VIDZEME INCLUDES

Taking into account European tendencies of implementing community-based social services, Latvia has started deinstitutionalization (DI) process that will be implemented by all Planning Regions. VPR has started implementation and is naming tthis project VIDZEME INCLUDES. The main aim of the project is to increase community-based social services.

Plan of deinstitutionalization will be developed and implemented during the project. The plan will contain three components: assessment of current situation, recommendations for optimal and sustainable development of existing social services and suggestions for the transformation of social care institutions.    

“Vidzeme includes” focuses on the society’s most vulnerable groups of people.

There are three target groups of the project: 

- adults with mental disabilities;
- children in out-of-familial care;
- children with disabilities. 

Deinstitutionalization (DI) can be defined as the replacement of long-stay institutions with smaller, less isolated community-based alternatives for the care of mentally ill people.

The main priorities of DI in Latvia - shifts in disability policy:

- from passive medical to human rights and inclusion;
- from institutional to community-based services; 
- from disability to functionality;
- person’s needs as priority - not infrastructure;
- from person with disability to person, who can’t take care about yourself

Community-based services for projects target groups will provide opportunities to receive services in their own home or community.