The Aragonese delegation was attended by Ángel Val, managing director of IASS.
On October 24 and 25, a delegation from Kairós participated in the festive gathering "Fewer barriers, more neighborhood," organized by Plena Inclusión in Madrid as a final celebration of the achievements of the project "My home: a life in community."
The team, made up of professionals and users, presented the results of the initiatives carried out by Kairós within the Mi Casa project and its proposals for the future in deinstitutionalization.
From Aragon, and with the commitment to continue leading initiatives and funding in this new line of community life, the delegation was led by Angel Val, manager of the Aragonese Institute of Social Services, and the entities participating in the project in our autonomous community: Kairos, CEDES Foundation, Valentia ATADI and Plena Inclusion Aragon.
66 homes in 7 autonomous communities
This project promoted by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, through the Next Generation funds of the European Union, has been developed since 2022 in 66 homes in 7 Autonomous Communities. In total, it has involved 32 associations from all over Spain and has improved the lives of 759 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and high support needs who had been living in institutions or with their families.
The Mi Casa project has worked to ensure that all people, including those with significant support needs, have the right to live in the community. With a focus on inclusive public policies, institutional support, and appropriate professional practices, Mi Casa has facilitated the inclusion of these individuals in the life of their neighborhoods and communities.
The Madrid meeting included workshops and presentation of results, as well as discussions on the future challenges of the project. The conference brought together 300 people, including beneficiaries of the project, support professionals, representatives of public administrations (state, regional and local) and family members.
More independent and with better quality of life
Four consulting firms, experts in measuring the impact of social projects, have conducted quantitative and qualitative studies of the effects that have been generated in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities who have participated in 'Mi Casa'. From the extensive reports that will be finalized in December, it can be concluded that the quality of life of the beneficiaries has improved ostensibly in these three years. This effect can be seen in the decrease in the use of medication, the reduction of behavioral problems and, consequently, of the restrictions that were applied to them; or in the improvement of relations with the neighborhood and emotional well-being, etc. Relatives and professionals corroborate these achievements as they note the progress made in the quality of interactions with these people.
Innovative practices
- People with intellectual disabilities and high support needs in the 66 apartments have had a say in the selection of their support professionals.
- The figure of community connectors: professionals who map opportunities in the town or neighborhood so that people with disabilities in the apartments can participate in associations, neighborhood spaces or collective, public and private initiatives.
- Facilitators: professionals who ensure the choice options of people with disabilities and their participation from 'person-centered planning'.
- People with disabilities engage in individual activities in the community: they interact with the neighborhood (shopping at the supermarket, going to the bar, the health center...), participate in women's associations, neighborhood groups; they take part in dance classes offered by the City Council; they go to the library or the sports center, etc. In this way, it has been possible to promote participation in activities on an individual basis and not always in groups, as is usually the case in residential centers.
The results achieved in the project at the national level can be consulted on the following web site https://www.micasauvc.org/resultados-del-proyecto/ and cover key areas such as the quality of life of the beneficiaries, economic sustainability, innovation in inclusion practices and the satisfaction of the professionals who accompany the process.