Social Habilitation and Rehabilitation Center "Parasolka", with the support of the Association "Parasolka" and the organizational participation of the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya, held a comprehensive online training for staff and clients on the prevention and resolution of conflicts and crises in the workplace.

Throughout the day, participants worked with Lukas Wunderlich, a social educator, mediator and psychosocial counselor specializing in crisis intervention and conflict resolution from Switzerland. He proposed a format in which employees and mentees first worked in separate groups, and then key issues were included in a joint final discussion. First, the groups discussed conflicts and tensions in everyday life that may be related to self-determination and external influences on lifestyle, hygiene, leisure time, employment, etc. A similar topic was also discussed with clients. It should be noted that the analysis revealed many points of contact in the assessment of these issues in both groups. According to the trainer, this is an excellent indicator of community interaction.

The institution’s staff identified the top reasons that often lead to tension in interactions with clients and asked for help in developing mechanisms to avoid confrontation and emergence of conflicts. This marked the beginning of preparations for further meetings, but with a smaller group of participants. Among other things, the nuances of interpersonal relationships at the "School of Supported Living" will be addressed separately. 

Lukas Wunderlich emphasized that people with disabilities living in institutional settings are quite limited in terms of tools for overcoming stress or resolving conflict situations. 

"Clients of social institutions, choosing seemingly destructive ways to release their emotions, cling to them because they help them. We accept this and look for the best ways to neutralize the triggers and adjust the clients’ behavior. For example, we can give them more opportunities for self-determination", added the Swiss specialist.

While working with the institution’s residents, they discussed the causes of conflict and anger, as well as ways to overcome these states. With the participation of the formed groups, it was possible to compile a list of means and methods that contribute to achieving a state of calm and balance. Among them, the Center’s clients mentioned going for walks, talking with friends, listening to music or watching movies, spending time alone, working in workshops or doing household chores, and more. Feelings of trust, understanding, and support from both other clients and staff are also important for emotional well-being. Participants in the "School of Supported Living" particularly noted such relationships with staff.

Given the importance of communication in conflict resolution, Lukas Wunderlich suggested a number of controversial topics for joint discussion between employees and residents of "Parasolka". These included the use of mobile phones, the value of mutual support, independence and responsibility for one’s actions, and disputes arising from envy. The result was a vision for compromise, opportunities for joint leisure and employment planning, and thus fewer reasons for conflict.

"I thank each and every one of you for your openness and willingness to engage in important discussions, for your activism, initiative, and courage. Yes, talking about your emotions, especially negative ones, acknowledging your shortcomings, being open to dialogue and compromise takes courage, but it also paves the way to improving your emotional state and the overall atmosphere in the team. Conflicts and disputes accompany the life of any social community, this is normal, it is more difficult to take a step towards resolving such situations, one of which is to learn to manage them, and we have done that today", summarized trainer Lukas Wunderlich.

In turn, Oksana Lukach, director of the Center "Parasolka", thanked her Swiss colleague and suggested several topics for further professional consultations to be held in the fall. 

The results of several hours of work and feedback from participants in both groups confirm the relevance of the topics discussed and the demand for this type of training, which involved the joint adoption of principles of openness, objectivity, mutual respect, and acceptance of different points of view. At the same time, the training contributed to the development of teamwork, and the professional translation provided by the Committeeєs project coordinator, Lesya Levko, ensured that everyone was heard.