Social Services. Social work organizations

No. 8, 2014

CENTRE PLUS NEWS Social Services. Social work organizations A

“ ccording to the Law on Social Services of the Republic of Lithuania, foreigners, including stateless persons who have a permanent or temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania have the right to social services.�

How can we define social services?

The social services include service providing assistance to individuals (families) who because of age, disability or social problems are partially or fully unable to take care individually of their personal and family life and circumstances and problems participate in public life. with health, SSC organizes meals, transportation, perOne of the centers which son`s hygiene and care serprovide social services in vices. SPC provides social Lithuania is the Social Sup- care services as follows: help port Centre. This is a bud- at home, social skills training getary institution providing and support, accommodation social support to people who at independent living home. are not able to take care of their personal (family) life In accordance with Municiand who need assistance in pality order, a single person meeting their minimum needs or persons, who face a poor and solving social problems. financial situation, are paid lump-sum benefits at Social The basic services of Social Support Centre. Also SSC Support Centre (hereinafter - accepts documents and proSSC): briefing, consultation, vides the right to social assismediation and representa- tance for students and organtion. When people face poor izes the support for buying

school supplies. SSC issues technical help facilities, prepares documents for assigning social care services and ascertains the level of needs for social services, issues disability certificates, prepares documents for housing and environmental needs of disabled persons, provides guidance on determination of custody and controls its implementation.

For all social services mentioned above you can contact by phone: (8 5) 233 3986, e-mail: info@spcentras.lt or you can visit the office and consult directly at Kaunas St. 3, Vilnius. For more information: http://www.spcentras.lt/

Centre Plius News No.8, 2014

Also many non-governmental organizations provide social services to various socially vulnerable groups of people in Lithuania. Further there is given the information about several organizations providing a wide range of social services: • Consultation and Information Center PLUS is focused on ensuring the successful integration of immigrants in Lithuania and provides a range of free consultations and courses: Lithuanian language, civic literacy, consultations of social worker, psychologist and jurist, advisor for work and business and migration issues. It organizes trainings in Traffic rules, visits to public and non-governmental organizations, consuls on Lithuanian culture and historical issues. For more information: http://centreplus. org/ , phones: +37060577245 / +37052617482; email: centre@tja.lt .

• Caritas is an international Catholic organization that defends human rights and concerns for the preservation of dignity of each individual who is asking for help, regardless of race, religion, gender and ethnicity. Caritas organizes feeding the poor, clothing and supports with items, accommodation, helps in life skills training and vocational education. For more information: http://www.vilnius.caritas.lt/ , phone: (8 5) 2611014, e-mail: info@vilnius.caritas.lt.

• Lithuanian Red Cross Society is a humanitarian association providing

social services to various socially vulnerable groups of people. Services include: the care of elderly and single people, trainings to provide first aid, search of lost contacts with the relatives in a home country, social support, psychological support, vocational training, legal assistance to refugees and immigrants.

For more information: http:// www.redcross.lt/ , phone: +370 5 2628037, address: A. Juozapavičiaus St. 10A. • SOTAS is a public institution performing social activities and whose mission is to improve human life, with a special focus on children and adult development.

SOTO set up the children and

youth day center which was designed to provide a broad range of social and educational assistance to children and their families, to help children to disclose their abilities and know themselves, to restore and enhance the functions of the family in order to ensure the welfare of children.

For more information: http:// www.sotas.org/ , phone: (8 5) 2121453, address: Kalvarijų St. 159, Vilnius.

The above- mentioned organizations work not only for Lithuanian citizens, but also for foreigners who come to live in Lithuania. Therefore, if needed, feel free to contact and ask for social services that belong to you.

Centre Plius News No.8, 2014

Social services for third-country nationals: experiences of immigrants In our daily life we have to

deal with social problems: some of us can manage by ourselves, others need professional help. We have asked where the third country nationals living in Lithuania are looking for help and are the social services available to them.

Russian citizen J. K. living in Lithuania since 2007 and breeding a daughter alone said that till now she did not face serious social problems and did not apply to specialists: “Up to now all the problems I have solved by myself.

Frankly, I would not know where to apply, if necessary.

I think that first of all I would go to Consultation and Information Center PLUS, and then the Center specialists would direct me to the appropriate authorities. I think that immigrants if they face some sort of social problems and are aware of the existence of the centers for immigrants, primarily turn to them”, - shared her opinion women. She reasoned out that one of the reasons, why immigrants do not go to social service agencies was the lack of information. Another reason was the availability of information. Woman thought that the information needed to be published not only in the state language Lithuanian, but also in English and Russian languages. The third reason that showed up during the interview and later was summarized by the immigrant was too big bureaucracy:

“For a few years I am a single mother. I broke up with my husband. I never interested, is it possible in my case to get a benefit or other material assistance. Probably such a possibility would be, if I were searching and asking, but it would require a lot of time and efforts, so I decided instead of that to work and thus survive. Until I manage myself, I will be able to take care of my daughter as well”, - firmly said the Russian national.

Recently she has passed the Lithuanian language and Constitution exams and received a permanent residence permit in Lithuania. More than five years living in Lithuania she described as enough socially equipped: “From the time of arrival to Lithuania I appreciate my life not as the easiest thing, but nevertheless as quite free. I breathe easy,

I like many things and I have a lot of social contacts here.

I consider that the integration into the Lithuanian society has already happened”, - with a joy shared J. K. Deputy Director of Vilnius Social Support Centre (SPC) J. Gajauskienė argued that she met very little foreigners during her work at the center: “I remember very well only one case, when an African asked for lump-sum payment.

It seems she was a student and Vilnius Archdiocese Caritas social workers mediated between us. Then we have done everything what was in our power and sent her to the Department of social benefits. I do not remember more cases similar to this. Another fairly common case, when Russian citizens applied with requests to partially cover the issuing of residence permits for

Centre Plius News No.8, 2014

living in Lithuania because they were sent by the Migration Board”. Deputy Director is almost certain that the aliens, when they face social problems and are not able to meet the essential social needs, primarily appeal to their neighbors, whom they trust, or to their communities, and only later they are looking for help in the relevant authorities. “We are somehow preferable to refer to our acquaintances and only then to social service organizations. However, I would like to encourage immigrants not to be afraid and look for benefits that legally belong to them because it may at least partly to facilitate their daily life”, - said the woman.

Social Benefits Division specialist of Social Affairs and Health Department at Vilnius City Municipality D. Leonavičienė said that according to all applicable laws TCNs can get cash benefits: “Individuals from non-EU countries having a permanent

residence permit in Lithuania and aliens granted an additional or temporary protection in the Republic of Lithuania may apply for a lump-sum child benefit, child benefit, welfare benefit, housing heating costs compensation and handout benefit. While we do not collect the data and do not keep statistics, but in most cases the TCNs applicants were Russian or Belarusian citizens”, - her experience shared D. Leonavičienė. The woman highlighted that they did not face serious problems with TCNs, unless it was more difficult to them to fill out an application in the state language. Then helped

specialists who knew other languages and there were no problems in cooperation.

The Deputy Director, when we asked her what could be done that TCNs would actively seek help, said it would be appropriate to revise and expand the legal basis seeking that other TCNs who still did not meet the statutory criteria could apply.

Very often social problems are complex, and so the necessary assistance is provided not by one but several institutions.

It is important to immigrants to know their rights, where to go and what social services are legally available for them.

The newspaper is published, implementing the project “Consultation and information centre PLUS” according the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals, annual Programme 2012

CENTRE PLUS · A.Smetonos street 5, room No 302 · Vilnius Tel.: 85 261 74 82 / 8 605 77 245 Email: centre@tja.lt · www.facebook.com (search for: Centre Plus) Working days: Monday to Friday · Opening hours: 11:30 to 15:30 and 16:30 to 20:30