FAMILIENHILFE PLUS The ‚FAMILY-HELP PLUS PROGRAM‘ ‚PLUS‘ provides dedicated, structured, hands-on support empowering families with children to manage crises effectively.

An assignment in managing chaos

Statistics Members of staffMembers of staff: 21 Family Assistants 3 Team Leads

Statistics Supported FamiliesSupported Families Year 2003: 20 Year 2004: 80 Year 2005: 90 Year 2006: 108 Year 2007: 98 Year 2008: 145 Year 2009 till May: already 95 families

Client and financing Project financing The Family Assistance Team initiatives are executed as part of the “Mission to support the education of minors” by executive order of the Ministry for Youth and Family Welfare These are also financed by the Ministry of Youth and Welfare

Historical Overvew of mobile family assistance by Caritas Vienna Family Support since 1920 Family „Support Intensive“ Family Help Plus Programm since 2003

Basic concept Systemic process – viewing family as a system Resource-oriented method Goal-setting Problem prioritization Observational learning, or modeling (Bandura)

Target audience / Client profiles Families with minors Multiple deficiencies around education, language, health and hygiene Poverty, poor housing Lack of education, unemployment, debt Psychologic illnesses, substance dependencies Violence and abuse Immigrants and refugees

Applied life-management support Instruction to better organize daily life Education of minors Structuring daily life Encourage social integration

Instruction to better organize daily life Household management Children and education Health issues and prevention Financial management (i.e. manage debt, file for assistance at social services, insurance, etc) Prioritize

Education of Minors Understand children‘s needs Manage difficult situations with kids self-sufficients Understand own needs

Structuring daily life

Encourage social integration Network using personal and public means Strengthen interaction with public bodies, like, kindergarden, schools, doctors, public offices social skills Utilize personal family‘s resources

Setting Assistance inside family homes Assistance by a Family Assistant throughout the whole process Average number of assistance hours per week: 12 Minors: a legal guardian must be present Average process duration: 6 months

Process Registration via Youth welfare office (Jugendamt) Assignnment within the Family Help Plus Team Start meeting time arrangements

Pre- and introductory meetings Social worker, Team Lead and Family Assistant meet at the Ministry for Youth and Family Welfare to determine needs and requirements. Afterwards, a meeting with the family being assisted takes place at the family home. Common goals are formulated and agreed upon in writing.

Intermediary meetings Monthly, at the family home, including Social Worker, Family Assistant and Team Lead. Evaluate process to date Add different or additional goals.

Project roundup or closing conversation The conversation to close the assistance project takes place within the family home Family, Social Worker, Family Assistant and Team Lead are present at the meeting The entire assistance project is evaluated and documented