Integrative or Disintegrating Society? An integrated approach to tackling homelessness

What do we mean by integrated approach? Treating the social and individual aspects of homelessness together Looking at the main reasons behind becoming homeless Intersector cooperation in order to prevent and to tackle the problems Intervention is based on assessment of the individuals’ needs Treating the various problems simultaneously

Areas of social integration Democracy and equal rights that enhance civil integration A labour market that enhances economic integration A social welfare system for social integration Family and community for interpersonal integration

Sectors of society helping integration Social policy Employment policy Housing policy Health policy Education policy Social rights Social services

Objectives of Social Documents For Social Inclusion 1. Social Inclusion Joint Memorandum -2003 Investigating the system of homeless provision A housing minimum – guarantees for those who cannot access services Strengthening inter-ministry communication (health, employment, housing) for a holistic approach Developing a pilot program of prevention and reintegration A more efficient approach towards youth and family homelessness

Objectives of Social Documents For Social Inclusion 2. National Action Plan of Social Inclusion -2004-2006 Diminishing the number of rough sleepers Strengthening ways leading out of homelessness Improving daytime services – more efficient cooperations – setting up of a dispatcher (coordinator) service Improving street work Complex programs of social reintegration tackling multiple disadvantages Strengthening case work independent of hostels/shelters Creating more move-on accomodation

The main problems of homelessness – areas of disintegration Insecure housing situation Weakening of social relationships (with family and friends) Diminishing social roles Break in employment status Mental problems

Housing data – weakening of integration 1. Lack of social or rentable apartments Housing subsidies only reach 5-7% of the population (as compared with 18% in the EU) Most local housing subsidies do not reach the needy An estimated 500 000 households are in debt There is not enough information on debt-counselling and not enough counsellors Lack of tools of prevention, the system of subsidies not well-developed

Employment data – weakening of integration 2. High rate of inactive people (ages 15-64 HU: 40,2%; EU-15: 30%), Low rate of employment (Mo: 56,6%, EU-15: 64,3%) Widespread illegal and half-legal employment Discrimination by employers The education system is not teaching certain skills that are demanded by the labour market Lack of normative support of trainings for adults

Health data – weakening of integration gyengülései 3. The health of groups with multiple problems (the roma, the disabled, people with addictions, homeless individuals) is significantly worse than the rest of the population There is discrimination with no consequence People with multiple disadvantages access health services with more difficulty than others Some people (in villages, shelters or sleeping on the street) are completely excluded from these services Prevention, screening and follow-up therapy of these groups is also lacking Services targeting addiction are not adequate – need to develop more community based services, both daytime and temporary live-in, rehab services.

The (lack of) links of homeless services towards integration Hostels and shelters dominate Lack of prevention – (We should not only focus on those who have already become homeless but develop pilot programs for preventing people losing their housing) Lack of a coordinated approach between housing, employment, health and education Lack of prevention of families becoming homeless Difficulty of nourishing family and intimate relationships Inflexible financing – financing of institution and not program/activity

Pilot program of integrated approach towards the multiple problems homeless people face 1. Developing a system of documentation to help set up a social diagnosis of the individual Needs assessment in key problematic areas Developing personal action plans of care based on assessment Practice-oriented training of social workers Creating links and flow of information between services – experts in the areas of addiction, employment and housing Coordination of these groups of experts – Social Information Center (SIC), legal and psychological counselling Workshops for experts – team meeting and training opportunity

Pilot program of integrated approach towards the multiple problems homeless people face 2. Improvement of employment status – Job Centres : looking for jobs, getting in touch with companies, helping people find their trade, training opportunities Support system during training – mentors to help finish training and sustain employment Housing support

Assessment of multiple needs as a tool of social work Documentation Registration Addiction Employment assessment tests Housing Nursing/old age home

Social Information Center (SIC) – a system of coordination 4 groups of experts (employment, addiction, housing and olda age homes) in all BMSZKI services Information at any given day in the SIC Counselling, information database Flow of information between services and social workers Information Brochures Workshops of the experts Psychological and legal counselling

Job Centres – strengthening the employment status 1. Training Coordinating and preparing the trainings Agreement with the Center of Employment Recruiting Registration of applicants as well as orienting them to the most suitable training Psychological and motivation assessment Pre-training preparation in groups Coaching during the training (in group and individually) Helping those who cannot keep up Training of how to find a job Finding employment for those finishing the training Support-group during the first three months of employment

Referrals to addiction and housing experts Contacting employers Job Centres – strengthening the employment status 2. Seeking employment Seeking employment – ads, Internet, List of vacancies from State Center of Employment Counselling Referrals to addiction and housing experts Training of how to find a job – individual or in groups Contacting employers Contacting personal social workers

Housing programs – supporting independent living Support of integration An end to successful case work A diminishing rate of financial and social support Independence from homeless services

Housing programs – supporting responsibility To avoid institutionalization Personal living space Safe background to find and sustain employment Possibility of building new relationships (find a partner, meet neighbours) Starts the process of rehabilitation

The effects of the integrated approach 1. Organized Inter-sector cooperation between services A new approach for the personal social worker The structure of needs assessment tests helps social workers find the real problems Social work based on real needs is more efficient Collecting and disseminating information between services This good practice can inspire other innovations

The effects of the integrated approach 2. We can follow the different phases of the users’s situation Users can understand expectations and responsiblities better Multiple problems can be tackled at the same time Efficient: the problem is treated by the right service

Employment workhop

SIC

BMSZKI Job Centre

Training of cooks – Pre-training support in groups

Training of cooks – During-training support in groups

Basic computer skills – training the trainers