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Travels in family therapy - can ideas about family therapy move across national, cultural and professional boundaries? Reflections on the basis of collaboration with the Children’s Home “Atsigręžk į vaikus” in Lithuania

Sigita IgnatovičienėChildren’s home “Atsigręžk į vaikus”

Vettre, 2011 February 2-4

A T S I G R Ę Ž K

VLGN „ATSIGRĘŽK Į VAIKUS“

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Children’s home “Atsigręžk į vaikus” is a non-governmental organization, established in 1996 year.

In 2009 year the department of the children’s home was established in Trakų region. There are 12 children accommodated there.

The main mission of the institution is to create high quality children’s social care services, which comprehensively satisfy developmental needs of children, who have lost parental care, and enhance their positive social integration.

The institution also provides Dar center services for children, growing in social risk families.

In 2009 year the institution has got the status of social work methodic centre.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION (1)

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Every year we take care of approximately 60 children, who have lost parental care. Mostly these children have parents, but the parents because of socioeconomic and mental health problems are not able to provide a proper care of their kids.

The majority of the children have experienced neglect and abuse, they have attachment problems, emotional and behavior difficulties.

We provide a complex of services for children and their families: comprehensive assessment, consultations and therapy, rehabilitation, behavior correction, positive activity and education.

We also provide methodic services for specialists of social services organizations.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION (2)

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As a social work methodic center the institution: Prepares and implements programs of

professional qualification and competence improvement for social workers and their assistants.

Organizes conferences on children’s social care topics (two conferences on young people leaving care and one conference on socially vulnerable women).

Organizes trainings for social workers and other specialists, working with children and families;

Prepares methodological tools and literature; Implements research in children’s social care

sphere; Adapts good practice methods and shares

positive experience with other specialists.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION (3)

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The collaboration started in year 2007. In years 2007-2009 three study visits to the

children’s home were organized. 2 persons from the children’s home participated in

the 8th Nordic Family Therapy Congress (Bergen) in year 2008.

Thanks to Lilli-May Bakken the dentists from Norway visited the children’s home on October 15th of year 2009.

The initial aims of the collaboration were to get acquainted with the activity of the children’s home, to present the perspective of family therapy, share knowledge about family counseling and therapy and search for possibilities to broaden the collaboration.

THE HISTORY OF THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN

“ATSIGRĘŽK” AND NFFT

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3 visits were a part of the project, supported by Norwegian Family Therapy Association.

3 visits were a part of the project, supported by Norwegian Financial Mechanism grant.

Ways of collaboration: the theoretic lectures, practical seminars, individual and group supervisions, analysis of cases, discussions and reflections.

The initial target group was the staff members of the children’s home – social workers, psychologist, administration and etc.

In 2010 year the target group was broadened and cover different specialists, working in the Lithuanian social services institutions.

VISITS TO LITHUANIA

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The Lithuanian specialists were introduced to the conception of family therapy and 4 main family therapy perspectives: systemic, narrative, strategic and solution-focused theories.

The attachment theory ant ways to re-establish safe attachment bonds were also analyzed during the practical seminars.

The main focus was on systemic perspective (family as a system) and its appliance in the practical work with families. That was an innovative approach in the context of our children’s home (and probably the majority of the Lithuanian institutions, working with families).

IMPACT ON WORK METHODS (1)

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The main focus was upon the system rather than the individual, particularly in relation to the difficulties and issues within the family system.

For us it was important to understand, that these difficulties do not arise within individuals but in the relationships, interactions and language that develop between individuals.

In understanding relationships and difficulties within systems it was important to consider the connections between circular patterns of behavior, and the connections between the beliefs and behaviors within systems.

IMPACT ON WORK METHODS (2)

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THE PRACTICAL SEMINAR IN LITHUANIA

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THE SEMINAR ABOUT NARRATIVE THERAPY: GEIR

LUNDBY

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It was very important to learn thinking systemically: to see the problem not in the individual, but in the whole system and in the relationship among different parts of the system.

The client is not a child (or a parent), but the whole family system.

The very significant idea from the seminars was to orient on resources, not on problems or difficulties as we used to do before.

Genogram – a pictorial display of family relationships – was introduced as a valuable way to collect information about the family and find support resources. It is successfully adapted in the practice of the children’s home.

IMPACT ON WORK METHODS (3)

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The staff team is also functioning like an open system. The problems arise not in an individual, but in the whole system. It is important to analyze and improve vicious interactions among members of this system.

The collaboration with the members of the Association strengthen us as a team and improved psychological climate in the children’s home.

It also encouraged us that our hard work with disturbed children is purposeful and is not hopeless. We learn to focus on resources.

IMPACT ON STAFF

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The very useful part of the seminar were group analysis of cases.

We presented the most problematic families we dealt with and then the lecturers helped us to find new alternative solutions how to help the family in the best way.

The focus was made on “repairing” the relationships between the child and his parents, also on finding external support resources for the child and his/her parents.

We also got a lot of very valuable clinical knowledge about child development peculiarities, nature and dynamics of disturbed behavior and the most effective therapeutic interventions to deal with these problems.

ANALYSIS OF CASES

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On the whole the collaboration with the NFFT promoted to strengthening of position of family therapy position in Lithuania, spreading of systemic family therapy approach in working with the most socially vulnerable families.

We got a lot of valuable experience from collaboration with NFFT and this inspired us to spread the experience of knowledge of the NFFT in the whole Lithuania. That is one of the main purposes of the project (supported under Norwegian Financial Mechanism "Cooperation Fund").

IMPACT OF THE COLLABORATION

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The name of the project is “ Cooperation of the Norwegian family therapists and specialists of Trakai region, appliance of experience and its spread in Lithuania“

The partners of the project are children’s home “Atsigręžk į vaikus” (Lithuania), Trakai municipality (Lithuania) and Norwegian Family Therapy Association (Norway).

The time of the implementation is 2010 January – 2010 October.

THE PROJECT

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Nowadays there is a lot of social risk families in Lithuania and children don‘t get a proper care in these families. On the whole there are 570 families at risk in Trakai.

Neglectful and abusing families is one of the most problematic clients groups to work.

In Lithuania there is a lack of social work and psychology knowledge on this issue and there was no one practically approved special methodic.

The problem could be solved by applying family therapy, which is strongly developed in Norway.

THE BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

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To transfer Norwegian experience in the sphere of family therapy appliance and in that way to improve psychosocial services, provided for social risk families and children, grown up in these families.

The target group is social work, social pedagogic and psychology specialists of children‘s home „Atsigręžk į vaikus“, Trakai municipality Social support department and other Lithuania social institutions.

THE AIM AND TARGET GROUP

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Transferring experience from Norway and strengthening competence of specialists from Trakai social institutions.

Aggregation of the methodical work with social risk families applying family therapy and its practical applying in the unique methodical tool “Family therapy – a psychological remedy for children“

Spread of family therapy ideas and publicity of the sub-project. There were organized 6 educative seminars in different regions.

THE MAIN ACTIVITIES

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Previously it was planned that partners from Lithuania will participate in the annual conference of the Norwegian Family Therapy Association (the date of the conference is 2010, February 2-8 days). The activity was changed to study visit to Oslo city.

3 specialists participated in the study visit: 2 from the children‘s home „Atsigręžk į vaikus“ and 1 from Trakai municipality.

The following Norwegian organizations were visited: Regional Centre For Child And Adolescent Mental Health, Bufetat Sandvika Forsterhome service, The Church City Mission, Heggeli children home, Atferdssenteret therapy centre, Bakkehaugen adolescent home.

The seminar of Craig Nakken “The Addictive Personality” and meeting with Marianne Bie.

Sharing of the experience and training of staff‘s competence (1)

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Study visit to Norway - to Oslo (June, 2010). There were 4 specialists from Lithuania: 2 – from the children‘s home and 2 from Trakai municipality.

The main purpose of the study visit was to get acquainted with the practical family therapy application (how the job is organized, how the families are motivated, in what form the reached results are fixed, what are the monitoring means and etc.), also to gather practical and theoretical material for the family social work methodic. The duration of the study visit was 7 days.

The following organizations were visited: Frydenberg/Alina Family Unit, Barnehuset children’s home, UMV The Organization Youth against Violence, „Fossumkollektivet“.

The long weekend with families at “Fossumkollektivet” touched very deeply and inspired us to start parents groups in our institution.

Sharing of the experience and training of staff‘s competence (2)

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Practical seminar in Trakai: “Systemical and structural view toward family therapy and attachment theory” (May, 2010). Lecturers were Lilli-May Bakken and Vigdis Wie Thorsteinsson.

Practical seminar in Trakai: “Family therapy appliance possibilities providing help for socially vulnerable families. Basics of narrative family therapy” (September, 2010). Lecturers were Liv Bjerknes and Geir Lundby.

On the whole 56 specialists from the children’s home “Atsigręžk į vaikus”, Trakai municipality Social support department participated and other institutions from Trakai region participated.

Sharing of the experience and training of staff‘s competence (3)

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Preparation of the methodical guide about family therapy with social risk families. The main tasks of the methodic are:

1) To make the situation analysis (to analyze the needs of children in social risk families in order to identify the preconditions and requirements of the specialized methodic);

2) To take the experience of Norway and other foreign countries and apply it in preparing the methodic.

The methodic is translated to English. The first part of the methodic reviews the basic theories

about functioning of social risk families, needs of children, growing in these families, situation in Lithuania, concept of family counseling and therapy, different family therapy perspectives. The second part provides concrete and easily adaptable recommendations for families, experiencing crisis and social difficulties.

Creation of the methodic “Family therapy” and its implementation (1)

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The practical implementation of the methodic. The methodic was applied in the children’s home’s department in Čižiūnai.

It was applied for 3 months. The psychosocial services were provided

for 58 social risk families and 76 children from these families.

The services were provided by social workers and psychologists.

Creation of the methodic “Family therapy” and its implementation (1)

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Educative-informative seminars in the 6 Lithuanian regions: Ignalina reg., Marijampolė reg., Kaunas reg., Klaipėda reg., Tauragė reg., Šiauliai reg.

The task of the seminars was to present the methodic and the collaboration project to other Lithuanian social services institutions. The duration of one seminar was 4 hours.

During the seminars the published methodical books were distributed.

It was valuable to meet with the practicians from the whole Lithuania and introduce a family perspective to them, also to crystallize the most actual problems and think about possible ways to solve them.

Spread of the results and publicizing of the project

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INFORMATIVE-EDUCATIVE SEMINARS

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THE INFORMATIVE-EDUCATIVE SEMINARS

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By the project the cooperation between Lithuanian and Norwegian specialists in psychology and social work was strengthened and broadened.

Also the professional competence of 230 Lithuanian specialists on family therapy appliance was improved.

The unique methodical tool on work with social risk families applying family therapy modules and methods was prepared in Lithuanian and English languages. That methodic was very important for all the specialists, working with social risk families.

At this time family therapists are not professionally prepared in Lithuania. The project spread the idea of family therapy in Lithuania and created the basis for professional family therapy education.

The non-direct impact of the project was that the improved quality of the services for social risk families.

Healthy family = healthy and happy children!

THE RESULTS

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We would like to express a sincere thanks for Lilli- May Bakken, Vigdis Wie Wie

Thorsteinsson, Liv Bjerkness, Geir Lundby and the whole Family Therapy Association for successful collaboration and goodwill

sharing the knowledge and skills on family therapy perspective. The ideas about family

therapy have successfully crossed across national and cultural boundaries and took a

very significant place in working with neglectful and abusive families and

children from these families in Lithuania.

THANKS

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Our contacts:E-mail: atsigrezk@gmail.com

Tel.: +370 5 238 5770www.atsigrezk.org