Sekis: Selbsthilfe Kontakt und Informations Stelle (Self-help and Information Site)

Germany

01-05-1999

The main aim of the initiative is to provide useful information to informal and formal carers and care recipients.

The essence of Self-help is mutual help when people have concerns in common. Self-help means shouldering one's own problems and finding solutions from a choice of options. In self-help groups, people meet, because they are united by a common problem, suffering from the same illness, functional limitation or psychological conflict. In addition, relatives of concerned individuals can organize themselves into self-help groups. SEKIS sees itself as a Lobbyist in order to organize laypeople into informal self-help networks and strengthen the patient’s ability to mediate problems.

 Care Recipients
 Informal carers
 Paid assistants
 Formal carers

Not available

 Independent Living
 Information and learning for carers
 Personal Support and Social Integration for carer
 Care coordination

SEKIS provides information about the offers and services available in Berlin and a data bank of different self-help groups. Useful addresses for informal carers are available as well.

The Internet site provides information and useful addresses for informal carers, particularly migrants, because the Internet site is available in German, English, Polish, Turkish, French, Russian and Spanish.

The site serves as a contact and information channel for all those in and around Berlin who try to deal with problems. It is a good example of the kind of multi-language information source that informal migrant carers are looking for.

The formation and activities of self-help groups are supported in essential ways by self-help contact offices. These are service facilities which inform interested people – both affected parties and professionals – of the possibilities, modes of work and existence of self-help groups. Self-help contact offices provide self-help initiatives with meetings rooms, support and training through guidance and practical assistance. The services provided are:

1. Self-help groups: groups aimed at exchanging their knowledge on health or illness. Their members speak about treatment options, medications and their side effects, but also deal with aspects of the legal rights of severely functionally limited people and with insurance and nursing care insurance.
2. Self-help Projects: initiatives aimed at other people in need of their knowledge. They offer information and advice to interested people and their relatives.
3. Self-Help Organization: state or regional patients' associations who defend their interests, for instance by fighting for better medical and social care. All these groups exchange experience and support. Their practical offer and efficiency varies, due to the fact that most of the time the work is done on a voluntary basis.
4. Self-Help Contact points: dedicated professionals give advice, offer help and space to enable the self-help people to meet. They support people and groups to create such groups or to cooperate in such institutions. They offer various events and advice options for people and group members seeking help.

 

The service requires very basic devices: a PC, an Internet connection and a telephone.

Both public and private

Public service funding: Government, Regional, Local Authorities, non-profit public entities

Not available

Non-profit funding: charity, volunteers organisations, NGO

Not available

The service strategy is based on the primary objective of a self-help group: mutual help when people have a problem in common. As a consequence, the objectives of a self-help group are established by its members and can always be redefined. Moreover everything which is discussed in the group is never passed to third parties (obligation to maintain confidentiality). Mutual trust is a prerequisite for working well together in the group.

The initiative exists, because of private funding from charities and from Local Authorities. It will continue if it is able to raise additional funding from Local Authorities that recognise the utility of this approach. A large part of the support work is carried out by volunteers, which guarantees cost containment and the service's sustainability.

€ 0 - 10,000

€ 0 - 10,000

Not available

 Authorities
 Private Care Sector
 Health and Social Care Systems
 Third Sector
 Private Companies

• Authorities: Senate of Berlin representative for Integration, Work and Social Affairs
• Healthcare and Social Services Systems: AOK Berlin-Brandenburg, Public Health Insurance
• Third sector: citizen's association ("Dachverband der Berliner Selbsthilfekontaktstellen selko e.V.")

 

Charities and associations have a pivotal role funding the project and supporting people

 Informal Carers
 Health Professionals
 Social Care Professionals
 Privately-Hired Care Assistants (inc. Migrant Care Workers)
 Volunteers

Not available

The Main principles of volunteers' involvement in self-help groups, according to the service's strategies, have been developed on the basis of many years of experience: all members participate voluntarily in the self-help group, because they are interested in the group’s focus on illness, disability, dependence or psychosocial conflict. It is not possible to be represented through another person. Relatives of affected people generally have their own group. All members are equal and determine the group's work, which means how the group works, whether it is open to new members or not, which subjects are discussed, which activities are undertaken. These issues are all decided by the group together, in accordance with democratic principles. There is no group leader with special rights; all members have the same rights and obligations.

There is no available information on the volunteers’ recruitment system.

SEKIS organised many promotion strategies:

a) Seminars and training-options, as a contribution to qualify group members and collaborators of the self-help contact point. An example would be the “group training” seminar. Technical support, such as copy machines, overhead projector or panels are support, such as copy machines, overhead projector or panels is available for groups and initiatives in order to create a good working environment. SEKIS offers Internet access to self-help groups.

b) SEKIS self-help contact and information points are in Berlin and its boroughs.

c) Public relations: SEKIS creates a positive image of self-help, by creating a self-help friendly atmosphere, informing multiplicators and offering media to exchange ideas.

d) The SEKIS Self-Help Letter is a platform for discussion and information. Frequency of publication: annually or bi-annually.

e) SEKIS publishes working help, which is useful for an activity within self-help groups.

Not available

Not available

Not available

 

Strengths

1. From an operational point of view there have been no special problems. The website is highly accepted by the target group. There have also been no problems regarding the development of the data bank of self-help groups which contains decentralized data.
2. The initiative takes into account difficulties and needs of Migrant Care Workers and offers them a useful support for quality of care improvement and acceptance.
3. The service is well integrated into the healthcare and social services network.
4. The initiative uses many promotional communication channels.

Weaknesses

1. The initiative has a very local nature: it is not present at a national level, even if its model seems to be effective in avoiding isolation of carers and older/functional limited people.

Opportunities:

1. There are a large number of self-help initiatives in Berlin. The range of subjects is broad and covers the following: about 2/3 of all self-help groups work on subjects from the area of health and illness. Nevertheless, there are always new reasons for forming other groups, as additional care needs always arise from people suffering from chronic illnesses.
2. The demand for multi-language information, support and interaction on chronically ill and impaired older people is constantly increasing and the number of target users are expected to rise.

Threats/challenges:

1. During the past 5 years, different versions of the website have been gradually provided in 7 languages. In the near future, an increased development of the website towards care support is planned. The aim is to provide more information for care recipients and carrs, and to map care-related services offered in Berlin. The website is also meant to be updated regularly (with regard to layout and information), but the addition of internet chat or other interactive elements is not planned.

The initiative functions at a local level and is appreciated by users. The project model could easily be transferred either to other regions or nationally through additional funds from National Authorities to other regions.

 

Publications:

Arenz-Greiving I. (1998) Selbsthilfegruppen für Suchtkranke und Angehörige. Lambertus-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau

Balke K. und Thiel W. (1991) Jenseits des Helfens. Professionelle unterstützen Selbsthilfegruppen. Lambertus – Verlag

Bobzien M. (2002) Beratung und Unterstützung im Selbsthilfebereich unter veränderten Vorzeichen. Wie können Selbsthilfegruppen erfolgreich arbeiten? In: NAKOS-EXTRA Nr. 33 (Dezember) 2002, Berlin 2002, S. 58-66

Cohn R. C. (1991) Von der Psychoanalyse zur Themenzentrierten Interaktion. Klett-Cotta-Verlag, Stuttgart

Demel M. (1990) Das Prinzip der „Anonymous“,- Selbsthilfegruppen am Beispiel der Anonymen Alkoholiker. In: NAKOS-XTRA Nr. 9 (August) 1990, S. 19-23
Pühl H. (1988) Angst in Gruppen und Institutionen. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main

Engelhardt H.D (1995) Simeth, A., Stark, W. et al: Was Selbsthilfe leistet ... Ökonomische Wirkungen und sozialpolitische Bewertung. Lambertus - Verlag

Kluzer S., Redecker C., Centeno C. (2010) Long-term Care Challenges in an Ageing Society: The Role of ICT and Migrants. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

Matzat J. (1997) Wegweiser Selbsthilfegruppen, Psychosozial-Verlag, Friedrichstr. 35, 35392 Gießen ISBN 3-932133-03-X

Moeller M.L. (1996) Selbsthilfegruppen. Anleitungen und Hintergründe. Rowohlt-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg

Moeller M.L. (1995) Anders helfen. Selbsthilfegruppen und Fachleute arbeiten zusammen. Fischer-Verlag, Frankfurt

Mollenkopf H., Kloé U., Olbermann E., Klumpp G. (2010) The Potential of ICT in supporting Domiciliary Care in Germany. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

Trojan A. (1986) Wissen ist Macht. Eigenständig durch Selbsthilfe in Gruppen. F

ischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt/Main

Vopel K.W. (1993) Kommunikation und Kooperation. Ein gruppendynamisches Trainingsprogramm. Verlag J. Pfeiffer. München

Weber H. (1990) Arbeitskatalog der Übungen und Spiele. Ein Verzeichnis von über 800 Gruppenübungen und Rollenspielen. Windmühle GmbH, Verlag und Vertrieb von Medien, Hamburg

 

Address: Bismarck street 101 10625 Berlin

 

Tel: 0049 030 - 892 66 02

Fax: 0049 030 - 890 285 40

eMail: sekis@sekis-berlin.de

 

Contact point in each neighbourhood of Berlin is available: for details (address, contact persons, telephone numbers and work times see (http://www.sekis-berlin.de/Contact-Points.325.0.html).