Community Support Centre at the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Red Cross in Dobrich

COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE
A Community Support Centre (CSC) is a complex of social services for children and families with the aim of:

• Preventing the abandonment of children and their placement in specialized institutions;
• Prevention of violence and school dropout;
• Deinstitutionalization and reintegration of children;
• Training in independent living skills and social integration of children from institutions;
• Counselling and support for families at risk;
• Assessment, training and support of foster and adoptive parents;
• Counselling and support for children with behavioural problems.

Multidisciplinary team
The CSC multidisciplinary team consists of the following professionals:

• Social worker
• Social Educator
• Psychologist

Services offered
The services provided by the centre are hourly and free of charge.

After an individual needs assessment of each child/parent, adoptive parent or caregiver, the CSC provides:

1. Information and counselling

• Analysis and understanding of problems;
• Awareness of possible solutions and actions.

2. Advocacy

• Support to protect rights and needs;
• Assistance with legal and administrative procedures.

3. Mediation

• Interaction and coordination between institutions in the interest of the person in need.

4. Therapy

• Development and improvement of social skills;
• Improvement of communication, behaviour management and emotional conflicts;
• Lowering anxiety and increasing self-esteem.

5. Skills training

• Preparation for independent and self-reliant living;

• Skills to care for children and dependent family members.

  6. Community work

• Organisation of information campaigns.

Additional activities

• Assistance with school readiness - supplementary activities, literacy assessment;
• Child counselling - building values and norms;
• Mediation between the child and the school;
• Parent counselling - sensitisation to child's needs;
• Organisation of leisure time;
• Support for children affected by violence;
• Awareness of children's rights and protection from violence;
• Counselling on relevant laws.

Documents required
In order to apply for the social services provided by the CSC, the following are required:

Application form;
Identity document of the parent and/or child.
The documents must be submitted to the Social Assistance Directorate in Dobrich, on 8 A Dobrich Blvd; phone number: 058/667739