Estonian CARe trainers and peer supporters met in TARTU. (See Photo)
We met at the Tartu University Institute of Social Studies on a warm and beautiful summer day at the end of August with the aim to inspire and enhance our CARe trainers’ community. During the meeting we shared our successes and challenges. At the same time, we discussed our forthcoming CARe trainings and activities in 2019-2020.
Over the last 14 years, the CARe Methodology Trainings have been organized by the Estonian Psychosocial Rehabilitation Society and also by University of Tartu. More than 400 specialists from different fields have participated and hopefully implemented CARe principles in their everyday work. For example, in 2019, 60 rehabilitation specialists had a 5-days training organized by Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Center.
In 2017-2018 the training was organized by Tartu University for secure school’s teachers, special pedagogues and support workers. Also, open group trainings have been organized during 2016-2018. In 2019-2020, 10 CARe methodology training groups will be organized for the case managers of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. Even more – CARe principles will be integrated step-by-step into case managers everyday practice!
In addition to larger training projects, CARe training will be provided to teams and service providers as in-house training (e-g., local municipalities, rehabilitation- or special care providers, day care centers, etc). Lots of participants got inspiration and started to recognize their clients' valuable life experiences, strengths and new opportunities, and got support for the teamwork.
CARe methodology trainers and peer supporters with lived experience who participated at the meeting: Anita Kurvits, Triin Vana, Külli Mäe, Karin Hanga, Inge Vallandi, Anna Toots, Riina-Järve Tammiste, Dagmar Narusson and Aster Tooma.
Dagmar Narusson
CARe Ambassador in Estonia
University of Tartu, Institute of Social Studies
Certified CARe Trainer in Estonia
Tepla 3 CARe Train-the-Trainers Programme 2015/2017
Published Articles:
Promoting Mental Health: Engagement with the Environment as a Source of Solution and Inspiration.
View of "Recovery in the Community".
Dagmar Narusson, MSW, is a lecturer at the University of Tartu, Institute of Social Studies, Estonia. Her research interests include mental health and personal recovery of people with psychiatric disabilities (focus of PhD. study is personal recovery), community social work and mental health co-production, and environmental sustainability. Participated in the project Social Inclusion in the Baltic Sea Region through Eco-villages and Communities.
Recovery and inclusion-oriented researches in Estonia
Summer 2019
EVELI LILLEOJA
Eveli has been working in mental health and social work for 13 years. She has focused in her work on personal recovery, person’s strengths and experiences of crises.
Eveli is qualified CARe worker and also social worker. She thinks that CARe training resonated very well with her values, principles and after CARe training she uses the “recovery language” in her work and life.
In June 2019 Eveli defended her master’s degree and introduced her research about PLAN OF WARNING SIGNS and CRISES CARD SERVICE in Estonia.
Eveli interviewed persons with mental health crises and illness experience.
Eveli’s research described that In a mental health crisis, it is important that a person receives the necessary help according to his or her desires and will. Positive and safe humanly help creates trust. Creating a crisis card is important for people who experience or are at risk of experiencing recurrent mental health crises. The crisis card should always be preceded by the mapping on warning signs, so that the person learns better about his or her state of health and self-coping mechanisms and knows what stressors will lead to the crisis. The plan of warning signs should be recommended to do for all people who experience recurrences of mental health or mental illness in order to be prepared for a recession and prevent deterioration or crisis. Over time, it is also possible to prevent crises by seeking help at the right time, which will ensure a better and safer functioning of the individual at both personal and social levels.
Brigitta finished her master studies in 2019. The topic of her master theses is recovery and forensic care. Brigitta’s research is published in:
Õunmaa, B., Narusson, D. (2019). Remand Prisoners’ Perceptions of Recovery in Closed Settings. Journal of Recovery in Mental Health, 2(2-3), 5-20.
The purpose of the research was to explore the reflections of remand prisoners’ experiences and needs of emotional and psychological coping with imprisonment in the context of personal recovery. Research showed that negative relationships and perceived power difference with staff lead to tensions and creates and confirms identity “me as a criminal”. There is a need to promote more recovery-oriented communication with staff. Meaningful activities for remand prisoners would help to create better self-image and more hope for future and their return to society.
Brigitta has studied social work in bachelor, and service design in her master studies. She has been working as a support worker for people with mental health difficulties. Currently, she is working as a social field specialist in prison and carries on the personal recovery approach. Her earlier study focused on stigmatisation and self-stigmatisation of individuals with mental health difficulties.
EVA LEPPIK
Eva completed her master studies in 2019 with the thesis “Social inclusion of children with autism spectrum diagnosis in comprehensive school environment”.
Eva is concerned about the situation and opportunities for children with mental health disabilities and special needs in local comprehensive schools. She has been working as a social pedagogue in school and currently, she is working in educational counselling centre. She has two sons, and one of them has special needs because his talent.
The aim of her research was to get to know how people working in educational field are interpreting the social inclusion and possibilities of obtaining education as well connecting the children with autism in class and school relational environment. It came out that social inclusion is hindered by the fellow pupils’ parents’ negative attitude towards children with ADS and practitioner’s weak readiness to create an appropriate learning environment which allows to pay attention to development of children’s social skills and adaptability.
