Summary of Lessons Learned

1. Summary of Lessons Learned Results of Caribbean Systematization Session Presented by Patricia Watts, Barbados

2. Observations • A dramatic positive change occurs in the life of the family in such a short time frame • The importance of the bond between family support counselors and clients • The industriousness of clients. • A gender bias in terms of who takes the lead in building a relationship with the counselor. The men did not play a very prominent role. • At the same time there is a strong emphasis on empowering women which is important.

3. Observations • Linkage between the family and social network • Puente is a psychosocial referral system where all specialized institutions are made accessible to families in extreme poverty • The support of local government is directly related to the success of the program • The move towards empowering citizens to demanding their rights with the clients having duties and responsibilities complementing that strategy. • The families visited were mainly involved in entrepreneurship and very little focus was given to family dynamics. This is because FD is less tangible.

4. Observations on the work of FOSIS Officers • They carry out their work with great passion • Serve as agents of social change • Relationship between the family and Family Support Counselor is key to the intervention • Develop a trusting relationship with families, to the extent that the clients came to see the officers as part of their families. • The rights-based approach is at the foundation; clients are always treated with respect • Contribute to increased sense of personal value and self-esteem among clients

5. Lessons Learned • Psychosocial support is critical to success of family intervention • Legislative and executive support enhanced the success of the program • Rights based approach complemented with duties • Effective methodology and the importance of having appropriate policies to support the program. • Recruitment of counselors goes beyond qualifications and needs to take into consideration the interpersonal skills of workers. • Institutional mapping is necessary

6. Lessons Learned • Importance of meetings between Head of Family Intervention Unit and the Counselors • Need to be careful about the use of the term psychosocial support which is provided by persons who may not be qualified psychologists • The need for effective collaboration among key stakeholders • It is not a static program • The value of sharing among the Caribbean countries and their experiences and expertise

7. Challenges • The transfer will require a drastic paradigmatic shift involving the use of different language and approaches to social work in the Caribbean. • There is need for an instrument to measure the interrelated changes of the psychological dimensions. It is easy to measure the socio-economic changes but there is need to measure the less tangible, qualitative changes. • Seeking to change the mindset of the social workers. • Generating the necessary political will

8. Challenges • Decentralization of services • Lack of social protection framework which leads to overlapping of services • Generating co-operation of stake holders and commitment of Ministry officials, • Financial and technical constraints e.g. limited human resources

9. Opportunities • Assurance of technical support for FOSIS and OAS • Components can be modified • Adaptation of best practices particularly from other Caribbean countries e.g. T&T • Opportunity to review current social assistance or social protection legislation. • Review and upgrade targeting instruments • Promote capacity building and training of staff • Consolidate existing social care programs into a social development network

10. New ideas for Work Plans • Barbados: The new knowledge of Puente, requires a new perspective for work plan • St. Kitts and Nevis: The opportunity for Tutors to contribute to local training during monitoring visits • St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Concrete planning and initiate the process with dissemination of information to sensitize stakeholders. • Suriname: ideas to guide the current process of setting up a new data base. • T&T: • To incorporate in their methodology their cultural differences. • To reinforce self-sufficiency verses welfare and dependency. • Women to be targeted for empowerment • St. Lucia to standardize methodology.