Protection against violence in facilities for people in need of assistance, refugees and homeless

NO SAFE PLACE?

Protection against violence in particular living arrangements for people with disabilities, refugees and homeless people

In Germany, approximately 1.5 million adults and their children live in residential facilities and shared accommodation for people in need of assistance, homeless people and refugees. Most of the people who live there did not freely choose this particular living arrangements. Due to its structure, they are exposed to an increased risk of psychological, physical, sexualised and structural violence. Among the most vulnerable residents are women and LGBTQI*. The institutions are called upon to develop concepts for the protection against violence, i.e., to identify institution-related risk and protective factors and, based on this, develop appropriate prevention measures and intervention strategies. To help people who are affected by acute or ongoing violence, social work professionals must know the legal protection options, the actors involved and their institutional scope for action. The analysis and subsequent discussion of suitable strategies in the field of social work has so far only taken place field specifically. The protection concepts that are now being developed in the fields of particular living and working arrangements for people with disabilities, emergency housing aid and in refugee accommodation have some similarities, but also many differences.

This year's DIES ACADEMICUS offers students and teachers of the Faculty 01 and interested practitioners from institutions and counselling centres to explore the structural conditions and specific dynamics of violence in institutions. Self Advocacy experts, social work professionals and researchers discuss prevention approaches and intervention strategies and point out the gaps in protection that still exist. In the afternoon, break out sessions will offer the opportunity for specific or interdisciplinary exchange.

This year's DIES ACADEMICUS is being organised at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences by the Institute for Social Law (ISR). Protection against violence is a focus of ISR's research and knowledge transfer. Together with advocacy groups, victim support services, institutions, supervisory authorities and political bodies, we develop strategies against violence in and outside of institutions.

Programme

Thursday, 22.06.2023, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm

9:00 a.m. Registration Coffee and Tea

9:30 a.m. Opening and Welcome

9:45 a.m. Keynote “NO SAFE PLACE!? Protection against violence in particular living arrangements for people with disabilities, refugees and homeless people”

Petra Ladenburger, Lecturer TH Köln and lawyer; Prof. Dr. Julia Zinsmeister, Prof. Dr. Dagmar Brosey, each TH Köln.

10:45 a.m. break

11 a.m. Panel I "Nothing for us without us" – Participation of people who experienced violence and their advocacy groups in prevention and intervention.

Ibrahim Willeke, NRW Coordinator for Anti-Violence Work for Lesbians, Gays and Trans* in NRW, rubicon e.V. and sofra e.V.; Regina Offergeld, Women's Representative of Lebenshilfe Aachen Werkstätten; Elena Doudis, LAG Selbsthilfe NRW - NetzwerkBüro Women and girls with disability; Petra Ladenburger, Lecturer TH Köln and lawyer.

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Julia Zinsmeister

11:45 a.m. break

12:00 am - 1:00 pm Panels II (selection)

• Panel A: Violence protection concepts as organisational development processes
  Sita Rajasooriya, DeBUG NRW-Center for Protection against Violence in Refugee Accommodation
  Ellen Romberg, Systemic Counsellor, Brühl
  Carmen Guerra, Caritasverband für die Diözese Osnabrück e. V. ;
  
  Moderation: Birgit Jagusch
   
• Panel B: For who’s best interest? An analysis of ethical justification strategies for coercive and compulsory treatment in cases of endangerment of others
  Dr. med. Mirjam Faissner, Dr. med. Esther Braun, Dr. med. Jakov Gather,
  BMBF research group SALUS. Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine
  LWL University Hospital Ruhr University Bochum
  
  Moderation: Prof. Dr. Dagmar Brosey

1 p.m. lunch

2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Workshops (selection)

• Session 1 - 4 Case Vignette workshops
• Session 5 Particular living and working arrangements for people with disabilities
• Session 6 Emergency housing assistance
• Session 7 Refugee Accommodation
• Session 8 Open Space

3:45 pm break

4:15 pm -5:30 pm Market of Possibilities

Possibilities for action and remaining protection gaps - interdisciplinary exchange between participants