Kontakt 2008, 10(2):397-409 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2008.060

I am mentally ill and I want to workHealth and Social Sciences

Beáta Balogová
Prešovská univerzita, katedra sociálnej práce, Inštitút edukológie a sociálnej práce

As long as over the last 6 years, the Slovak Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is supporting employers, who are helpful in respecting equal chances under conditions of the Slovak market. This is the topic of establishing equal conditions not only for men and women, but also for handicapped, mentally ill people compared to healthy persons. The author offers a solution of the social situation of mentally ill people through the mediation of the multidisciplinary triad process, where the mentally ill person passes through three stages: patient - client - employee. Emphasize is put on effective and purposeful diagnostics based on directed theory of social work. The result is an example of good practice of helping the mentally ill people under Slovak conditions. The target of the contribution is to solve the situation of mentally ill individuals going from the role of the patient to the role of the client and finally to the role of the employee. Thus, the interventional process acquires its coordinated, complex and continuous features and its efficacy is enhanced. The example of Integra n. o. offers philosophy of taking care of mentally ill people where the method of therapeutic programmes improving the client self-confidence is employed: from the choice of ergotherapy to the life in the community by the form of protected accommodation, thus providing a quality social network in the form of self-helping and supporting groups. The autonomy of the patient is simultaneously respected in his/her independent activities and decisions, which acts as a counterbalance to the paternalistic approach to mentally ill people.

Keywords: mental health; mental disease; handicap; integration; rehabilitation; community, patient; client; employee; therapeutic programme; ergotherapy; social diagnostics; protected workshop; protected working site

Received: August 26, 2008; Accepted: October 30, 2008; Prepublished online: December 17, 2008; Published: December 17, 2009  Show citation

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Balogová B. I am mentally ill and I want to work. Kontakt. 2008;10(2):397-409. doi: 10.32725/kont.2008.060.
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