Wednesday, 24 - September

 

 

Evening Arrivals and Check-in

 

 

 

Welcome Reception/Dinner

 

 

Day 1, Thursday, 25 - September

 

 

9:00                     

Registration and Materials Distribution

 

 

9:30                     

Welcome and Introductions

 

Ms. Eva Foldes, Program Coordinator, OSI Roma Health Project

 

 

 

Ms. Elena Yankova, Executive Director, Initiative for Health Foundation

 

 

9:50                     

Safe Space Affirmation and Meeting Objectives

 

 

 

Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD)

 

 

10:15                  

Overview of Harm Reduction: Core Philosophies and Service Components

 

 

 

Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

11:15                  

Break

 

 

11:30                  

Movie Screening and Discussion

 

 

 

Persistence Pays: Harm Reduction Outreach in Roma Communities in Sofia’

 

 

 

Ms. Anna Lyubenova, Secretary, Initiative for Health Foundation

 

 

12:00                  

Group Discussion: Drug Use, Roma, and Your Work

 

 

 

Facilitator: Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

 

What role does drug use play in the communities in which you work?

 

 

 

Do you see potential for harm reduction services? If so, what are your ideas?

 

 

 

What new services would be the most impactful?

 

 

 

Are there barriers to implementing/expanding these services? What are they?

 

 

 

What resources/support/magic do you need to address the barriers?

 

 

13:00                  

Lunch

 

 

14:15                  

Introducing Safer Injection/Syringe Distribution in Roma Communities

 

Facilitator: Ms. Silvia Miklikova, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator, Open Society Foundation Bratislava

 

Panelist 1: Ms. Veronica Broasca, Project Coordinator, ARAS, Bucharest

 

Panelist 2: Ms. Anna Lyubenova, Secretary, IHF, Sofia

 

Panelist 3: Mr. Kristijan Nushkov, Needle Exchange Coordinator, HOPS, Skopje

 

 

 

Panelists will discuss their respective organization’s process for starting syringe distribution and safer injection education in Roma communities. Presentations will focus on detailed discussions of the process from conceptualization to realization and will include major challenges and tips for other NGOs hoping to begin syringe distribution in Roma settlements.

 

 

16:00                  

Break

 

 

16:15                  

Experiences and Strategies for Work on TB prevention and with Women and Girls in Roma Settlements

 

 

 

Ms. Larysa Sukhomlin, Project Coordinator, Donetsk Roma women organization "Miriclya"

 

 

17:00                  

Group discussion and Questions

 

 

 

Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

19:15                  

Depart from hotel for group dinner

 

 

Day 2, Friday, 26 - September

 

 

9:00                    

Welcome Back and Daily Agenda Review

 

 

 

Ms. Eva Foldes, Project Coordinator, OSI RHP

 

 

9:30                    

Introducing HIV/STI Prevention, HIV Testing and Counseling, and Health Education in Roma Settlements

 

Facilitator: Mr. Kristijan Nuskov, Needle Exchange Coordinator, HOPS

 

Panelist 1: Ms. Kornelia Kostova, Social Worker, NGO Thirst for Life, Bulgaria

 

Panelist 2: Ms. Martinova Violeta Yurieva, Outreach Worker, Panacea Foundation, Bulgaria

 

Panelist 3: Ms. Lora Raleva, Better Mental Health Foundation, Bulgaria

 

 

 

Panelists will discuss their respective organization’s process for incorporating HIV/STI testing and counseling in Roma communities. Presentations will focus on detailed discussions of the process from conceptualization to realization and will include major challenges and tips for other NGOs hoping to begin such work in Roma settlements.

 

 

11:15                  

Break

 

 

11:30                  

Introducing Drug Treatment for Roma Clients

 

Facilitator: Mr. Marian Ursan, Romania Country Team, UNODC, Romania

 

Panelist 1: Ms. Veronica Broasca, Coordinator, ARAS (Methadone Center for Roma)

 

Panelist 2: Ms. Elena Yankova, Executive Director, IHF

 

Panelist 3: Ms. Zorica Necovska, Social Worker and Drop-in Center Coordinator in Suto Orizari Roma settlement, HOPS

 

 

 

Panelists will discuss their experience setting up substitution therapy and other drug treatment program for Roma clients. They will also discuss their experience, challenges, and models for referring Roma clients to drug treatment. In addition to speaking about methadone centers, speakers are encouraged to speak about treatment and referral to treatment options for Roma clients when methadone is not available.

 

 

13:15                  

Lunch

 

 

14:00                  

Site Visits

 

 

 

Street Outreach

 

 

 

IHF Methadone Center

 

 

18:00                   

Group Discussion

 

 

 

Facilitator: Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

 

What resonated with your work during the site visits?

 

 

 

What questions/new ideas do you have?

 

 

18:30                  

Dinner

 

 

19:45                   

Optional Overdose Prevention and Response Training

 

 

 

Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

 

Optional night outreach visits (maximum 5 people)

 

 

Day 3, Saturday, 27 - September

 

 

8:30                    

Welcome Back and Agenda Review

 

 

9:00                    

Getting In: Strategies for introducing harm reduction in Roma organizations and making community partners in a way that is respectful and appropriate.

 

Mr. Marian Ursan, UNODC, Romania

 

 

 

Ms. Cerasela Banica, National Agency for Roma (ANR), Romania

 

 

10:00                   

Break

 

 

10:15                   

Harm Reduction, Reproductive Rights, and Women’s Rights: Experiences and Strategies for Work with Women and Girls in Roma Settlements

 

Facilitator and Panelist: Ms. Zola Kondur, Vice President, Chiricli, Kiev, Urkaine

 

Panelist 2: Ms. Monica Dan, Project Coordinator, ARAS

 

Panelist 3: Ms. Silvana Naumova, Coordinator of Sex Worker Drop In, HOPS

 

 

 

Group discussion to follow panelist presentations

 

 

12:30                   

Lunch

 

 

13:30                   

Tuberculosis, Drug Use, and Roma: The Current Situation, Prevention and Treatment Models, and Next Steps

 

 

 

Ms. Zola Kondur, Vice President, Chiricli, Kiev, Urkaine

 

 

 

Questions and discussion to follow presentation

 

 

15:00                  

Break

 

 

15:15                  

Strategies for Local/Regional/National Advocacy and Partnership Building:  Advancing the rights and health concerns of Roma, especially Roma affected by drug use.

 

 

 

Mr. Baican Eugen, Professor, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

 

 

16:15                   

Planning Exercise

 

 

 

Facilitator: Ms. Lydia Guterman, Consultant, OSI IHRD

 

 

17:45                  

Formal meeting closing, Evaluations, Discussion of next steps

 

 

 

Ms. Eva Foldes, Project Coordinator, OSI RHP

 

 

18:30                   

Dinner

 

 

20:00                  

Site Seeing in Sofia Bus Tour

 

 

Sunday, 28 - September

 

 

8:45                    

Optional Site Visit to IHF Methadone Center (clients present)

 

 

 

Departures