Project Deinstitutionalization of the Dom na Krasu 

Since April 2020, the Social Protection Institute of Republic of Slovenia (IRSSV) and the social protection institution Dom na Krasu (Home in the Kras) have been cooperating on the project Deinstitutionalisation of Dom na Krasu, co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund.

The project aims to transform the Dom na Krasu institution, following the Common European Guidelines for the Transition to Community Forms of Care. As a partner on the project, IRSSV provides professional support for implementing deinstitutionalization.

Dom na Krasu has started operating as a special social welfare institution in 1992, providing institutional care for adults with mental health challenges and intellectual disabilities.
The institution provides primary care (accommodation, cleaning, laundry, organizing transport, food, maintenance of premises and surroundings), social care (personal hygiene, daily activities, maintaining and developing independence, social relations, work occupation, active leisure, personal and social distress relief) and health care, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

The process of deinstitutionalization at the institute started in 2003. Since then, 52 users have moved from the institution to housing groups and housing units at seven different locations.

Similar to CUDV Črna na Koroškem, the long-term vision of Dom na Krasu is to transform the institution into a network of various community services for people experiencing long-term mental distress and for people with intellectual disabilities.

We want to achieve that the life of Dom na Krasu residents is as close as possible to everyday life in the community by:

- investing in employees and their career development,

- strengthening interdisciplinary work,

- strengthening direct work with users, and

- actively involving users in decision-making processes.

Considering European trends and international documents in deinstitutionalization, we want to provide users of the Dom na Krasu with a better quality of life in the community.

The project aims to resettle at least 70 users from the institute to community living by its conclusion in 2023. It will also develop new community services Dom na Krasu will provide and create conditions for social inclusion of the residents currently excluded from the community.