The establishment of personal assistance services in Montenegro

Product Description

The importance of establishment of personal assistance services as a support service to persons with disabilities was recognized by the Poverty Alleviation and Social Exclusion Strategy (PASIS). Specifically, the Strategy states that the most significant causes of poverty of persons with disabilities in Montenegro are, among others, low levels of education and lack of employment. One of the main causes to this is the lack of support services for this population, including the personal assistance. Within the framework of the project “Strengthening advocacy function of CSOs in Montenegro through developing policy-oriented capacities of Coalition for Social Changes”, funded by the Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, implemented by the Monitoring Center – CEMI in cooperation with Juventas and Cazas, a Coalition for Social Changes was formed, comprised by ten NGOs from Montenegro. The Coalition has prepared recommendations for the improvement of policies in the areas of health, social care, employment and education, through monitoring of the implementation of PASIS, field research and interviews with relevant institutions. As part of the project, a study “The establishment of personal assistance services in Montenegro”, has been prepared by the representatives of the Monitoring Center CEMI, Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro and Juventas. The aim of this brief is to identify the problems faced by persons with disabilities in Montenegro in terms of exercising their rights, in particular the establishment of the personal assistance services, as a key precondition on which rests the principle of independent living. The brief provides recommendations whose application would enable the establishment of a system of personal assistance in Montenegro and thus improve the current situation in this area.