DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION IN PRACTICE: HOW DOES IT

WORK IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA?

Ibralić Fata, Assotiation for social inclusion persons with

mental retardation Tuzla canton

• Taking care of persons with mental retardation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was characterized by traditional admission to special educational system, concerning children with mild mental retardation; and placing into the institutes, when we talk about persons with moderate and profound mental retardation and multiple impairments.

• In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are three institutions for placing of persons with mental retardation where 1250 persons with mental retardation are placed:

1. The Institution for Protection of Mentally Retarded Children and Youth in Pazaric, which was founded in 1949. Up to now 1500 beneficiaries have passed through this institution.

2. Institution for Care of Mentally Invalid Persons Bakovici near Fojnica was established in 1955, and its capacity is 330 beneficiaries. From the establishment of this institution, some 1268 beneficiaries have passed through it.

3. Institution for Care of Mentally Invalid persons Drin Fojnica was established in 1955, its capacity is 250 persons, currently there are 372 beneficiaries that this institution is taking care of. From its establishment, this institution has accepted about 1925 beneficiaries.

• On the basis of the report of all of three institutions related to professional structure of the employees, one can state that all three institutions have just 5 defectologists (special education teachers), which means that in accordance with current situation, 237 persons with mental retardation are being taken care of by one defectologist.

• All three institutions work by educational program for moderately and severely mentally retarded children and youth (1998) in the age from 1 to 22 whose IQ is 23-30 to 50-55, that is based on the Law on Secondary School (Official Gazette of SRBiH, no. 39/90, and Official Gazette of RBiH no. 3/93, 24/93, 24/93 and 13/94).

• Although “program has functional character of developing of work and other abilities and appropriate work qualifying of persons with mental retardation and their inclusion in socially useful life and work”, all of those institutions from their establishment accepted about 4639 persons with mental retardation, and just 11 of those came back home, which means that the rest of 3622 spent their whole life in the institution.

• The social protection of persons with mental retardation was regulated by the Law on Basic Social Protection, Protection of Victims of War and Protection of Families with Children (2000), where existing positive shifts in legislation about the position of persons with mental retardation do show, but still there aren’t all the preconditions for the inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in regular pre-school institutions, for integration-inclusion of children in regular schools.

• Adult persons are usually being placed in institution after their parents’ death, because there is no conduction of professional treatment for persons with moderate, severe and profound mental retardation in local society and these persons live in total isolation or permanently placed in large institutions.

• The beginning deinstitutionalization of persons with mental retardation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the beginning of social inclusion has bounded with aims of work and activities of Association for social inclusion of persons with mental retardation Canton of Tuzla which has been established by the initiative of group of citizens interested for improving of living conditions of persons with mental retardation and theirs inclusion in social environment.

It’s founded 22.7.1998. as unprofitable nongovernmental organization. The members of Association are parents of persons with mental retardation, persons with mental retardation, professionals, and the other persons interested for enhancing of the quality of life of persons with mental retardation. The main aim of work of Association is social integration (inclusion) of children, youth and the adult persons with mental retardation.

• Because of realization of the planed aims, The Association for social inclusion of persons with mental retardation has worked out an project “Social inclusion of persons with mental retardation in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, what for has gotten permission from Ministry of work and social policy Canton of Tuzla financial support project got from the Government of Canton of Tuzla,UN- Department of social policy and development-New York and Central European Project for Self-advocacy of Persons with Mental Retardation – which is the project of Open society institute.

• In the frame of the project started deinstitutionalisation of persons with mental retardation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, establishing of living communities and placing children with mental retardation in regular kindergartens and integration of children with mental retardation in regular schools (Ibralic and Poljic,2000).

• Ministry for work and social policy Canton of Tuzla have gave agreement to Association for social inclusion of persons with mental retardation and made a deal about financing on which base have been deinstitutionalized, from the Institution for persons with mental retardation Pazaric ; Fojnica 15 persons and for 6 has been realized prevention of institutionalization.

4.1. Daily treatment deinstitutionalized persons with mental retardation

• Deinstituonalized persons are included in daily treatment in Daily center “Center for self advocacy” in Tuzla has opened 1998.for adult persons with mental retardation, which is only one of this kind on the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Daily center is opened form with possibility in which beneficiaries aren’t permanently placed, then when they become able for doing some activities or when another place was found for them, then new beneficiaries would be taken.

• The main aim of the work in the Center is that, for deinstitutionalized persons and persons which living in own families, who haven’t any kind of treatment, make possible qualification for following:

• a) Housekeeping activities- qualifying for skills necessary for everyday living situations (making simple meals, taking care about own clothes and about own look, using of kitchen apparatus etc.)

• b) Orientation in social environment- using of public transportation, orientation in the city, using of public institutions (post office, bank, health institutions etc.)

• c) Using of free time on the useful way-attaining of skills of independent performance of creative activities using of cultural and amusing manifestation organized in Tuzla and attending of sports and recreative associations.

• d) Finding of work activities, which are in accordance with beneficiary’s wishes and needs.

• Results of initial assessment has been useful for working out and evaluation of individual programs during this process have been consulted parents too, especially in choosing of activities which are priority and which significantly contributing to independence and social competency of beneficiaries.

• All deinstitutionalized persons have provided adequate support in local community and all of these have successful inclusion. Positive experience acquired during eight years work on social inclusion of persons with mental retardation encouraging us and learning that if we want to society change the attitudes toward these persons we have to make conditions in which that environment will be in interaction with persons with mental retardation and will be attaining of positive experience.

5. CONCLUSION

• In Canton of Tuzla and in Basnia and Herzegovina practically proved the possibility of independent living of persons with mental retardation which is in accordance with principles stated in declaration of UN and what in advanced countries was realizing through different organizational forms of taking care of persons with mental retardation, which would be divided in 3 categories: small dwelling communities, special dwelling and independent dwelling.