Pressley Ridge International
- Current
As a result of Pressley Ridge's new strategic
goals, the findings of the evaluation of our previous
international activities (PICFI) and the experiences
of Pressley executives who toured Central and Eastern
Europe to study the needs and the readiness for
innovative children services in a number of countries
in fall 2003 PICFI was restructured and PRI was
created. It was decided that besides the already
operating Portugal site, current international
efforts would be focused on the Central and Eastern
European region. The decision was based on the
number of PICFI alumni, as well as the receptivity
of countries in these regions, coupled with the
natural match between Pressley Ridge's expertise
and the area's strongest needs.
Pressley Ridge International Fellowship
Program
The International Fellowship Program was
established in 2004.
The goal of the program is to develop a core group
of professionals from Central and Eastern Europe
trained in the Pressley Ridge model. We expect
our fellows to gain the knowledge and skills necessary
to partner with Pressley Ridge in developing educational,
residential and community-based services in their
own countries. As participants of this program,
international fellows will be capable to directly
apply those methods in providing services to children
with behavioral, emotional and/or mental disorders
and to their families, as well as to transfer this
knowledge to other professionals in their home
country and other CEE countries. Expand/collapse
As a general rule, the fellows spend 12 months
at Pressley Ridge, during which time they receive
an in-depth theoretical and practical learning
experience. They participate in intensive training
on our treatment philosophies, intervention techniques,
and the major service lines. In addition, they
learn about management systems and various support
programs, namely training, consultation, research
and evaluation, that exist in Pressley Ridge for
continuous improvement of the services that we
provide for troubled kids and their families.
Upon completion of the training program the fellows
will become “Master Trainers”. They
will return to their countries and will be required
to provide training and consultation on Pressley
Ridge treatment philosophies and methods in their
countries for teachers, children’s mental
health workers, and other professionals who work
with children with behavioral, emotional, or mental
disorders and their families for a period of two
years.
In the 2004/05 academic year hosted three
fellows; Sandor Banyai and Nikoletta Kovacs from
Budapest, Hungary, and in 2006, Maryana Rusanyuk
from Donetsk, Ukraine
Regional Activities — Central and
Eastern Europe
Pressley
Ridge Magyarország Alapítvány
Közhasznúsági jelentés
2006
PRI is currently focusing
its efforts on Central and Eastern Europe. Though
we have 40 PICFI alumni in this region, presently
we are active in three countries.
Hungary – Budapest, Hungary
is the site of PRI’s training hub called
the Regional Training Center and Demonstration
Site. Expand/collapse
We are in the process of establishing a local
indigenous non-profit, non-governmental organization
in the country that will provide the institutional
background of the Center and other PRI activities
in the region.
The Center’s two “Master Trainers”,
Sandor and Nikoletta completed their training
the US.
Discussions are in progress with various government
ministries and agencies, potential donors and implementing
partners and other entities interested in learning
about Pressley Ridge.
In September 2004 there was be a workshop
on Re-EDucation offered by Pressley Ridge staff
in Budapest for about 50 professionals as a follow-up
to an introductory session from last fall.
Ukraine – In July 2003,
high-level city officials, clinicians and other
child service practitioners from Donetsk participated
in the PICFI programs, resulting in plans to start
a Family Support Center in Donetsk based on the
Pressley Ridge model. Expand/collapse
The Center operates under
the auspices of the Board on Family, Youth, and
International Relations of the Donetsk City Council.
However, it will be implemented in a broad social
cooperation with partners such as the Donetsk Center
of Psychic Health of the Regional Psychiatric Hospital,
the Donetsk Regional Scientific Library, the Charitable
Foundation “Dobrota”, the NGO – Partnership
without Borders, and the NGO – “JeTeme.
Later in the same year, Pressley Ridge had an
agreement with the Mayor of Donetsk to provide
long-term training in the US for a direct service
provider who works for the city. As a result we
are now hosting Maryana Rusanyuk who provides community
based services for troubled and troubling children
and youth at the Donetsk City Center for Social
Services for Youth. After completion of her training
at Pressley Ridge, Maryana will return to Donetsk
and continue her work as a psychologist and social
worker at the Center. In addition, her work will
include providing training and consultation for
professionals who work with children and youth.
In Sep 2004, two Pressley Ridge staff members
provided a 5-day training in Donetsk for professionals
working with children and youth as well as for
parents of troubled and troubling children. The
training was made possible by a grant from the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
Alumni Small Grants Program administered by IREX
(the International Research & Exchanges Board).
Galyna Chupryna, who is an ECA alumnus, developed
the proposal and is responsible for implementation
of the training.
Macedonia – In Macedonia,
PRI is collaborating with the Graduate Center of
Public Policy and Management of the Graduate School
of Public and International Affairs, University
of Pittsburgh to establish contacts, assess the
needs for innovative services for children and
youth and to explore training opportunities. The
Center provides administrative support for PRI.
Regional Activities — Portugal
Pressley Ridge’s first regional site was
created in Lisbon, Portugal in 2000. The site provides training programs, consultation services and program development throughout Portugal to government ministries and agencies, schools, professional organizations, non-profits and other institutions serving children and youth. The topics –among others – include Re-ED, crisis intervention, behavior management, foster-care, home-based services, and therapeutic Wilderness Camping. Expand/collapse
A local, indigenous non-profit, non-governmental organization was developed in 2004 at the Lisbon site to provide an institutional background for the growing training and consultation requirement, as well as to direct service provision.
Pressley Ridge participates in a two-year Masters program at the University of Minho, in Braga. The program, Psychosocial Intervention with Children, Youth and Families is offered in the Institute of Child Studies department. It is based on Pressley Ridge’s treatment model and interventions. Both university faculty and Pressley Ridge personnel teach coursework.
Since 2004, we have a partnership with the Municipality of Damaia for a life skills program for at-risk African-Portuguese urban youth called Alternative Paths. We measure outcomes of drop-out rates, attendance, and observe social skills that indicate positive effects on the youth behavior. In addition, we are examining a “motivation system” which measures the relationship between points earned for attendance and advanced social skills.
Pressley Ridge also has a partnership with the Institute of Social Reinsertion (IRS) – the major government agency in Portugal for youth in the juvenile system since the year 2001. Last summer, Leonor Furtado, president, vice-president Manuel Mendes and other dignitaries visited Pressley Ridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about an internship. As a result of that visit, we are currently developing an independent living program and the first therapeutic wilderness program in Portugal with the IRS.
