End of the project
“Implementation of the model of welfare consultants in Kazlų Rūda municipality” is coming to an end, the monitoring indicators provided for in the project are to reach the number of persons who applied to a welfare consultant and completed the entire planned cycle of consultations. 200 residents of Kazlų Rūda dared to change their lives and took a big step towards better emotional health.
After the end of the project, the welfare consultant will continue her work and provide consultations to the residents of Kazlų Rūda. It is planned that the welfare consultant services will continue to be provided for at least 5 years.
We encourage all individuals experiencing emotional difficulties to register for wellbeing counseling without delay.
On April 11, we invite you to have a useful and fun time at the Wellfare Consultants publicity event.
The mission of the welfare consultant in the regional press
On March 19, Suvalkietis newspaper published the fifth article of the project “A welfare consultant will help you overcome emotional difficulties and achieve inner harmony”.
It is the pursuit of inner harmony that should be the main goal of all of us, because when you constantly experience anxiety, are tormented by various fears, and suffer from sleep, it affects both our mental and physical health.
We invite you to take care of your emotional well-being today.
Positive thinking
Positive thinking is the ability to find solutions and opportunities even in very difficult situations.
Positive thinking is a skill that can be learned and practiced in everyday life. Positive thinking can have a profound effect on emotional health and overall well-being.
Here are some ways to cultivate a positive mindset:
Try to notice the positive things in your daily life that you can be grateful for.
Try to speak and think positively. Avoid constant complaining and criticism.
Set goals and aspirations that you can achieve, and focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.
Hang out with people who encourage your positive attitude and who inspire you.
See challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, not as obstacles.
Regular physical activity can help maintain a good mood and reduce stress and depression.
Phobias
Phobias are strong, irrational fear reactions to specific situations, places or objects. Agoraphobia is one of the most difficult fears in everyday life. People with agoraphobia are afraid to leave the house (especially alone) to an unsafe, uncontrollable environment for them, to drive or walk somewhere, to be where there are many people – in shops, theaters, cafes, public transport. People who experience agoraphobia often also experience sociophobia and/or panic attacks.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals gradually overcome their fear, is particularly effective in treating agoraphobia. It is important for those struggling with agoraphobia to seek professional help as it can greatly improve their quality of life.
Phobias are strong, irrational fear reactions to specific situations, places or objects. Agoraphobia is one of the most difficult fears in everyday life. People with agoraphobia are afraid to leave the house (especially alone) to an unsafe, uncontrollable environment for them, to drive or walk somewhere, to be where there are many people – in shops, theaters, cafes, public transport. People who experience agoraphobia often also experience sociophobia and/or panic attacks.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals gradually overcome their fear, is particularly effective in treating agoraphobia. It is important for those struggling with agoraphobia to seek professional help as it can greatly improve their quality of life.
How to recognize a panic attack?
A panic attack is a sudden attack of fear and anxiety that occurs often without reason and causes physical and psychological symptoms. Panic attacks cause the feeling of losing control or even dying, although in reality it is not life-threatening, everything is only happening in our head.
Panic attacks are usually accompanied by unpleasant physical sensations – rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, tremors and sweating.
Anyone can have such an attack, but recurring panic attacks are a sign of an emotional health disorder that needs to be treated. People who experience panic attacks often experience intense anxiety about when the next attack might occur and often try to avoid situations that might trigger them. These attacks can have a significant impact on daily life, work and social activities.
If you experience repeated panic attacks or have constant anxiety, do not delay and contact a well-being consultant. With the right treatment, panic attacks can be managed or even completely overcome and you can return to a normal life.
Consulting success story
Untreated anxiety, like any even minor emotional health disorder, can lead to serious psychological and physical ailments with extremely painful consequences – it can lead to addiction to alcohol or other psychoactive substances, or suicide.
A welfare consultant shared a case where a young person came to the consultation complaining of anxiety and panic attacks. During the consultations, one of the reasons for his deteriorating emotional health became clear, which most likely strengthened the feeling of anxiety and provoked panic attacks – the person was addicted to narcotic substances.
Education about anxiety, KET techniques, working with one’s thoughts, helped a person not only to better manage their anxiety, but also to consult a psychiatrist for existing addictions. The client was assigned a course of 8 consultations, which brought excellent results, the client got rid of the intrusive feeling of anxiety, stopped being afraid of his panic attacks, learned to manage them, and is being treated for addiction.
This counseling success story is a great example of how untreated emotional health problems can lead to destructive behavior, and in turn, destructive behavior can lead to more psychological problems. You find yourself in a closed circle from which it is very difficult to get out, so it is very important to notice people in your environment who need emotional help and listen to them, support them, invite them to visit a specialist.
The welfare consultant’s services are funded by the European Economic Area’s financial mechanism and are therefore free of charge to the applicant. Contacting a wellbeing consultant does not require a referral from a family doctor or other specialist, confidentiality and anonymity are ensured.
The mission of the welfare consultant in the regional press.
The fourth article publicizing the services of a welfare consultant was published in the newspaper “Suvalkietis” on December 13. The article provides useful information about the services of a well-being consultant and a success story of counseling, which we hope will inspire and encourage anyone experiencing similar problems to seek help.
In the first weekend of December, additional seminars were held for the inclusion of the employees of the Elderships and community representatives in the model.
During the seminars, attention is paid to identifying persons with psychological difficulties and problems, maintaining contact, motivating and encouraging them to seek help.
The importance of mental health promotion was discussed during the seminar. The participants were introduced to the intricacies of the psyche, interesting facts about the brain. Learned what and how influences our choices in various life situations.
Participants learned how to recognize problematic situations. Cognitive distortions and their recognition were also discussed. The participants consolidated the learned knowledge and while performing practical tasks – with the help of communication and cooperation, they looked for possible solutions to difficult situations.
We are pleased with the success of the project and the increasing number of individuals who have successfully used the services of a welfare consultant.
Since the beginning of providing the services of a welfare consultant, i.e. from July 2022, 171 residents of Kazlų Rūda tried consultations, 144 completed the entire prescribed counseling course.
We invite all those who have doubts to register and visit the first consultation, without waiting until the emotional health deteriorates and the situation becomes extremely serious. We want to point out that no problem is too small, so if you feel anxiety, fear, constant fatigue, stress, various life changes and want to talk, are looking for advice on how to help yourself relax, gain confidence or motivation – a well-being consultant can help you.
Additional seminars for the inclusion of subdistrict staff and community representatives in the model.
We inform you that in November – December ADDITIONAL seminars will be organized for the inclusion of subdistrict staff and community representatives in the model. The dates of the workshops will be coordinated after the group is assembled.
Seminars for the inclusion of subdistrict staff and community representatives in the model have already been held in all four wards of the Kazlų Rūda municipality, and a training group of 10 people was formed in each subdistrict. However, taking into account the fact that Kazlų Rūda subdistrict has 3-5 times more residents compared to other subdistricts in the municipality, a decision was made to organize additional training for community representatives in Kazlų Rūda ward so that even more residents of Kazlų Rūda would learn about the free welfare consultant services and opportunities to help to a loved one with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
We invite the staff of the Kazlų Rūda subdistrict and community representatives who have not yet participated in the seminars to register and submit their wishes and suggestions to the welfare consultant Egle Liepine egle.liepine@gmail.com or the director of the Kazlų Rūda Public Health Office Vesta Stankevičiene – office contacts
We invite you to a free publicizing event of the implementation of the Welfare Consultants model in Kazlų Rūda Municipality!
The importance of loved ones for emotional health.
Relatives are often the ones who help us survive difficult moments in life and maintain emotional balance. Emotional balance is necessary for well-being and helps to cope with stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is especially important to connect with loved ones, share your thoughts, experiences and emotions. Knowing how to not only talk, but also to listen to the other person and to notice the first signs of mental health problems is very important, because very often a person who is experiencing emotional difficulties can at first glance appear to be in a good mood and go about a normal day-to-day job.
A particularly insidious and often invisible illness is depression. While well-known symptoms such as sadness or a sense of meaninglessness may be easily recognized, other signs of depression may be less obvious. Therefore, when viewed from the outside, depression can often be confused with short-term sadness or bad mood – normal emotions that are also characteristic of people with strong emotional health in response to various daily stressful events.
In other words, it is normal to feel negative emotions when they are controlled, do not last long and do not affect the normal rhythm of daily life. Depression is characterized by persistent, prolonged daily sadness, low mood, and decreased interest, energy, and activity. Often a depressed person is apathetic, unable to think clearly, gives up and does not seek help himself. Therefore, we urge you not to be indifferent. If you have concerns about the emotional health of a family member, friend, significant other, co-worker or neighbor, talk to them, show them you care, offer help and invite them to see a Wellbeing Consultant.
The second Wellbeing Consultant newspaper was created
The second issue of the Gerovės consultant newspaper is already available in various institutions in Kazlų Rūda. The newspaper contains all the information you need to know about the services of a Welfare consultant, as well as how consultations are conducted. We also invite you to read an inspiring story of a person who has already used the services of a Wellbeing Consultant, as well as useful tips on how to deal with anxiety.
We invite you to read the digital “online” version of the Welfare Consultant newspaper here. Also, for your convenience, the newspaper is embedded in PDF format, which you can download.
The mission of the Welfare consultant in the regional press
We would like to inform you that the third article publicizing the services of a welfare consultant was published in the newspaper “Suvalkietis” on August 8. The article includes, among other important information about the services, an inspiring story of a woman who successfully completed the counseling course, which shows how important the support of loved ones is.
We are pleased with the growing interest in the services of a wealth consultant and would like to encourage all those who are in doubt to sign up for their first consultation. Success stories of consultations and positive feedback from those who have already visited speak for themselves.
Signs of poor emotional health.
Signs of poor emotional health can be different and depend on the situation.
Signs of poor emotional health may include:
• Anxiety;
• Stress and burnout;
• Depression, sadness;
• Difficulties in maintaining relationships;
• Mood swings, emotional breakthroughs;
• Long-term changes in behavior or emotions;
• Various addictions;
• Poor appetite, sleep disorders;
• Physical health disorders.
If you are concerned about your emotional health, see a wellbeing counselor
The seminars for the inclusion of the applicant, partners and employees of cooperating institutions in the model have been completed.
The cycle of seminars has already been completed by the last target group – social workers. It is necessary to familiarize social workers with the principles and methods of the welfare consultant service center and their place in the model, as they deal with the most emotionally vulnerable persons in their daily work. During the seminars, social workers were trained to recognize situations and problems that can be solved by welfare consultants, and how, when working with people, to motivate them to use the services provided by welfare consultants, providing them with the necessary information about the services of a welfare consultant.
A success story
If, during the first consultation, the welfare consultant assesses that the applicant’s psychological condition and the complexity of the problem exceed his competences, he refers him to a higher-level specialist.
However, a person who is already receiving treatment from a mental health specialist can, if he wishes, attend counseling and a welfare counselor at the same time. One such case occurred in the practice of welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė – a woman who visited a higher-level mental health specialist in order to learn more effective problem solving made an additional appointment with a welfare consultant. This middle-aged woman was treated for social anxiety disorder and panic attacks. The referring woman took medication prescribed by a psychiatrist, which reduced panic attacks, but did not reduce social anxiety.
The woman avoided any social situations, if it was possible to avoid them, she did not visit public places, which of course made her life difficult. Therefore, the woman, realizing that she herself must make an effort to learn to manage her anxiety, turned to a well-being consultant.
Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques applied during the consultations helped her deal with social anxiety, she started visiting public places, shops, “avoidance” behavior and fear of panic attacks decreased.
It is important to know that positive changes are only possible if the person who needs help actively works with himself and applies the knowledge gained during the consultations independently and after the consultations. A necessary condition for achieving a successful result is a person’s desire for change and determination to work with himself, his emotions, thoughts and behavior.
Bad mood or depression?
Although people who have not experienced depression often confuse it with simple sadness, depression and sadness are different things. Sadness is an emotion, a normal reaction of a healthy person to unpleasant or painful life events. Sadness is temporary and passes over time.
Depression is a mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness, low mood, and decreased interest, energy, and activity. The symptoms of depression can be physical (constant feeling of fatigue, chronic headache, etc.), emotional (pessimism about the future, low self-esteem, etc.) and cognitive (addiction to psychotropic substances, self-harm, etc.). Depression is long-term and can last for months or even years. Depression can have serious consequences on health and quality of life, so it is important to seek professional help and treatment as soon as you feel the first signs of depression – that is, if the sadness is prolonged, the low mood is persistent and none of the things that normally lift the mood of the person have any effect.
The mission of the welfare consultant in the regional press
On May 17, the second article of the project was published in Suvalkietis newspaper. The purpose of the article is to publicize the services of a welfare consultant to residents of the Kazlų Rūda municipality and to motivate them to seek help. The article presents the story of a successful consultation cycle.
Publicizing the services of a welfare consultant
On May 12, welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė visited the Kazlų Rūda Primary Health Care Center of the Public Institution, Day Employment for Adults with Disabilities unit, and presented the services of a welfare consultant. He urged visitors, their parents and relatives to apply for consultations if needed.
On April 7th, the seminars for the involvement of ward staff and community representatives in the model ended.
Community members of each ward have a close relationship with other members, they know them, they can notice the changed behavior, emotions and psychological state of another person, therefore it is extremely important to introduce them to the services of a welfare consultant. During the seminars, attention was paid to identifying persons with psychological difficulties and problems, maintaining contact, motivating and encouraging them to seek help. The seminars were attended by 4 groups of 10 persons each.
A meeting of welfare consultants
The projects to implement the model of welfare consultants are already half way through. On April 3, a meeting of 28 municipal welfare consultants to share experience in implementing projects and providing services took place in Kaunas. Representatives of the Central Project Management Agency, the Ministry of Health Protection and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences also participated in the meeting.
Anxiety
The most common types of anxiety disorders are:
1. Generalized anxiety disorder is a chronic illness characterized by constant excitement, tension, worry about small things, the future, causing discomfort, disrupting daily activities and work capacity. People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder see problems as much bigger than they really are, or may even worry about things that have not happened and may never happen.
2. Phobias are strong, irrational fear reactions to specific situations, places or objects. Agoraphobia is one of the most difficult fears in everyday life. People with agoraphobia are afraid to leave the house (especially alone) to an unsafe, uncontrollable environment for them, to drive or walk somewhere, to be where there are many people – in shops, theaters, cafes, public transport.
3. Social anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by severe anxiety, various fears arising from being in a social situation. This is, for example, intense anxiety that begins even before a planned social situation, public speaking, a job interview, an exam, a new acquaintance, a constant fear of making a fool or mistake, accidentally offending someone or being the center of attention.
4. Panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense anxiety accompanied by a fear of going crazy or dying. Most often, panic attacks occur in everyday situations where there is no real danger or a specific reason that can provoke a great feeling of fear. Panic attacks are short-lived, usually lasting up to 20 minutes, but may recur.
If you are suffering from any of the anxiety disorders listed above, we invite you to contact a wellness consultant without delay, who will help you control your emotions and control negative thoughts. Left untreated, even mild anxiety disorders can eventually lead to depression.
Sports to improve emotional health
The benefits of sports for health and the body are indisputable. But what are the benefits of exercise for emotional health?
When you do sports, your mind is interrupted from everyday worries, the blood flow in the brain is activated and you feel happier.
Exercise helps regulate the levels of stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.) in your blood, so it can help treat mild symptoms of depression and anxiety.
At the same time, the so-called “happiness” hormones – endorphins, serotonin and dopamine – are released during exercise, which reduce pain and improve mood.
Regular physical activity helps maintain a good mental and physical condition, slows down the aging of brain cells. Helps with critical thinking, learning, concentration, and memory development.
Improving physical condition leads to self-confidence, a sense of pride, and motivation to move forward.
So if you want to reduce stress, improve your emotional state and feel happier, start doing physical activity!
For the convenience of the client and the welfare consultant – addition of furniture and interior details to the cabinet
In order to make the environment of the welfare consultant’s office even more comfortable, more ergonomic, cozier and more suitable for communicating with clients, additional goods were purchased: an extension to the desk, a built-in clothes hanger, a mobile folding flyer stand on the ground, two flyer stands placed on the table, a wall clock, a kettle, mat, essential oil diffuser and essential oil kit.
Seminars for the inclusion of the applicant, partners and employees of cooperating institutions in the model have started.
The purpose of the seminars is to introduce the principles and methods of welfare consultant services, to teach them to recognize situations and problems that can be solved by the help of welfare consultants, to provide that information to potential clients of the welfare consultant, and to motivate them to use the services.
Groups are being formed for the seminars for the inclusion of the applicant, partners and employees of cooperating institutions in the model, which will start in February.
The employees of the applicant, partners and collaborating institutions are part of the service provided by the welfare consultant (one of the elements), so in order to successfully implement the project, it is first necessary to familiarize the employees of these institutions with the principles and methods of the welfare consultant service center and their place in the model. For the smooth operation of the model, the employees of partners and collaborating institutions must be properly introduced to the principles of the model’s operation, and be able to recognize situations and problems that can be solved by welfare consultants. Employees participating in the seminars will be trained in different techniques, how to work with people, motivate them to use the services provided by welfare consultants, and also be able to provide them with the necessary information about the functioning of the model and additional opportunities.
Kazlų Rūda welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė is happy that the number of people who want to use the services of a welfare consultant is growing.
Most of the clients are self-applicants, having learned about this service through various publicity activities, but there are also referrals from cooperating institutions, the Employment Service or the Social Support Center. The number of consultations varies greatly, depending on the applicant’s problem and condition, but usually 4-6 consultations are assigned to one person. Eglė remembers that in her practice of providing consultations, there were only a couple of cases when the complexity of the applicant’s problem exceeded her competences as a welfare consultant and she had to be referred to a higher level specialist.
In all other cases, it was possible to help the applicant to learn how to solve his problems, manage his emotions, properly accept and react to various events.
Publicizing the project
V. Stankevičienė, Director of Kazlų Rūda Public Health Office, presented the welfare consultant service at the conference “The importance of mental health and help options” held on 12/07/2022.
The project is implemented with the funds of the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area
The Welfare Consultant newspaper was created
In order to create a systematic handout of the services provided by the Welfare Consultants, which could be distributed during the implementation of the project, the Welfare Consultant Newspaper was created. The printed form of the newspaper will be distributed to those interested in the services of the Welfare Consultant through various institutions, organizations and communities in the district.
You can read or download the digital version of the Welfare Consultant newspaper in PDF format here
The mission of the Welfare consultant in the regional press
On November 16, the newspaper “Suvalkietis” published an article about the services of a Welfare consultant. We invite you to read and share with those who might benefit from it.
The article presents the project, answers all the questions that arise: who is a Welfare consultant, how do consultations take place, who are they for and how to register. One of the consultation cycles that have already taken place is also shared success story.
The Welfare consultant continues publicizing the project
Welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė visited the Kazlų Rūda subdivision of the Employment Service and introduced its employees to the project, so that they could share the information they had prepared with clients experiencing difficulties, their relatives or use the services of a welfare consultant themselves.
It is very important that information about the services of a Welfare consultant reaches all persons who need such a service, as well as their family members and those around them. Let’s not forget that sometimes the always-smiling person next to you can hide a great deal of anxiety that he doesn’t dare to share.
The office of the Welfare consultant has been completed
We invite you to register for live consultations in the newly installed Welfare consultant’s office located at the address S. Daukanto str. 19-2B, Kazlų Rūda II floor.
Registruotis kviečiame per specialią registracijos formą HERE arba telefonu 860424857
Presentation of the services of the Welfare consultant at the opening event of the beginning of the academic year of the University of the Third Age
Welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė visited the opening event of the beginning of the academic year of the Third Century University, which took place on October 3. Kazlų Rūda Jurgis Dovydaitis public library.
The Welfare consultant presented her service as a Welfare consultant – she emphasized the importance of good emotional health, why it is important to talk about your problems without waiting for the situation to become very serious, she explained who the Welfare consultants are, who the services are for, how consultations are conducted and how to register.
Presentation of the project at the social support center of Kazlų Rūda
On September 23, welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė visited the Social Support Center of Kazlų Rūda. The purpose of the visit was to present the welfare consultant service to the employees of the Care Center, Day Employment Center, Family Support Service and Community Children’s Home. Eglė shared information and invited employees and their clients receiving services to use the services of a welfare consultant.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – what is it?
Welfare consultants provide low-intensity emotional counseling services based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
KET is one of the most popular and effective types of therapy, its effectiveness has been proven by clinical studies.
KET-helps to know and understand how a person’s thoughts, emotions and behavior are connected, gives a person the opportunity to find quick ways to
goal-oriented decision-making methods, to form more adaptive alternatives.
KET pays great attention to education, relapse prevention, and aims to teach people to become their own therapist.
Promotion of services at the Kazlų Rūda festival 2022
On September 10, the traditional festival of Kazlų Rūda took place.
Residents of Kazlų Rūda and guests of the city could also visit the “Health Tent” of the Public Health Office of Kazlų Rūda Municipality, where Welfare Consultant Eglė Liepinė presented her services.
The installation of the welfare consultant’s office is underway.
Setting up the office aims to create a confidential, free and calming environment that will help the client, who has come to the welfare consultant, to calmly discuss his concerns. It is aimed that the office will be a place of emotional release, the methodological tools planned to be used will help to calm down, relieve the accumulated fatigue and irritability, and allow to temporarily detach from the surrounding reality.
The office of the welfare consultant is located at the address S. Daukanto str. 19-2B, Kazlų Rūda
II floor.
In this building also located the Kazlų Rūda cultural center, a private health care institution, and the public health office of the Kazlų Rūda municipality will be located soon. Great car access to the building with a spacious parking lot.
Soon we will invite you to visit the well-being consultant in the newly equipped office. By the way, we invite you to register for a remote consultation.
A public opinion formation video clip is being filmed.
Implementation of the model of welfare consultants in the municipality of Kazlų Rūda” behind the scenes of the public opinion formation video.
The Welfare consultant has already started providing counselling
We invite you to meet – Kazlų Rūda welfare consultant Eglė Liepinė.
Eglė became a Welfare consultant motivated by the desire to gain knowledge about cognitive and behavioral therapy, to be able to apply knowledge at work and in personal life, and of course the desire to share that knowledge with other people.
Eglė invites all residents of Kazlų Rūda who want to function more adaptively in everyday life, who face various psychological difficulties, everyday stresses, phobias, etc. don’t delay and register for an initial consultation. According to the welfare consultant, applying at the preventive level is useful because it prevents further deterioration of the psycho-emotional condition and the development of more serious problems.
Both youth, adults and the elderly face similar problems, bad habits, social fears, stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc. Wellbeing counselors can help you identify, deal with or control the problems you have. The services of welfare consultants are FREE.
Completed welfare counselor training
Welfare consultants have already completed 6 months. duration of training at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Consultations start from July 1, 2022. The services provided by the welfare consultant are FREE.
We invite you to register for a consultation.
The project is financed with the funds of the “Health” program of the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area
The welfare consultant posters are already in town
21 educational posters in A3 format are already displayed in the city of Kazlų Rūda.
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Educational posters for the welfare consultant were created
With the help of educational posters, the goal will be to make as many residents of the municipality as possible learn about the welfare consultant’s services. With the help of a psychologist, a poster content (idea) creation service was purchased. Based on the age and needs of the target group, 3 different poster designs (for youth, adults and the elderly) have been created.
The attributes of opinion formation were produced
In order to encourage the residents themselves to promote the welfare consultant service, opinion-forming attribute (fabric bags, t-shirts, jackets and jumpers) will be distributed during the project.
Residents will use the distributed opinion-building tools in their daily lives to form a positive background for the services of welfare consultants and act as ambassadors for welfare consultants.
