Advocacy

Advocacy, in the broadest sense, is committed to protecting the fundamental rights and dignity of people with mental health issues. The fundamental role of the advocate is to represent the interests, desires, voice of the people and empower people with mental health issues (and other disadvantaged or excluded people). In 2019 we became the first professionally verified advocacy program in Slovenia. Since 2018, advocacy has also been carried out at the unit in Prevalje and in the field in several Carinthian municipalities.

People with mental health issues often find themselves in life situations in which they are unable to assert their interests and rights, as a result, the program provides services and activities aimed at achieving goals for individual users: acquaintance of users with the rights and procedures of their exercise, awareness of their rights and their exercise, the possibility of choice and relief, increased personal influence and decision-making in various conflict situations, increased autonomy and competence, improved self-advocacy. We provide the following services and activities aimed at protecting the rights, interests and personal integrity of program users:
  • introductory interview: determining the type and extent of violated rights, interests and personal integrity of the user through an interview;
  • legal advice for various tasks or in the proceedings themselves and free legal aid;
  • field work: monitoring and protection of the rights and interests of users in the field;
  • protection of personal dignity in resolving conflict situations (eg in disputes with relatives, in the neighborhood or in a block of flats, etc.);
  • empowerment workshops: training on rights and how to exercise them;
  • self-advocacy and assertiveness training workshops;
  • informing the general and professional public about advocacy.

Office hours:

Every working day between 9 am and 3 pm.

Contact:

Phone: 01 542 55 54, 041 352 925 E-mail: info@altra.si, tilen.recko@altra.si Personally: Zaloška c. 40, 1000 Ljubljana (ground floor – right glass door) Prevalje: Phone: 02 82 40 910, 051 433 666 E-mail: petra.jovan@altra.si Personally: Trg 31, 2391 Prevalje