26/04/2021

First Day of the Virtual Study Visit to the Rehabilitation Center Valakupiai

The first day, of the three planned, from the virtual study visit to the Valakupiai Rehabilitation Center in Vilnius, Lithuania, held on April 14, 2021, was attended by more than fifty social professionals and representatives of public and private social service providers.

Through the centre, as well as through practical experience with the modernization and deinstitutionalization of social services in Lithuania, they were led by their Lithuanian counterparts.

Rasa Noreikytė-Ustinavičienė introduced the center and gave an exhaustive overview of the center’s facilities (staff, infrastructure, funding), as well as services. The first session with the presentation of Noreikytė-Ustinavičienė and the answers to the many questions from the Macedonian colleagues can be seen in the video.

The second session on April 14 was dedicated to the virtual tour around the Valakupiai Rehabilitation Center, led by Natalia Markovskaya. The participants had the opportunity to see on video the premises, the occupational therapy hall, part of the program for support of independent living of persons with disabilities, as well as the atmosphere in the so-called social workshop presented by Sanrda Servutaitė. You can watch the second session here.

In the third session, Rasa Genienė, a senior specialist from the Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour, gave an overview of the history of deinstitutionalization in Lithuania, the creation of community service policies, and current challenges.

Watch the videos from the first day of the Virtual Study Visit: