Search

The aim of the paper is to present the experiences of the school Professional Associates from Croatia about the cooperation between teachers and Professional Associates of public institutions and civic society organizations in working with students with behavioural problems. Research participants were Professional Associates of primary and secondary schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results show that Professional Associates are faced with different problems in students’ behaviour on a daily basis. Participants reported that there is a good cooperation with teachers, but there are also experiences of insufficient teachers’ understanding of the students with behavioural problems. They also stated that cooperation with public institutions and organizations should be more effective given the need for timely action, coordinated interventions and data exchange between sectors. There are examples of a good practice that indicate possibilities for positive changes, especially when motivated and competent Professional Associates are open for an additional engagement.

Ovaj pregledni rad se bavi strategijama samopomaganja za profesionalne pomagače različitih profesija, ali s naglaskom na strategije i izazove samopomaganja savjetovatelja. U samom početku rada definiran je pojam samopomaganja te su objašnjene strategije samopomaganja. Obrazloženo je u radu da strategije samopomaganja uključuju aktivnosti kojima se postiže optimalna ravnoteža u području mentalnog i fizičkog zdravlja pomagača. Iz tog razloga se kreiranju i održavanju tih strategija u radu posvetila osobita pozornost. Aktivnosti u funkciji samopomaganja po svom sadržaju i načinu izvedbe kao i vremenskoj posvećenosti imaju svrhu da pruže pomagaču opuštanje, razonodu i emocionalnu dobrobit te je izdvojen kreativni pristup samopomaganja savjetovatelja. U radu su opisani izazovi usklađivanja poslovne i obiteljske uloge profesionalnih pomagača kroz prizmu mogućih prepreka za održavanje zdrave granice između poslovnih i obiteljskih obveza te su objašnjene učinkovite strategije samopomaganja i samopodrške. Obrazloženi su glavni postulati za odražavanje strategija samopomaganjei pomagača s naglaskom na izvore podrške koje bi trebala osigurati radna organizacija u kojoj pomagač radi i aktivnosti koje može poduzeti pomagač osobno. Na kraju rada su opisane smjernice za primjenu strategija samopomaganja profesionalnih pomagača u svrhu poticaja unaprijeđenja redovitog korištenja učinkovitih strategija samopomaganja i samopodrške.

Zbog velike zastupljenosti NEET (engl. Not in Education, Employment, or Training) populacije Europska je unija 2013. godine izradila operativni plan smanjivanja njenog udjela za period 2014. – 2020. godine. U Hrvatskoj su također planirane mjere i sredstva Europskog socijalnog fonda trebala osigurati različite resurse na državnoj i lokalnoj razini za realizaciju istog cilja. Grad Zagreb u okviru ulaganja u socijalnu politiku razvija brojne usluge i progra- me, osobito za mlade u nepovoljnom položaju. Ovo kvalitativno istraživanje usmjereno je na stjecanje uvida u iskustva stručnjaka i pripadnika NEET populacije o uslugama i programima usmjerenih prema NEET populaciji na području Grada Zagreba u svrhu njihove pripreme za zapošljavanje te na percepciju o mogućim poboljšanjima usluga i prevenciji NEET statusa. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 15 stručnjaka koji rade s NEET populacijom i 25 pripadnika NEET populacije. Rezultati ukazuju na to da stručnjaci prepoznaju velike izazove u radu s NEET populacijom vezane uz motiviranje mladih na promjenu i na zahtjevne modele rada. Osim toga, izdvojene su institucionalne manjkavosti poput nedovoljne koordinacije s drugim insti- tucijama, administrativnih ograničenja i nedovoljne osposobljenosti stručnjaka, što prepoznaju obje grupe sudionika istraživanja. Mladi naglašavaju da su im neke usluge i informacije koje dobivaju od stručnjaka nekorisne i zakašnjele, a s druge strane da imaju pozitivna iskustva u dobivanju stručnih preporuka i osobne podrške. Istraživanje ukazuje na potrebu za sustavnim ulaganjem u institucije koje rade s NEET populacijom (kadrovi, prostor, informatizacija, ko- ordinacija institucija) na području Grada Zagreba. Također je naglašena potreba poboljšanja sadržaja i modela rada programa te promocije i dostupnosti programa podrške NEET popula- ciji radi njihovog uključivanja na tržište rada.

The NEET population presents the young people who are not involved in education, retraining or the labor market. Due to the large representation of the NEET population, in 2013 the European Union drafted the Operational plan to reduce the share of this population for the period 2014-2020. In Croatia, ESF measures and funds are also planned. The share of NEET population in the EU for 2016 was 17.2% while in Croatia for 2017 was 21.4% (Eurostat, 2018). NEET’s are recognized as a prototype of socially excluded population and professional work with them is key factor in their possible social integration. The City of Zagreb develops numerous services and programs for young people in unfavourable social position in the frame of its social policy investments. This qualitative research is aimed at gaining into the experiences of professionals and members of the NEET population on services and programs aimed to the NEET population in the City of Zagreb to prepare them for employment and also on the perception of possible service improvement and prevention of NEET status. The study involved 15 experts working with the NEET population and 25 members of the NEET population. The results suggest that experts recognize the challenges in working with the NEET population in terms of motivating them to change personal perspectives towards their educational orientation and in terms of demanding work models. Institutional limitations such as insufficient coordination with other institutions, administrative constraints and insufficient professional training of experts are highlighted by both groups of research participants. Young people emphasize that some services and information that they receive from professionals are useless and late, and on the other side that they have positive experiences in obtaining professional recommendations and personal support. The research indicates the need for systematic investment improvement oriented to institutions that provide services for NEET population in the City of Zagreb. The main focus of investments should be focused on staff, space, informatization, coordination of institutions in order to enhance the content and working model of programs as well as investment in promotion and availability of support programs for the NEET population to enter the labour market. Taking in regard wider analysis of social policy and social work practice orientated towards NEET population in Croatia, current trends in the development of policies and services at EU level, we will give specific recommendations for innovating actions in favour of promoting social inclusion of this vulnerable population.

Behavioural disorders represent a range of behavioural patterns that reflect on problems in overall behaviour, not just in one of behavioural dimensions. This paper aims to gain into the experiences of school professionals: a) working with students with behavioural disorders ; b) their perspective of teachers’ reactions on students’ behaviour ; c) working in the cooperation with various institutions and organizations in order to prevent and resolve students’ behaviour disorders. In the study snowball sampling was applied. Ten school professionals from primary and secondary schools in the City of Zagreb were participants of this research: six pedagogues, two psychologists, one speech therapist and one social pedagogue. Semi-structured interviews for qualitative data collection were used and grounded theory was used for data analysis. The results have shown that bulling, delinquency, non-respectful behaviour towards teachers, truancy and other behavioural problems are recognized in school environment. Regarding teachers reactions on students’behaviour they claim that teachers do not use efficient approach towards students who do have behavioural problems. They usually do not have needed tolerance and understanding for these students which usually results with disturbed relationships between student and teacher. School professionals also declare that the co- operation with non-school institutions (centres for social welfare, police, dormitory administration) is not successful and helpful enough (important information about the student is not assessable and prompt). The results indicate the necessity to: a) provide professional support for teachers and their permanent education in coping with students’ behaviour disorder ; b) improve inter-institutional co-operation and collaboration with student’s family in order to reduce students’ behaviour disorders and improve their educational and social capacities.

Cilj rada bio je provjeriti faktorsku strukturu i metrijske karakteristike hrvatske verzije upitnika »Fleksibilnost granica radne i obiteljske uloge« (Boundary Flexibility, Matthews i Barnes-Farrell, 2010.). Istraživanje je provedeno na prigodnom uzorku od 187 zaposlenih roditelja maloljetne djece. U analizi podataka korištena je faktorska analiza i Pearsonov koeficijent korelacije. Dobivena je trofaktorska struktura upitnika: prvi faktor »Prilagođavanje obiteljskih planova zahtjevima posla« sadrži šest čestica (Cronbach alfa=0, 891), a ukazuje na spremnost ispitanika da obiteljske planove prilagode zahtjevima posla. Drugi faktor »Prilagođavanje posla zahtjevima obiteljske uloge« (Cronbach alfa =0, 814) sadrži osam čestica, a ukazuje na mogućnost i spremnost ispitanika da poslovne obaveze prilagode obiteljskim zahtjevima. Treći faktor »Mogućnost pojačanog angažmana na poslu bez većih teškoća u izvršavanju obiteljskih obveza« sadrži četiri čestice (Cronbach alfa=0, 784), a odnosi se na mogućnost ispitanika da odrade pojačane zahtjeve na poslu, bez nepovoljnih posljedica i značajnih poteškoća u obiteljskoj ulozi. S obzirom da ekstrahirani faktori nisu u potpunosti podudarni s faktorskom strukturom originalnog upitnika, dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na određene specifičnosti u primjeni hrvatske verzije upitnika. Provjera metrijskih karakteristika pokazala je zadovoljavajuću pouzdanost dobivenih subskala i mogućnost daljnje primjene navedenog instrumenta.

Ovaj pregledni rad nudi definiciju i objašnjenje self-care koncepta, odnosno brige o sebi, kao jednom od osnovnih načina razvoja i njegovanja profesionalnih i osobnih kapaciteta te očuvanja zdravih granica između profesionalnog i osobnog života pomagača. U radu se također naglašavaju etičke komponente self-care-a kao imperativa za pomagača u brizi za vlastito mentalno i fizičko zdravlje. Izazovi za razvoj i održavanje vještina i uvjeta za održivost brige o sebi u pomagačkim strukama se opisuje i analizira s aspekta osobne odgovornosti i obveze institucije da osigura zdrave uvjete rada i profesionalnog rasta i razvoja. Upoznavanje self-care koncepta i usporedna analiza data je kroz prikaz različitih, uglavnom inozemnih istraživanja koja su pratila djelovanje self-cara na ukupno zdravlje pomagača i njihove profesionalne učinke. U radu se također opisuju nepovoljne posljedice izostanka vještina self-care-a i aktivnosti koje ga potiču te se naglašavaju negativni učinci na zdravlje pomagača i njegovi radni potencijal. Zaključno se definiraju smjernice za razvoj i održavanje kontinuirane brige pomagača o sebi, važne kako za njegovo zadovoljstvo u osobnom životu, tako i u profesionalnom uspjehu i samoaktualizaciji.

Rad prikazuje istraživanje koje je imalo za cilj utvrditi dostupnost socijalnih prava i usluga za obitelji u općinama u ruralnim područjima Hrvatske. Specifično su postavljena tri problema istraživanja: 1) utvrditi dostupnost određenih socijalna prava i usluga za obitelji, 2) utvrditi postoje li razlike u dostupnosti s obzirom na regionalnu pripadnost i razvojna obilježja općine te 3) utvrditi postoje li razlike u standardima kvalitete socijalnih prava i usluga s obzirom na regionalnu pripadnost općine i razvojna obilježja općine. Podaci su prikupljeni web anketom s predstavnicima 215 općina. Obiteljima su u većoj mjeri dostupna socijalna prava u odnosu na socijalne usluge. U najvećoj mjeri razvijena su prava i usluge koje promovira središnja državna vlast. Općine u panonskoj regiji kao najslabije razvijenoj imaju najviše dostupna socijalna prava, a najmanje dostupne socijalne usluge. Prava i usluge su dostupnije u općinama koje su bliže središtima županija. Što se tiče standarda kvalitete socijalnih prava i usluga, stanovništvo je zadovoljavajuće informirano i uključeno u planiranje, dok je slabije razvijeno korištenje EU fondova i uključenost civilnog društva., The paper presents a research on the availability of social rights and services for families in the municipalities in rural areas of Croatia. Specifically, three research questions were raised: 1) to determine the availability of certain social rights and services for families, 2) to determine whether there are differences in accessibility with regard to regional affiliation and developmental characteristics of the municipality, and 3) to determine whether there are differences in the quality standards of social rights and services given the regional affiliation and the developmental characteristics of the municipality. Data were collected through a web survey with representatives of 215 municipalities. Social rights are more available to families than social services. The most available rights and services are those promoted by the central government. Municipalities in the Pannonian region, as the least developed ones, have the most available social rights and the least available social services. Rights and services are more available in municipalities closer to the county centers. As regards the quality standards of social rights and services, the population is sufficiently informed and involved in planning, while the use of EU funds and civil society involvement are less developed.

Cilj ovog kvalitativnog istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u motive stručnjaka za upis edukacije iz psihoterapijskog pravca te ostvarenih ishoda i dobiti od edukacije. Deset stručnjaka različitih disciplina sudjelovalo je u istraživanju. Podaci su prikupljeni polustrukturiranim intervjuima. Za obradu podataka korištena je tematska analiza. Rezultati pokazuju da su najčešći motivi upisa unapređenje profesionalnog razvoja, stjecanje upotrebnog znanja u radu s korisnicima, obavljanje djelatnosti psihoterapije kao zanimanja. Prepoznate dobrobiti su jačanje osobnih socijalnih i profesionalnih odnosa te dobiti u kontekstu osobnog razvoja i primjene vještina u radu. Istraživanje daje dublje razumijevanje višedimenzionalnih učinaka psihoterapijske izobrazbe osobito kod pomagačkih struka, što čini znanstveni doprinos ovog rada, obzirom da u regiji nema dovoljno istraživanja na ovu temu.

Social work profession is often faced with situations of human rights protection for needy and in this cases some ethical aspects could be challenging for social workes. The aim of this quantitative research was to examine the implementation of human rights standards in social work practice in Croatia in the context of advocating clients’ rights on health care and social services. The sample was consisted of 316 students of social work program and 173 social workers who work in social welfare system. In the research were used following questionnaires: Human Rights Engagement in Social Work, Human Rights Exposure in Social Work, Human Rights Lens in Social Work. For collecting data internet survey was used. Results will show some differences in perception of advocating clients’ needs and rights in social work practice from perspective of social workers and students. Some ethical aspects and current challenges in this context will be discussed.

Synergy between human rights standards and social work has been always significant for social work education and practice. Challenges for social work profession in order to protect human rights for needy in times of social injustice, political and economical changes and migrations, as is the case in the South East European countries for last few years are intensive and permanent. Therefore, education of social work students should provide the knowledge and opportunity to them to develop sensibility for population that is exposed to the different risks and whose human rights are jeopardized. On the other side, practitioners have an obligation to actively participate in providing basic life conditions for the needy and to advocate for the people whose human rights are not protected. The aim of this study was to examine the application of human rights standards in social work practice in Croatia. Participants of this quantitative research were 316 students of social work at the University of Zagreb (310 female, 10 male) and 173 practitioners (162 female, 11 male) who work in social welfare system. Internet survey was used as the method of collecting data. In research were used following questionnaires developed by McPherson and Abell: Human Rights Engagement in Social Work, Human Rights Exposure in Social Work, Human Rights Lens in Social Work, Human Rights Methods in Social Work. Data analysis carried out using SPSS program. Results have shown that in students’ population are representatives of 4 year B.A. social work program and M.A social work program. 73, % of them participated in the internship during their social work education. Results will show that students with more practice and knowledge gave higher estimates on the scales of human rights engagements in social work and applied human rights methods in social work. Results on the sample of practitioners have shown that highest estimates on the human rights exposure scale gave practitioners with more years of work experience. In conclusions promotion of human rights and the integration of rights-based methods into social work education and practice will be discussed.

Developed local social services have become one of key priorities in Croatian social policy and social care system. Impetus has been articularly given by the approach which is strongly promoted by the European Union and European Social Fund. There is a push to develop decentralized, user- oriented and inclusive social services that would be accessible on a local level and for the most vulnerable population. Rural communities are facing this challenge in particular due to a lack of various structural resources. EU promotes a welfare mix in developing local services that are owned by many different actors, such as the private sector, NGOs and local institutions. The aim of this research was to detect what kind of local family social services exist in rural communities in Croatia. The second aim of this research was to determine what standards of the European Union are integrated in family social services, such as: various sources of funding, accessibility, inclusiveness, active participation of service users. Particular focus was placed on services to tackle various family risks during the lifespan. Data were collected using online questionnaires that were filled out by local municipality representatives (N=200). Stratified probabilistic sampling was used taking into account regional affiliation and the level of development for each municipality. Research results indicate that local services are not balanced enough and do not cover various families’ needs. In rural areas, they are mostly oriented on meeting the needs of elderly people who live with family and family members with disabilities. Furthermore, on a local level in rural areas, the European Union’s approaches and standards are still not sufficiently integrated. It is noticeable that there is more space to use project funding schemes, because local services still depend to a great extent on national budget funding and do not involve service users in decision making in a significant way. Social work and its role is discussed as a profession that manages local services, using social planning techniques and project management approach.

According to the Croatian Ministry of Interior, 658, 068 refugees and migrants entered Croatia during the migrant crises on the so called Balkan route. During the refugee crisis from September 2015 to March 2016 about 340, 000 have passed through the transit center in Slavonski Brod. In Croatia there are two shelters for accommodation of applicants for international protection: in Kutina, with the capacity for 100 people, and in Zagreb (former hotel Porin) with accommodation capacity for 600 people. In addition, the Reception Centre for Foreigners was established in Ježevo and the order crossing point in Bajakovo on the Croatian- Serbian border, where refugees met with the police administration and the Border Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. Besides legal registration, medical care, psychosocial support for refugees and asylum seekers, education for their children, as one of the issues that Croatian government was facing with at that period of time was provided. The real challenge in this situation was how to meet basic needs of immigrants and refugees and to provide adequate help for people who went through the experience of war and came from different cultures and speak different languages. How to organize constructive and sufficient care for the needy and how to provide a humane response on many levels is a challenge in itself. In the 1990s, Croatia and neighbor countries went through the four year war period and have experience with providing different services for this group in need, and some knowledge and practice were useful in facing with this situation. Social work as a profession has always been directed to the needs and interests of the most vulnerable groups, such as immigrants and refugees. Experience in work with refugees and immigrants who are traumatized, sick, vulnerable, and belong to different age groups (from infants to the elderly) is a very stressful and challenging task for professional helpers. Professional knowledge and skills, personal and professional attitudes, ethical principles and other competences are important in order to provide a complete service to people in this situation. The question is how professionals should be prepared in order to achieve these professional goals, and how to provide professional help for them. The main goal of this presentation will be focused on suggestions concerning ways to improve social work curricula in order to prepare social work students for work with this group of clients on individual, group and local community levels. The second aim of this presentation is to examine current social work curricula in order to highlight the content that should be implemented in the curricula and enhance professional competences in this area, as well as to provide suggestions for designing national policy agendas pertaining to this issue.

Ciljevi odgoja i obrazovanja bazirani su na osiguravanju sustavnog poučavanja učenika, poticanja i unapređivanja njihovog intelektualnog, tjelesnog, estetskog, društvenog, moralnog i duhovnog razvoja u skladu s njihovim sposobnostima i sklonostima. Iskustva pokazuju da se u nekim situacijama unatoč uloženim velikim naporima, škola kao obrazovna i odgojna ustanova ipak suočava s izazovima u pružanju potrebne podrške učenicima kako bi se otklonile prepreke za njihov obrazovni, odgojni i socijalizacijski proces učenika. Podaci pokazuju porast slučajeva nasilja među djecom u školi, koje se nastavljalo na školskim igralištima, na internetu i putem mobitela, pri čemu je dob počinitelja nasilja sve niža. Mladi sve ranije počinju konzumirati duhan i alkohol i neka druga sredstva koja potiću ovisnost. Zabilježen je i porast broja djece koja dolaze iz obitelji koje žive ispod praga siromaštva, kao i porast broja djece koja prolaze kroz razdoblje razvoda braka roditelja i prilagodbe na novu obiteljsku situaciju. Stručna služba koja je definirana u članku 100 st. 4 Zakona o odgoju i obrazovanju u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi trebala bi imati ulogu pravovremenog procjenjivanja socijalnih, razvojnih i obrazovnih rizika učenika, interveniranja u složenim problemskim situacijama (pr. nasilja) i preveniranja različitih rizika koji prate period odrastanja djece i mladih. Procjena socijalnog statusa učenika, organiziranje podrške učenicima koji dolaze iz obitelji slabijeg imovinskog statusa, kreiranje programa podrške učenicima s problemima u ponašanju, integracija djece s teškoćama u razvoju u redovan sustav odgoja i obrazovanja te uspostavljanje pravovremene suradnje s institucijama i ustanovama, savjetovanje, informiranje i upućivanje roditelja u ostvarivanju njihovih prava i obveza, osobito iz područja zdravstvene i socijalne skrbi i drugo su područja rada u kojima socijalni rad može biti izvor učinkovite profesionalne podrške školi i njenim dosadašnjim resursima. Škola je dakle, očito prostor u kojem se ne odvijaju samo procesi isključivo vezani uz obrazovanje i odgoj, nego i uz procese koji su duboko vezani uz socijalizaciju i učenje životnih vještina učenika, jer je škola socijalni, a ne samo obrazovni prostor. Što i zašto bi socijalni radnik u tom smislu radio u članku 100, st. 4 navedenog Zakona bit će više riječi u ovom izlaganju.

Integration process of children with disabilities in primary educational system in Croatia is supported by: “Convention on the Rights of the Child”, “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” and Regulations on Primary Education of Students with Developmental Handicaps which is applied since 1991. The main goal of this qualitative study was to gain insight school teachers’ experiences in teaching classes that besides regular students’ population include at least one student with disabilities and to define what benefits and challenges they recognize in their work. The participants were eight female teachers who have many years of teaching classes with a student with disabilities. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews, based on two main research questions: 1. what are the experiences of classroom teachers in working with children with disabilities included in regular program? 2. how do class teachers evaluate the effectiveness of educational and social inclusion of children with disabilities? Grounded theory approach was used for data analysis. Ethical principles were applied. Results showed that classroom teachers recognized many advantages of the inclusion children with disabilities in regular primary educational system: benefits for children with disabilities - important social and educational achievements (learned social skills, experience of peer acceptance, emotional and practical support) ; benefits for students in regular population in learning social skills (experience of understanding and accepting differences of their peers, given empathy and practical assistance) ; professional benefits for teachers (learned about effective teaching methods in work with these students). Classroom teachers also emphasized challenges of inclusion: lack of professional support, trainings, expert teams. This paper will highlight and discuss recommendations for improvement of children with disabilities inclusion based on teachers’ statements.

Introduction: In this paper will be presented the results of research based on the theory of resilience which emphasizes the role of spirituality in empowering individuals and families to overcome the crises (Walsh, 2006). In the introduction will be explained a model of recovery from addiction, which is based on the spiritual dimension and which describes recovery as a consequence of spiritual experience that enables the renewal of personal identity and transformation of lifestyles (White & Kurtz, 2006). Objective and research questions: The goal of the research is to gain insight and understanding of spirituality contribution to overcoming the crises and recovery from addiction. Research questions are: (1) How do former addicts describe their own experience of life in the Christian therapeutic community for treatment and addiction rehabilitation process in the Reto center? (2) How do former addicts describe the role of spirituality in overcoming their crises and recovery from addiction? Method (sample, procedure, instruments): This paper will represent the results of a qualitative research, which is carried out by the method of deep interview of 16 participants who were an addict to different psychoactive substances. All participants have the experience of inclusion in the program of treatment and rehabilitation of addiction in the Christian community Reto center in Zagreb. Participants successfully abstain in the period from 7 to 20 years. The sample size is defined according to the principle of reaching theoretical saturation. Data were collected by in-depth interview. The content of interviews is transcribed and processed by the procedure of qualitative analysis (interpretative phenomenological analysis). Main results: The research results show that intensive spiritual lifestyle in the community, strong support of religious practices and nurturing of common religious beliefs and emotional support of community members represent a strong resource of successful rehabilitation process of addicts. Participants highlight that spirituality became a resource of positive change in their life (the experience of 'rebirth'). Results are represented in the context of the theoretical framework based on the concept of resilience. Implications: There is a lack of research on the role of spirituality in work with addicts in their rehabilitation and resocialization process. Therefore, the need for further research in this field in the Croatian context is highlighted.

Pridruživanjem Hrvatske Europskoj uniji stvoren je poticaj da se na lokalnim razinama razvijaju socijalne usluge, a što je dodatno apostrofirano u procesu reforme sustava socijalne skrbi. Sve više se očekuje od lokalnih zajednica da na razinama jedinica lokalne samouprave i u sinergiji sa sustavom socijalne skrbi, zdravstva i obrazovanja razvijaju brojne socijalne usluge za ranjive skupine. Europski socijalni fond nudi mogućnost financijskog osnaživanja razvoja socijalnih usluga, no čini se da tu mogućnost različite jedinice lokalne samouprave nisu jednako iskoristile. U radu će se prikazati rezultati istraživanja provedenog u 180 jedinica lokalne samouprave putem online anketiranja. Rezultati će prikazati koja prava i usluge su najdostupnije stanovništvu, a za kojima postoji potreba. Također, prikazat će se rezultati procjene lokalnih dionika o kapacitetima lokalne zajednice da razvijaju suradnju u zajednici, koriste EU fondove i ostvaruju suradni odnos s lokalnim stanovništvom u procjeni potreba za određenim uslugama. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju da su najviše u fokusu brojne usluge za osobe s invaliditetom i starije osobe, dok su podzastupljene usluge kojima se osnažuju mladi u riziku. Također, rezultati ukazuju na potrebu jačanja organizacija civilnog društva, kao i jačanje organizacijskih i financijskih kapaciteta za privlačenje sredstava iz EU fondova. Rezultati ukazuju i da bi bilo potrebno da građani više sudjeluju u evaluaciji postojećih usluga, ali i da bi se u budućnosti u lokalnim proračunima trebala dati veća važnost izdvajanjima za socijalnu skrb, kao i ojačati stručne kapacitete djelatnika jedinica lokalne samouprave.

U radu su predstavljena izlaganja s tribine "Što se danas istražuje na selu?", koja je 3. studenog 2016. godine održana na Institutu za etnologiju i folkloristiku. Također, predstavljena je neformalna istraživačka skupina Ruralije i njihove dosadašnje aktivnosti.

Ruralni kontekst nije jednoznačan pojam. On u sebi sadrži mnoge različitosti koje su rezultat različitog sociokulturnog i povijesnog nasljeđa, ali i različitog stupnja razvoja određene ruralne zajednice. Svrha je ovog rada ukazati na specifična obilježja ruralnih prostora koja se manifestiraju u različitim aspektima kvalitete života obitelji unutar iste regionalne cjeline. Kao primjer postojećih dispariteta, istraživanjem su obuhvaćene četiri općine iz Sisačko-moslavačke županije: dvije općine koje su imale iskustvo ratnih stradanja te imaju indeks razvijenosti ispod 50% prosjeka Hrvatske (Dvor i Hrvatska Dubica) i dvije općine koje nisu bile pogođene ratom te im je indeks razvijenosti u rangu prosjeka Hrvatske (Velika Ludina i Lipovljani). Istraživanje je provedeno anketiranjem 390 roditelja djece osnovnoškolske dobi. Istraživanjem su obuhvaćeni sljedeći aspekti kvalitete obiteljskog života: materijalni i radni status, stambene prilike, obrazovne mogućnosti djece, kvaliteta obiteljskih odnosa, prisutnost različitih stresora u obitelji, zdravstveno stanje članova obitelji, kvaliteta socijalne mreže, dostupnost socijalne podrške, društvena uključenost i integracija u zajednicu te percepcija kvalitete života u zajednici. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na razlike u pojedinim aspektima kvalitete života obitelji s obzirom na stupanj razvoja lokalne zajednice i strukturu obitelji (nukleusne i proširene obitelji). Prikazane su specifične teškoće s kojima se susreću obitelji bez radno aktivnih članova u odnosu na obitelji sa zaposlenim članom. Zaključno, problematizirani su različiti čimbenici rizika i zaštite koji proizlaze iz obiteljskog i šireg okruženja a koji u značajnoj mjeri utječu na ukupno funkcioniranje i kvalitetu života obitelji na tim ruralnim prostorima.

The paper is focused on the role of social workers in a re-socialization process of treated alcoholics and their families. Statistics show that in Croatia is 250.000 registered alcoholics (around 7% of population) and that 12, 8 liter of pure alcohol was consumed per capita. This data put Croatia on the top of the alcohol consummation country list in the EU. The aim of this qualitative research was to find out the practical efficiencies of therapeutic group work of social workers with treated alcoholics and their spouses in 'clubs of treated alcoholics' (CTA). Participants of the research were social workers – therapists in CTA. The results show that the main achievements of these groups’ members are based on increasing their self- esteem, on making important decisions with new priorities, and positive changes in their life style, as well as on significant improvement of relationships with family members. This paper emphasizes the alcoholism as a national issue, highlights the importance of the CTA in protection and strengthening this vulnerable group, and also promotes the image of social work profession in a multidisciplinary approach to this national problem in Croatia.

This paper will analyze the current situation and challenges of the of student dropouts in secondary education in Croatia. Young people who are at risk of dropping out of secondary education represent a specific vulnerable group because they are at risk of social exclusion and prone entering into the trap of poverty. Student dropout from secondary education in the Croatian context so far has not been sufficiently recognized and researched phenomenon although it can lead to a number of disadvantages for the individual and society. Youth in Croatia according to some researchers have relatively high expectations of education, but their valuing of education seems questionable because they observe how difficult is to get a job and that in society only political appointees or the rich succeed. Also it is questionable does school give people the knowledge that is required for work and life in modern society. The special importance of education is emphasized in times of economic crisis in Croatia when the youth unemployment rate is one of the largest in Europe. Researchers and data have found that it is most difficult to find a good and stable job for the people who have leaved the education system without acquired secondary education. Croatia has so far not led to systematic records, nor has dealt with this problem, so there are different estimates of drop-out rate that range between 3, 6% and 12% There are different sources of data and different data on the same phenomena in Croatian society, therefore, a challenge remains to build a unified methodology for monitoring the number of dropout students. Also, the organization of compulsory education in Croatia is different from the organization of compulsory education in some other countries so this should be taken into account. Identifying the extent of dropouts in Croatia is a challenge because of the lack of systematic research in this area. EU under the Europe 2020 strategy paper puts imperative that each member country priority taking measures to reduce the number of students who dropout from the education system. That has happened with certain success because EU dropout average has fallen from around 15% in 2010. to 12, 8% in 2012. The problem of students dropping out of secondary education, with efforts towards quantification of these facts, was put on the agenda of public debate in Croatia in process of creating the Joint Inclusion Memorandum - JIM, which took place in 2007th year. We will see how the problem is explicitly noted in the strategic documents and analyze all previous relevant policy documents together with implications of those documents on the concrete measures and actions taken. In addition, what now is lacking, it would be necessary to systematically monitor the causes of dropping out, the structure and specific socio-demographic characteristics of students and obtain data on the final outcome of students after dropout has took place. Some previous studies about the risk groups of students dropping out of secondary education in Croatia recognized that the main groups in risk are male students, students who come from families of lower economic status and whose parents have lower educational status, single-parent families. These are also vulnerable groups who by dropping out from secondary education are included in the risk of social exclusion. So it is needed, towards them, to implement direct prevention programs to encourage continuing of education. Furthermore, there is the problem of unavailable records that would monitor the level of social inclusion of these students. Extent and success of the measures and the possibility of reducing the cause of dropping out and their re- integration into the (re) education and work is relatively unknown. Adaptivity and flexibility of schools as a response to the risks of dropping out in Croatia still remains a challenge. Increasing the number of experts and their continuing education would increase the capacity of the system to fight for the prevention of dropping out in Croatia In Croatia for the recognition and visibility issues is important to inform the general public about the nature and seriousness of the problem. It is necessary to develop and advocate specific policies aimed at the high-risk population and to mobilize and support key stakeholders to take action in this area which includes finance, development, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of effective prevention programs. Investing in people who are dropping out from secondary education needs to be seen as human capital development through the prism of social investment perspective. Today, more than ever, success is associated with the level of academic achievement. Encouraging proactive action in this area in Croatia involves investment that contributes to the further cohesion in society by improving the life chances of individuals.

Religious community represents an environment that can be a powerful source of social support and resources to overcome the crisis for those individuals and families who intensively practice their religious beliefs and spiritual practice. The experience of strong support and intense life of communion within the religious community can make changes in people's perception of stressful circumstances and strengthen the ability to deal with problems. Also, it could strengthen people’s potentials on reducing adverse impacts of stress on their health and improve the functioning of the family and the wider community in stressful circumstances. This paper focused is on the role of spirituality and support of religious communities in coping with life crises among the experiences of the members of charismatic communities. The aim of the research was to gain a more detailed insight into how active participation in the charismatic community and the fostering of personal and family spirituality shapes the capacity of families to cope with life's difficulties and crises. It is a qualitative research which was conducted by in-depth interviews with 12 members of two charismatic communities. Deliberately sampling was used. The sample size is defined by the principle of achieving the theoretical saturation. Contents of interviews were transcribed and processed by method of qualitative analysis. The research results show that intense life of spirituality, fostering common religious beliefs and spiritual experience as well as practical and emotional support of religious communities represent an important resource for development of successful coping strategies in crises. Sharing of religious beliefs and values, maintaining a common family religious practice and active participation in the life of the charismatic community help to members of charismatic communities to find the meaning of life, to foster an optimistic future, and to strengthen the family cohesion and family resilience. Participants in the study emphasized the need for greater integration of spirituality into the helping professions and the need for additional training and greater sensitivity of the practitioners/therapists for spiritual matters, especially when interventions are aimed at overcoming the crisis. In conclusion, it was pointed out that the training of professionals in the practice of social work and other helping professions in Croatia (and beyond in other post-communist countries) still do not pay sufficient attention on diverse spiritual beliefs and experiences of users. It is often overlooked that religious community can be a rich social resource with a strong sense of ethics (Idler, 2008) that can serve as potential therapeutic agent (Levin, 2010) and a powerful form of social integration (Boehnlein, 2006). These conclusions are especially important to accept in planning interventions aimed at empowering individuals, families and communities to overcome the crisis, whether on a personal, family or wider social level. In this context, certainly there is a room for qualitative strides and improvement of the profession of social work in Croatia, especially when it comes to the work with clients with a strong religious beliefs and spiritual experiences, such as the example of members of the charismatic community.

In this presentation will be displayed the implementation of process drama and forum theater (as experiential learning methods) in the education of social workers, which aim is to develop the specific skills of group work focused on empowering users to overcome positions of oppression and helplessness. First will be presented the method and objective of process drama (open space for self-expression, creativity and personal growth, participants’ encouragement on exploration of various current social issues and life experiences, and on better understanding of the world around us and the role of the individual in it). After that principles and way of shaping process drama will be described and the preparation and implementation of forum-play. Also, will be described the creative process in which the participants is given the possibility to recap different life situations through different drama techniques and their own internal states faced, as well as to actively participate in their creation and transformation. Special emphasis will be on presenting the positive effects of the forum theater application. It is a technique that strengthens awareness of the situations of oppression in a society which creates a space for dialogue, especially with those groups of users that the right for dialogue in society is partly or completely taken away. Forum theater application in a group work encourages participants’ critical thinking and seeking ways to overcome the position of oppression and helplessness, empowers positions of choice and encourages access to potentially new solutions of problem situations. At the very end examples of possible implementation process drama and forum-theater to work with different groups of users will be presented, and will be summarized results of qualitative research on the experience of applying such methods in group work with juvenile offenders.

The goal of this study was to to get inside the experiences and needs of social workers working with children and youth with behavioural problems and with perpetrators of criminal acts in Social Welfare centres and Justice Department in Zagreb. PARTICIPANTS: Three qualitative researches were conducted in 2012., 2013. and 2014. in Social Welfare Center and Justice Department in the capital city of Croatia Zagreb. Researches were conducted by using focus groups and interwiews (7 interwiews with participants in social welfare center, 1 focus group with seven participants in social welfare center) (N=14 participants), and one focus group with participants working in Justice Department (N=10) Participants in social welfare center were by profession social workers (N=7), psychologists (N=3) , social pedagogics (N=2) and lawers (N=2) and in Justice Department participants were social workers. METHOD: Each interwiew took 30-45 minutes, while focus groups took 50 minutes (data where recorded). Questions were focused on the content of work professionals in social care and justice work use, their experiences and feelings and problems they face in their work. Data where transcripted and analyzed by using opened coding consisted of: finding terms, finding codes, analizing terms and codes. Results: Social workes face with problems in their work regarding with low co-operation with other institutions (schools, police), low working conditions (three social workers in one small room), increase of soffisticated problems of children, youth, families (manipulation, cyberbulling.....), need for additional education in the area of working with families faced with violence, children and youth with behavioural problems, supervision, social work with perpetrators of criminal acts.

Savjetovanje je oblik stručne pomoći koje svojim metodama i tehnikama pomaže u rješavanju različitih problema ljudima koji su se iz nekih razloga našli u točki zaglavljenosti, pa sami ne mogu naći učinkovit izlaz iz problemske situacije. Savjetovanje razumijemo kao višeslojan proces u kojem stvaramo odnos s korisnikom, koristimo različite intervencije, uloazimo u različite psihološke procese s korisnikom (tranferi i kontratransferi) i slično. Osobe u savjetovalište najčešće dolaze zbog nezadovoljstva sobom i radi osobnih problema, radi nezadovoljstva svojom okolinom ili odnosom s njom bilo da se radi o obiteljskim odnosima ili o odnosima na radnom mjestu ili s prijateljima, te ponekad traže procjenu kvalitete vlastitih postupaka. Obzirom na složenost problematike s kojom se savjetovatelj pomagač susreće u radu s korisnicima i na različitu vrstu angažmana (emocionalno, kognitivno...) koje on ulaže u nastojanju da s korisnikom radi na rješavanju problema, važno je također dasavjetovatelj brine i o zaštiti svog profesionalnog integriteta kako bi prevenirao vlastito izgaranje na poslu (očuvanje profesionalnih granica). U tom kontekstu je važno podsjetiit se koje su glavne postavke savjetovanja i njegove granice kao i granice savjetovatelja kao pomagača. Savjetovatelj kao pomagač stoga treba imati različite profesionalne vještine, ali i osobne kapacite kao što su kompetentnost, otvorenost/nepristranost, pouzdanost etičnost, vlastita osviještenost i samorazumijevanje, dobro psihičko zdravlje, objektivnost a koji će mu pomoći u prevladavanju profesionalnih izazova u radu s korsnicima. Osim toga, dostupnost supervizije i su-stručnjačke pomoći je od iznimnog značenja za očuvanje profesionalne učinkovitosti i mentalnog zdravlja pomagača.