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Srudzeni Podane
ruce
Kroftova 64, 616 00 Brno
Ceska republika
tel: +420/5/41 21 06 70
fax: + 420/5/43 24 83 41
p.ruce@volny.cz
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 The
PODANE RUCE, with respect to the situation in CR after 1989, had
to react on the absolute lack of drug services in Brno and high
demand for them on the other side. Thanks to the exertion of our
colleagues inside the PODANE RUCE and other external cooperators
providing important expertise, the original intention, the community
treatment facility for "chronic" drug users extended into
whole system of care. This system aims to creating the net of the
care, which would be able to offer an easy access to our services
to concrete clients in very different situations und etapes of his
drug problem.
In
the beginning, only the outer structure was outlined but throughout
the last two years we started to understand more und more that our
"creating enthusiasm" is no longer enough. Therefore,
PODANE RUCE has started to work on new patterns of management communication,
system of clearly defined competences and roles of working teams
and their members and professionalization of our services. Considering
the fact that building of such net of facilities in Brno, whole
Southern and partly also Northern Moravia is extremely demanding,
connection with other organizations cooperating with us in this
work is very important. |
The
fieldwork plays an inseparable role in the intervention strategy
of Podane Ruce from the very beginning. It has been running in the
framework of the Contact Center "Drug Azyl" program. Being
the only one of its kind that exists in Brno, the street work program
fills an irretrievable place in the drug users care system. The
street work program is linked up with other facilities of care system
both in the frame of our organization and region and in the case
of the link with treatment and stationary facilities, even outside
of region. The crucial problem for street work to work on is the
so-called "hidden population syndrome".
The
street work provides the following services in the center of Brno
in the framework of harm reduction program: exchange of used syringes
and needles, offering of disinfectant tampons, water, plasters,
filters, vitamins, condoms and other sanitary goods. The little
parcels we give out contain informational leaflets as well as items
mentioned above. Throughout the past years, we had been distributing
postcards and posters informing about the possibility of needle
exchange in the center of Brno. We had also widened the timetable
of regular exchange offered. Besides the exchange program, we focus
on specific work with clients: awareness raising and counseling.
This work also partly consists of directing the clients to the Contact
Center and to other programs. |
In cooperation
with the Employment Office of Brno we employed one drug user to
carry out street work. His task was to gain access to hardly accessible
communities of drug users and offer them services of the Harm Reduction
Program. The employment of this drug user was experimental. This
experiment, however, improved to be very useful and we are at present
thinking to further develop this program.
Our
Mobile Contact Center's goal is to contact those drug
users who otherwise would not use the services of field workers.
We contact clients and try to retain their confidence in the activities
of the Mobile Contact Center. At the weekends, the activity of the
Mobile Contact Center focuses mainly on dance parties, house parties,
festivals and concerts places where the drug users are usually found.
Our aim is to fully meet the needs of different Brno neighborhoods.
We have
already started to map out the environment of gypsy drug users
as well. We offer them our services and have published informational
material in the Romany language.
The
prison is also an important link in the chain of caring
system for high concentration of both real and potentional clients.
In Czech prisons, the drug problematic is not sufficiently cared
for and the attainability of services is very poor. Prison fills
a very special place in the system of care. We already know some
of the prisoners who take advantage of our services; others are
new prisoners who decided to come to us. We work in close contact
with the Contact Center to be able to offer clients after-care once
they leave the prison.
Main
goal of the program is to prevent the criminality and relapses of
imprisoned drug users, to care for the maximum number
of problematic drug users, to create necessary
Programs for resolving the drug problem (prevention, education,
counseling, Harm Reduction etc.) and ensure their attainability,
to mediate consequent care (social and legal services, treatment
...) etc. In order to reach this aim, the program offers individual
drug counseling and psychotherapy, discussions, providing support
and after care for motivated clients, legal counseling for families
and clients etc. |
The
program of Contact Center - mentioned above - has
been running since 1993 and as it is still the only one of its kind
in Brno; it plays an irreplaceable role in the drug users care system.
It acts as an intermediary for the contact with drug user and motivates
him/her, through the social and health service offered, to change
his life style. The aim of The Contact Center Program is to contact
as many people threatened by drugs as possible, involve them in
the Harm Reduction Program and, if possible, awake in them the interest
for treatment with the goal of total abstinence from drugs.
Contact
Center is using a hired building in the center of Brno. It has been
divided into several parts: contact room, counseling room, office,
shower and WC for clients and another one for the staff. In this
place we offer for clients art therapy, musical therapy and theatre,
and, besides, other activities to motivate them for changing their
social behavior. The staff of the Club will be partly formed also
by chosen clients.
The
organization and methodology of our other Contact Center in Olomouc
is under the aegis of the main organization in Brno. |
The
Psychiatric Center has been running in the framework
of the Program of Complex Care for addicts since 1995. It is one
of three expert psychiatric centers in Brno which help clients with
the problem of abuse and addiction to non-alcoholic drugs
The
activities of the "Elysium" Day Center aim
to increase of the effectiveness of the work with threatened individuals
and groups. The goal is to avert our client from getting in to a
group of problematic drug users. The effectiveness of work with
the group of experimenting, occasional and middle term users is
relatively very high and, thanks to early determination in solving
the problems, it is possible to prevent relapses - and thus significantly
increase the possibility that our clients will return to a life
without drugs and practically without any stigma.
The Afternoon Walk-In Center's aim is to prepare and
motivate clients to go through the intensive trimestrial program.
The Intensive Trimestrial Program makes heavier demands
on highly motivated client; it runs 5 days a week, 8 hours a day.
The work with the client is adapted to his individual scopes. Each
client has a personal guarantor and therapist and whole treatment
program is continually adapted to the client's changing needs. |
The
Rehabilitation Center "Podcestny Mlyn" is a facility
for long term treatment and resocialization of drug users. The time
spent in "Podcestny Mlyn" depends on the client's drug
history and usually lasts 9 months. The stay in the community is
voluntary. The Community leads the clients to accepting their responsibility
and everyday life demands.
The stay in Community is attainable for each client fulfilling conditions
for the participation on the program. The treatment care includes
four basic programs: psychotherapeutic program, educative program,
working program, free time program.
Working program consists of housekeeping and farming; psychotherapeutic
program involves art therapy, individual and group therapy, work
with relatives (parents), individual consultations; educative and
sport program consists of different courses, spiritual program,
travels, rafting etc.
The
After-Care Center serves at first for the completion
of those treatment programs our clients went through in different
types of treatment facilities. The basic program of after-care treatment
should last for about six months. Other programs are divided according
to the type of clientele into several kinds, which differ in their
length of time and level of difficulty. Besides the systematic work
of afternoon walk-in stationary and individual and group therapy,
it provides also the training of social skills (e.g. contact with
offices and institutions), prevention of relapses, social help,
educative programs, protected apartments, workshops and employment,
requalification help. After-Care Center therefore provides not only
treatment but also social and educative care together with information
and counseling service. The clients have the possibility to benefit
from the help offered in different areas, but they are at the same
time lead to facing these areas on their own and solving common
life situations and problems.
The
Prevention Center has been running since 1992. Experience
from our work shows an essential part of primary prevention, secondary
prevention and free time activities. These three main activities
are the three pillars supporting our work. Our experience from these
activities is then disseminated and shared in the form of lectures,
training, courses, publications etc. To develop all these activities
for young people we draw from our experience of many years work
with clients. This means that we do not use only theoretical knowledge.
As primary prevention, we organize discussions with pupils about
drug addiction, the drugs and their effects and the influence of
adolescent age on possible drug abuse; we get use of drama lessons,
aimed at drug questions; we try to motivate pupils to take part
in anti-drug activities.
We
offer a counseling service both to young people threatened by drugs
and to their families and friends. In the field of secondary prevention
we organize individual counseling, counseling for parents and pedagogues,
provide the information about the drug problematic.
As free time activities, we offer gatherings: games in the countryside,
experiential and counseling program on art, theatre and sports;
we have a theatrical ensemble, that means, we work through the form
of drama education and we use drama elements.
The
heart of our service are spiritual aspect of the drug problem, such
as pseudomysticizm, illusion of freedom, loss of the meaning of
life, using drugs for religious purposes, sects, etc. Our goal is
to enrich the usual multidisciplinary approach with spiritual dimension.
Pastoral services have always been an integral part of the work
of Podane Ruce from the very beginning.
The
Institute of Expert Services has arisen in the second
half of 1999 within the framework of the Outstretched Hands Association;
it plays the role of an independent basement for a rise, systematization
and transfer of valuable information and expert knowledge in the
field of the drugs. The aim of the methodological center is offering
and organization of educational courses and trainings, methodological
help in establishment of new centers - supervision, publication
avidities, improvement of the methods and programs, creating the
communication channels, monitoring and estimation (researches and
studies) and cooperation with foreign countries. I.E.S. wants to
create the background for the connection and mutual cooperation
of those organizations which are involved in drug problematic and
which due to their professional skills are able to help in fulfilling
the main goal formulated above. |
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