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April 2011

SUVOTWelcome to SUVOT Newsletter!

All people have dreams. All people deserve a chance to achieve their own life project, to find a job. SUVOT project does not guarantee the incorporation in the labour market of all people with mental illness participating in the project but it will offer them the opportunity to go a step further in their recovery process. Taking part in vocational training courses, learning cooking techniques, developing new skills, increasing their self-esteem, discovering new tastes. Knowing more about themselves, about how to interact with others, being involved in their own life development. Hopefully, finding a job in the cooking sector. Making their dreams come true. Feeling that even if they are suffering of a mental illness, there is a place for them in society. Feeling that they are citizens in their own right. Building a piece of Europe.

This newsletter aims to reach the SUVOT dissemination objectives: informing about the project and spreading its results, promoting vocational training, reducing stigma attached to mental illness and increasing visibility of the Leonardo Da Vinci Programme.

In this first issue:

• Read a presentation about SUVOT project: objectives, activities, main milestones.

• Know more about the SUVOT partners: organisations’ profile, working areas.

• Find out about where are we now: what has been developed, next steps.

• Get informed about last news related to the project: press releases, calls and publications.

COOKING DREAMS newsletter will be available every four months, updating you about the SUVOT project progress and related news that we hope to be interesting and useful.

Have a great read!

F u n d a c i ó n I N T R A S

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Te a t r G r o d z k i

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C J D F r e c h e n

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Suvot TEAM

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SUVOT is a 3-years European initiative funded by the European Commission through the Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the Leonardo Da Vinci sub-programme (Lifelong Learning Programme).

Through this project, innovative multifaceted vocational training classes in cooking will be offered to people with mental illness taking into account their special needs.

It aims to establish a methodology of experiential learning to enable people suffering from mental illness, learning disabilities or/ and behavioural disorders to acquire skills in order to facilitate them finding a job. The innovative aspect of the project lies in the simulation methodology based in sociodrama that will be used during the vocational training.

The following actions will be developed within the frame of SUVOT project:

• Developing a set of teaching tools for training in cooking techniques, including:

1. 1. A teaching manual describing the objectives of the training programme with a full description of the methodology and techniques

2. 2. A trainees textbook for the target group

3. 3. A teaching DVD with practical examples of training

• Training of trainers about the SUVOT curriculum and simulation methodology

• Training pilot experiences in Germany, Slovenia and Spain addressing 30 people with special needs due to mental illness

• Disseminating the results and products of SUVOT through the website http://suvot.intras.es

1. WHAT IS SUVOT PROJECT?

2. WHO IS BEHIND SUVOT PROJECT?

Four organizations from Germany (CJD), Poland (TEATR GRODZKY), Slovenia (OZARA) and Spain (INTRAS), with different but complementary experiences in the socio-health care, vocational training and psychodrama fields, are participating in this project.

INTRAS is a Spanish non-profit organisation dedicated to high quality research and intervention in the mental health field. Its main target group consists of people suffering from mental disorders, whereby the organisation also performs activities and offers services to the disabled, the elderly and people at risk of social exclusion in general. INTRAS nowadays consists of 8 centres in 3 different provinces in Spain with over 80 psychiatrist, psychologists and professionals in social and educational

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fields carrying out research, training and clinical practice. Years of professional work have brought INTRAS solid experience and excellent referential background in development of new technologies, programmes and applications for cognitive rehabilitation, training and mental health treatment. INTRAS is responsible for the coordination of SUVOT project. More information: www.intras.es

Ozara is a non-governmental humanitarian organization, working in the field of social and health care in Slovenia. It offers different forms of psychosocial rehabilitation and support to people with mental health problems. Their aim is to re-include this collective in the social and working environment and also empowers them for independent and better quality life. This organisation supports also programmes and self-help and advocacy programmes for people with mental health problems and their relatives. Ozara implements preventive activities, is active in publishing, education and the promotion of mental health. More information: www.ozara.org

CJD is a large, nationwide vocational institution, running about 150 centres in different locations in Germany, employing 8.000 staff members and annually training around 150.000 young people and adults, who are in great majority suffering from various disabilities. Vocational program in cooking, catering and nutrition is one of the strongest amongst the 25 vocational programs carried out by CJD, designed by staff with outstanding expertise and reputation in the field. CJD acts as an intermediary structure between vocational education, research, rehabilitation and labour market, closely working with the National agency of labour with local and regional departments, universities and high schools in the province and psychologists, hospitals and other important stakeholders in the public health system. More information: www.cjd-bbw-frechen.de

Grodzki Theatre has run educational and artistic programs (mainly involving drama and theatre) in Poland for vulnerable social groups, including disabled people, youth at risk and unemployed people, improving their educational and vocational opportunities. In the last five years this organisation has contracted and managed 15 projects financed by EU programmes, including two pilot initiatives focused on using psychodrama in adult education and drama and role playing techniques as a vehicle in education. Grodzki Theatre is a highly recognized institution in practicing circles of theatre, therapy and education; they will be in charge of the truly innovative dimension of the project, investing teaching tools with its expertise for the purpose of facilitating occupational opportunities of people with mental illness. More information: www.teatrgrodzki.pl

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We celebrated our kick-off meeting last October 2010 in Spain and now we are working in the development of preliminary material and establishing quality criteria to better achieve our objectives. We have created a Quality Board with all partners’ representatives to assure high quality standards during all the project duration.

Last March, we met in Poland to discuss the logistics of the curriculum and the simulation methodology development and also to set the general timeline of this development.

In the course of 2011, we will develop two pedagogical tools: a teaching manual for the trainers and a textbook for the trainees. Moreover, we will publish promotional material such as posters and brochures. As you see, we have a hard work ahead of us!

3. WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHERE DO WE COME IN?

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4. SUVOT NEWS

Figure 2: News about SUVOT appeared in mass media

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission (Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo Da Vinci sub-programme) of the European Union“. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”