SOCIAL DISPLACEMENT UNIT
The Social Displacement Unit was established in August 1999 with a mandate to: implement, coordinate, monitor and further develop strategies to address Social Displacement
The Unit’s programmes and activities include:
- The direct provision of social work services (e.g. assessment, counselling, advice, and referrals to treatment and rehabilitation centres) to the client population.
- Reception of, and follow up social work intervention, with deportees upon their arrival at Piarco.
- Establishment and monitoring of assessment, treatment, care and rehabilitation facilities
- Institutional Strengthening Programmes for NGO service delivery partners/providers
- Public Education Activities
The Role of the SDU is to assist adult street dwellers with obtaining knowledge of and having access to the range of State and NGO provided options that exists to respond to four (4) basic areas of need: treatment, rehabilitation, employment and housing. The Units programmes and services facilitates the following:
- Engagement: This entails activities aimed at reaching out to street dwellers and providing them with information as to what rehabilitation services and programmes are available, as well as facilitating their access to these programmes/services. This also includes involuntary engagement.
- Temporary Care: Provision of shelter (an immediate alternative to sleeping on the streets), stabilisation, assessment, counselling and the development of a Care Plan for each client.
- Primary Care: This care is specialised treatment and rehabilitation, and is delivered via various rehabilitation centres, hospitals, hostels, halfway houses etc. The goal here is to prepare clients to be self-sufficient.
- Advanced Care: Supported long term/permanent care or assistance to access permanent long term independent living accommodation
The ongoing SDU work involves working with stakeholders towards improving the Continuum of Care for SD population.