Social Reintegration: From Problems To Solutions

1. Social Reintegration: From Problems To Solutions Tomi Gomory, Ph.D. College of Social Work Florida State University

2. AZ ORMÁNSÁGI ALKOTÓ KÖZÖSSÉG • AzOrmánságiAlkotóKözösség 2010. januárjábanjöttlétre, majdegyévmúlva, tagságábanbővülve 21 fővelkezdte el azŐs-Dráva– Ormánság Program kidolgozását. Nemhatalmaztafölerresenkisem, mertnincs is meg annaksemintézményilehetősége, semtársadalmigyakorlata, hogyegyvégsőkigleromlotthelyitársadalomkijelölhesse a vezetőszellemierejétalkotóembereit. Ebben a helyzetbenazOrmánságiAlkotóKözösségcsakúgyjöhetettlétre, hogyönmagátemelteki a helyitársadalombólannakjogán, hogyidejének, energiájánakéstudásánakjelentősrészét a helyiközösségekszolgálatáraáldoztaföl.

3. The Problem • Those who live in the Ormansagthrough a dramatic shift in their historical situation driven by interference from outside sources including strong government intervention have lost their culture, become helpless, disinterested in controlling their destiny, become dependent on minimal government subsidies and lost any motivation to improve their lot. • One report suggests that they are alienated strangers in their own land, metaphorically “Homeless.” • Social dependent groups (e.g. the mentally disordered, the poor, the homeless, the hopeless, the drug addicted) share some common functional attributes, they are fairly poor, unskilled, lacking good critical thinking skills, disorganized, unmotivated, hopeless, often angry, and routinely stigmatized .

4. The Challenge • To build a sense of autonomy, self-respect, self-control, self-governance, critical thinking skills, community group identity (that includes cohesion, democratic decision making, and group governance). • To reduce the dependence on charity and government subsidies. • To effectively promote to the residents of the region the need for careful appraisal of future planning and policy implementations that are not just splashy faddish eye catching short term approaches that loose their impact and effect shortly after being applied, but rather are ones that will serve the long term needs of the community and will be responsive to new developments while maintaining their fundamental positive impacts.

5. Two Possible Solutions Based on my long-term work in homeless services: • An organically developed multiservice center based on “decision making under uncertainty” principles. • On going groups roughly called “Talk about anything and every thing that you think would also be of interest to the other members” groups.

6. Organically Developed Multiservice Center • A disinterested private or public sector partner builds the bricks and mortar structure to the specifications of an advisory board of all key participants (including recipients of services) whose job will be to develop the entire functioning of the center including the delivery of services and through weekly open board meetings run the enterprise. In Tallahassee this has been a complete if surprising success. • Authority was democratized, individual organizational agendas minimized for the good of the project. This effective process became institutionalized among organizations that are generally considered to be internally hierarchical but very different from one another both in institutional philosophy and structure (i.e. secular, faith-based nonprofits, private sector business interests, community development and activist organizations, private lay organizations, government entities, public funded organizations).

7. “Talk about anything and every thing that you think would also be of interest to the other members” Group • 4 to 16 members which includes lay citizens being served by the multiservice center, a facilitator who can guarantee confidentiality but can also take deidentified complaints and suggestions back to those delivering services and developing and implementing policies as feedback for correction. • It is an open, nonrestricted, hour long weekly group. • This group process has been found to address personal issues, provide feedback to the organization delivering services as well as those making policy, suggests new approaches to help the population represented by the members, as well as develop leadership skills and promote individual empowerment.

8. Working Principles • Human survival requires having interests. They can be anything (i. e. hobbies, literary pursuits, sports, work, addictions, schooling) without interests we die. The two models engage interest. • Skill acquisition requires a) a regular environment b) adequate opportunity to practice c) rapid and very specific feedback about the correctness of thoughts and actions. • The production of decisions requires a) a clear framing of the problem to be solved b) collecting as much relevant information as possible leading to a decision c) reflection and review. Constant efficiency and quality control reviews at each stage offer feedback for ongoing improvement of earlier decisions. All decisions are unfortunately open to many biases one of the most troublesome is confirmatory bias.