2 0 1 0 - PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND/OR TRAFFICKING - VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVE - HIV/AIDS AND TB PREVENTION AND CONTROL SERVICE P U L S E Foundation Pulse Foundation is a Bulgarian NGO, created in 1999. It is a member of the Bulgarian Alliance for Protection Against Domestic Violence. In 2009, Pulse was a winner of the Bremen Peace Award of Threshold Foundation, Germany for its contribution in fighting human trafficking and providing protection to its victims. Pulse works in 3 main programs: 1. Protection of people, victims of violence through provision of legal consultations and defense, psycho-social services, protected home, treatment of trauma, establishing good practices in the field of case management and networking with state institutions 2. Violence Prevention through informal education on gender issues and human rights, youth activities, awareness raising, organizing ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL events and conferences, running a Youth Club of 40 volunteers and running Rooms of Trust in the local schools, which operate as peer-to- peer information and support centers. 3. HIV/AIDS and TB Prevention among young people through relevant education, outreach work, organizing events and campaigns, low- threshold service (drop-in center). I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Тo our donors for supporting our cause and our work, and for trusting our professionalism and capacity. In 2010, they were: 1. OAK Foundation 2. GTZ 3. Agir Ensemble Pour les Droits de'l Homme 4. Foundation for Local Government Reform 5. Global Fund for Women 6. Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria 7. Ministry of Health through a national program funded by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS and Malaria To express our gratitude and recognition to all our donors throughout the years, we created a signboard, displayed at the reception desk of Pulse Foundation: www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 2 To our international consultants: 1. Mrs. Ursula Baer from the Senior Expert Service, Munich, Germany, for helping us greatly in clarifying the concept of our new initiative (Crisis Center for emergency protection with a Protected Home for follow-up care), and in establishing criteria and procedures for the accommodated clients. We acknowledge her contribution to the overall structural and organizational development of Pulse Foundation. 2. Mrs. Shantal Neve from Belgium, a visiting professor at New Bulgarian University and the Bulgarian Institute for Human Relations, for her valuable advice and supervision in our clinical work. We acknowledge her guidance in the process of professional development and emotional maturity of our team. 3. Dr. Leo Kreuz from GIZ (former GTZ). We are deeply honored that Dr. Kreuz believed in us and gave us his priceless support in promoting Pulse Foundation at governmental and European level. He made it possible for our local activities to reach European dimensions in terms of good practices, lobbying and networking. www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 3 II. PROTECTION PROGRAM Crisis center and Protected home Twenty-eight people were accommodated in the Protected home in the reported period (14 women, 13 children and 1 man, victim of trafficking, who was brought by the Regional Police). For reference, in 2009 and 2010, our priority was to establish procedures for initial accommodation of women and children at risk of violence or in a state of crisis immediately after experiencing violence into a crisis center, which includes initial toilet, medical examination and testing, assistance for forensic examination, registration of patients with chronic disease, psychological evaluation, support and empowerment of mothers and children victims of violence and psychological work with clients. Psychological consulting has always been among the priorities of the organization, as it provides the opportunity for the victim, with the appropriate support, to mobilize their own potential and coping mechanisms, and to mobilize resources of their social environment. Establishing a program for crisis interventions was possible by reconstructing and renovating a part of the house which serves as a protected home. Social work with clients provides social mediation, case management and special education for violence prevention. Cooperation with the police, prosecutors, the State Department for Child Protection and other institutions directly involved in working with people are widely practiced within the process of case management in particular cases. Additionally, legal consultations, telephone consultations and long-term psychotherapy are also provided to clients. Last year, we managed to improve the crisis interventions service at our organization with the possibility to provide safe place for women and children who have escaped from acute situation of violence. Thus, the three-floor house of the organization was tailored to the rehabilitation program at PULSE in the following way: 1. First floor- crisis center. The accommodation here is for a maximum period of 7 days and provides a safe environment for people in an acute danger. During the stay those clients are not supposed to go out (especially survivors from trafficking). They stay until they resolve their acute emotional state with a help of a consultant while social workers from PULSE do certain steps for providing medical examination and help, signaling the Police and the Court, and, in cases of children, the State Child Protection Department. There are 3 beds for urgent cases in the crisis unit. There are also rooms for psychological consultations and legal consultations on the first floor. 2. Second floor- rooms for long-term therapy and administrative rooms 3. Third floor- Protected home. Here women and children can live for a longer period (up to 6 months, even more depending on the individual case) when they are on the way to change their overall life situation and use the rehabilitation services of PULSE until they find a place of their own, a job, new school for the children, etc. There are 3 rooms, each with 3 beds (9 beds altogether) on the third floor. Usually, children are accommodated together with their care-giver (mother, grandmother, etc.) and consultations are given to the care-giver not only concerning their situation, but also on healthy child development and protection of children's rights. Each client of the Service has an individual plan agreed between them and their case manager. www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 4 Statistics We are proud and responsible to help a rising number of people each year (176 new clients were registered in 2005, 226 clients in 2006, 197 in 2007, 259 in 2008). In 2009 and 2010 our activities expanded, our team grew in number and we were able to provide services to 416 people in 2009 and to 746 people in 2010. Number of new clients 800 600 400 200 2005 2006 2007 2008 0 2009 2010 www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 5 The total number of consultations given to clients in 2005 was 1980, in 2006 it was 2480, in 2007- 1524, in 2008- 2600, in 2009- 3134, and in 2010 it rose to 4605. Total number of consultations 5000 3750 2500 1250 2005 2006 2007 2008 0 2009 2010 www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 6 Distribution of clients (433 women, 271 children, 42 men). Women clients are usually victims of domestic violence or trafficking or mothers/ relatives of children, victims of violence. Men most often are fathers/ relatives of children. Children are either referred to us by the Child Protection Department, by their schools, by peers from the Youth programs at Pulse, or come at the door themselves and we refer them to the Child Protection Department as it is provided in the legislation. One mother was referred to Pulse with a Court order under the Child Protection Act for exercising violence upon her children, which is a new practice in Bulgaria. women men children 36% 58% 6% www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 7 domestic violence sexual violence/ child abuse trafficking psychological violence other problem 3% 9% 2% 4% 83% Type of problem 358 were the cases of domestic violence, 16 cases of sexual violence, 7 cases of trafficking, 41 cases of psychological violence, and 11 other types of problems. The other types of problems include parental issues, child developmental issues, behavioral problems, marriage difficulties, etc. www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 8 Legal protection 289 legal consultations were given to clients in 2010. Distribution of cases filed in court: 57 cases were filed in court by our lawyer, Mrs. Mariana Evtimova, distributed as follows: 15 cases under the Family Code (among them 5 divorce cases, 7 parental rights and visitation schedule cases, 3 alimony cases) 24 cases under the protection Against Domestic Violence Act 9 cases appeal (Second instance) 4 enforcement cases for child alimony 5 complaints to the Regional Prosecutor's Office for violation of restrict orders and protection orders under the Protection Against Domastic Violence Act under the Family Code cases appeal enforcement cases complaints to the Regional Prosecutor's Office 9% 7% 16% 42% 26% www.pulsefoundation.org ANNUAL REPORT 9 III. EVENTS AND NETWORKING November, 3rd, 2010 Official opening of the Prevention and Rehabilitation Center of Pulse Foundation The official opening was attended by representatives of GTZ, the donor organization which made it possible for PULSE to develop comprehensive rehabilitation program for victims of violence and trafficking, by funding the purchase and reconstruction of a three-floor house. Part of the house was equipped and furnished as a Crisis center thanks to the financial support of the Local Government Reform Foundation through the NGO Support Fund of the EEA within the project "Protected Area and Reintegration of Children, Victims of Violence". Accommodation procedures for women and children and coordinated practice with the Child Protection Department and the Social Assistance Directorate were established thanks to the financial support of the women's program of OAK Foundation through the Bulgarian Alliance for Protection Against Domestic Violence.