Social worker and specialist of social policy Zsolt Bugarszki visited Vanadzor
20:43, April 15, 2013 | News | Rights of Patients
Within April 10-12 of 2013, Zsolt Bugarszki, expert from Open Society Foundations, a social worker and specialist of social policy, visited Vanadzor community. The latter renders expert’s assistance to the working group created within the framework of Memorandum on mutual understanding signed between RA Ministry of Healthcare and Open Society Foundations-Armenia, the goal of which is to draft the Mental Health Policy of the Republic of Armenia /see http://archive.hcav.am/events/հոգեկան-առողջության-քաղաքականությու/.
Within the scopes of action plan elaborated by the working group, it is planned to integrate a community-based model of care and psycho-social rehabilitation services for all individuals having psycho-social issues (a pilot project in one of the RA regions).
Therefore, the expert visited Vanadzor to study the suitability of this community for the project implementation. For the aforementioned purpose, Zsolt Bugarszki had meetings with Lori Region Governor Artur Nalbandyan, Gayane Kalantaryan, Head of Lori Regional Neuropsychiatric Dispensary, Valeri Jaghinyan, Head of Social Insurance Division of Healthcare and Social Insurance Department of the RA Lori Regional Administration Staff and Member of Lori Regional Commission dealing with issues of disabled persons, with Lusine Vardanyan, Head of Healthcare Division of Healthcare and Social Insurance Department of the RA Lori Regional Administration Staff, Head of Vanadzor’s Regional Employment Centre Ara Arakelyan, with staff of Vanadzor Territorial Department of Social Integrated Services, with students and tutors from Vanadzor State Pedagogical Institute and NGO representatives.
Zsolt Bugarszki didn’t have a chance to meet with Vanadzor Mayor Samvel Darbinyan, since the latter didn’t consider it necessary to host the expert, moreover, about one hour before the scheduled meeting another Municipality staff member Lernuhi Gevorgyan, Secretary of Vanadzor Municipality Guardianship and Trusteeship Agency cancelled the meeting.
In order to assess the suitability of the community for the project implementation, the expert paid special attention to the social-cultural life of the community, and even took a short tour in Vanadzor’s market.