Penza experience of helping dependent mothers interested in other regions of Russia

The experience of the Penza region in helping mothers with addiction without separation from children interested specialists from other regions of Russia. The project of the crisis center “Saving Hope” has already been presented to representatives of six subjects of the country, and the methodological materials developed in Penza have been sent to several regions.

The work was carried out within the framework of the Navigator of Hope project, implemented with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund. The crisis center “Saving Hope” systematized the accumulated experience of helping families in difficult life situations.

Including specialists of the center work with women faced with alcohol and chemical dependence. One of the principles of this work is that the mother can undergo recovery without separation from the child, as long as the preservation of the family is in the interests of the children and the parents are ready to accept assistance.

The work of the center is being developed with the support of the Governor of the Penza region Oleg Melnichenko and with the participation of the regional Commissioner for Children’s Rights Larisa Ryabikhina.

“It is of fundamental importance to us that families in crisis should be able to maintain their relationships with their children and, at the same time, receive the necessary assistance. Penza experience shows that work with addiction can be organized in such a way as not to separate the mother and the child. If this experience is in demand in other regions, we are ready to share it, Oleg Melnichenko said.

One of the results of the project was the methodological guide “Navigator of Hope – a step-by-step roadmap for creating a crisis center”. It contains practical solutions for organizing the work of such institutions, interacting with state and social organizations, routing families and building a support system.

Representatives of the Leningrad, Ulyanovsk and Tver regions, the republics of Buryatia and Sakha (Yakutia), as well as the Trans-Baikal Territory have already got acquainted with the Penza practice. They came to Penza, visited the crisis center and social projects to support families, and met with Larisa Ryabikhina.

In addition, the manual was sent to specialists and organizations from the DPR, LPR, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod and Chelyabinsk regions.

Interregional cooperation is also developing. A tripartite agreement was signed with the Voronezh region between the ANO “Saving Hope”, the crisis center “Voice Right” and the regional branch of the Children’s Protection Fund. It provides for the exchange of experience and methodological materials, the development of a unified routing of families and cooperation in creating a system of crisis assistance to parents and children without unjustified separation.

According to Oleg Melnichenko, Penza region is ready to continue sharing its best practices with other regions and develop cooperation in supporting families in difficult life situations.