On April 22–24, a study visit of the countries participating in the “JA ImpleMENTAL” project took place in Lithuania. Valakampiai Social Services Home was selected as a destination for the visiting delegation in recognition of its status as a promoter of good practice.
During the visit, practices, challenges, and experiences related to the provision of recovery-oriented services were shared. Anonymised stories about traumatic experiences and ways of recovery were presented. The guests were introduced to person-centred planning tools and methods, as well as goals and the results of their implementation. Kristina, a recipient of long-term social care services, shared her Person-Centred Plan and emphasised that her wishes would come true this year as well – she will definitely attend the opening of the motorcycle season!
During the meeting, participants heard a first-hand account from Kęstutis, a resident of the Independent Living Home, who shared his moving life story, personal experiences, and the trauma he endured at a time marked by disability-based discrimination, isolation, and limited awareness of human rights. Kęstutis, the Human Rights Ambassador of the Independent Living Home, presented the guests with a postcard he had designed himself as a symbol of their introduction to our organisation’s community. Printed clearly on the postcard was an undeniable truth: “Human rights are rights we have simply because we are human – they are not granted by any state.”
Taip, nuorodą reikia išlaikyti. Štai su **HTML nuoroda**, paruošta kopijavimui: And, as proof to our guests that spring has truly arrived in Lithuania and that snow at the end of April is simply a playful trick of Lithuanian nature, they were presented with soap flowers, carefully handcrafted by the community of the Short-Term Care Centre.
We would like to thank the residents who, for the sake of much-needed change, opened up about their life stories and allowed us to touch upon what had caused them pain and what still quietly hurts today, and who continued to believe in people even when they had every reason not to.
We would like to thank our organisation’s community for giving us so much to share and celebrate.
We would like to thank Edita Bishop, Adviser at the Mental Health Division of the Ministry of Health, for her cooperation, and Vilnius City Municipality and Vice-Mayor Simona Bieliūnė for their trust.
We would like to thank our neighbours, the Special Social Care Home “Tremtinių namai”, for providing us with a warm and welcoming space and saving us from the (for now) rather menacing spring weather!
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