the project.
 
The newly opened facility was built on a separate plot, near the Institutions Tešica. Being prepared and selected by the team of professionals, four users were moved from the institution to the house (middle of December 2014) and live with the continuous support of the engaged staff. After six-month period, approximately in June 2015, these four users shall be moved to the urban environment, decreasing gradually the needed level of support.
After moving the first group of users, project is planning to move another group of four users to this prefabricated house, middle of June 2015. Facility shall be used for further development of the service “supported housing” for which the Geriatric Centre “Jelenac” is planning to obtain the licence.
The Project “An Open Gate for a New Beginning” is implemented by Geriatric Center “Jelenac” with partners Municipality of Aleksinac and Association for Development of Creativity, also from Aleksinac. Project started in June 2014 and will last until December 2015. Project budget is 181.120 EUR; the EU donation is 84% of total budget.
 
Two new services are being established through the project – supported housing and Day Care Centre.  Final project results, as expected, will be successful deinstitutionalisation of 8 persons with mental and intellectual disabilities from the Working Unit in Tesica, successful preparation of 12 persons for relocation from the WU and prevention of institutionalization in the area of this municipality.
The European Union has granted more than EUR 2,3 million to social welfare and health care institutions, civil society organizations, and local governments in Serbia under the Open Call for Proposals on “Support to de-institutionalization and social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems”. Grants are awarded to 19 projects. Aim of the projects is to enhance the position of residents in residential care institutions for persons with mental disability and mental illness and creation of conditions for their social inclusion in the local community.
 

Now I have future

 
Marija Alimpijevic (31) with three users now lives in a new house. When she was told that she would be moved from institutions into the house she “couldn’t believe”.

“Now my life is beautiful. I feel better here than I felt in an institution. I have a hope, looking into the future. Now I have a future, “says Marija.”We are all fine; we agree about everything, we have a daily schedule. Everyone knows who is doing what. Sometimes I cook, sometimes someone else, we agree on everything. We watch TV, but I prefer to play with a puzzle”, Marija describes life in the new facility. “I go to my room and there I find my peace,” she says.
 
Eight assistants provide 24-hour support during the first six months to all of them. Visits are permitted, and they are allowed to go out. “We go to the store, we have a car, sometimes we go to Nis,” says Marija.
Marija has completed secondary technical school and in poor health condition was placed in the institution. After a few years spent there, she began a new life and become a customer of new service “supported housing”.

Conference „Advancing the process of transition from institutional care to community-based services in Serbia“ was held in Belgrade in Palace Serbia on December 8th 2014 organized by the European Expert Group on transition from institutional to community-based care and Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of Serbia.
Opening speeches were held by  Mr. Aleksandar Vulin, Minister, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Djukic, State Secretary of Ministry of Health, Mr. John Halloran, Co-chair, European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG) and Mr. Holger Schroeder, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation in Serbia.
The conference was attended by the representatives of various institutions and organization from the sector of social and healthcare.

Dr. Monika Gabanyi, OPEN ARMS project team leader attended the conference accompanied with other project team members. Key project expert Dr. Jan Pfeiffer, member of EEG presented the key principles of Deinstitutionalisation process.
While talking about process of deinstitutionalization as an EU priority, Dr. Pfeiffer said that Serbia must find a way to provide support to local communities to shift to a new system to provide services to users. He explained that transition to a different system needs to include inclusion and to empower people who will provide services.

Parallel workshops were held during the conference (preventing the placement of children in institutional care and transition from institutional care to community-based services for adults).
In closing remarks participants concluded that deinstitutionalisation for all vulnerable groups is the pathway in Serbia. It is a complex transformation but with support from all stakeholders there is good chance to implement it gradually in a determined framework and time.

Радионица о обуци тренера у области здравствене и социјалне заштите одржана је у Београду 28. октобра 2014. У радионици су учествовали представници установа социјалне заштите/пилота на пројекту, као и представници специјалних болница и Покрајинског завода за социјалну заштиту. Радионицу су водили проф. Мирослав Бркић, проф. Вито Флакер и Драгана Станковић, експерти на пројекту.
Након завршеног првог круга обука за модуле на тему личног планирања, нормализације, анализе ризика, тимског рада и организације нових услуга, заједнички састанак представника свих модула обука организован је у циљу припреме следеће фазе и како би започео рад на акредитацији програма. Заједнички се радило на евалуацији првог циклуса и утврђивању едукативних потреба за други циклус тренинга.
С обзиром да је процес обуке у току и улази се у фазу селекције потенцијалних тренера специјализованих за пет едукативних тема, на радионици се говорило о поступку акредитације едукативних програма у систему социјалне заштите у Србији.
Ладислав Урошевић, ИТ експерт представио је и практично демонстрирао употребу затворене софтверске платформе – форума пројекта, како би подстакао активност учесника у размени података и изради задатака који се односе на обуке, али и понудио индивидуалну подршку.