Within the project Capacity building for providing quality, family oriented ECI services in the municipalities of Haskovo and Nova Zagora with UNICEF Bulgaria, we conducted training for the newly formed Early Childhood Intervention Team (ECI) in the Municipality of Nova Zagora on 07, 08 and 09 July.
The training team of Karin Dom – psychologists Dimana Miteva-Naidenova and Elena Todorova presented experience from practice – home visits and counseling of parents; illustrated with examples, photos and videos; colleagues were introduced to the completion of documentation (paper and electronic file), after each session there was a discussion and answers to questions. After an analysis of the environment and general impressions of the organization of work, acquaintance with the members of the team ECI and Center for Community Support(CCS) Nova Zagora, colleagues presented in detail the “road map” of families using ECI services – guidance and access to the service. Special attention was paid to the meaning of ECI and the referral of children and families at the earliest possible moment, after the concerns about the child’s development. During all sessions, videos from different cases were presented and the role of the specialists during one visit was illustrated. The formulation of goals and objectives for activities in the family home, the use of various screenings and methods for data collection, the preparation of an individual plan and outgoing evaluation were discussed.
The psychologists of the Nova Zagora CCS- Ivan Ivanov, Petya Nikolova – took part in a separate session. Together with the head of the CCS – Evelina Avramova, together we outlined strategies for dealing with problematic behavior and analysis of the function of specific behavior. We worked in a team based on data from colleagues who presented a case of a child with unacceptable behavior. The possibilities for joint meetings, round tables and other types of events were discussed in order to present the activities to various institutions in order to build partnerships and promote the activities of ECI Nova Zagora.
A visit to the kindergarten “Children’s World” Nova Zagora was organized with director Vanya Spasova. The meeting was attended by the director Vanya Spasova, Nedyalka Stoichkova – speech therapist, Evelina Avramova – head of CCS, Rositsa Krasteva and Magdalina Ivanova (CCS team). Each of those present shared their experience with the “difficult” cases from their practice, which they still remember today. Materials for visualization of the environment and support of communication of children with SEN were presented.
All meetings took place in a mutual and satisfactory process of exchange of knowledge and experience. Thank you for the fruitful interaction!