Association of Social Workers of Kyrgyz Republic

Association of Social Workers of Kyrgyz Republic (ASWKR) was established in 1997 by Vera Usenova for to develop a system of social welfare in Kyrgyzstan. ASWKR has more then 2000 members today.
ASWKR is a non-governmental non-profit organization working in a system of social work education and implementing new technologies and methods of world social work.
ASWKR is a member of International Federation of Social Workers (http://www.ifsw.org)

association of Social Workers of Kyrgyz Republic

About us

The Association of Social Workers of the Kyrgyz Republic is a non-government, non-profit organization created by Vera Usenova in 1997.

The Association in the period from 1997 to 2017 participated and implemented more than 30 large and small projects in the field of social development and social education. As an example, the project "Training / developing of social work with families and children at risk in Kyrgyzstan" 2002 - 2009 with the support of the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation or a joint partnership with the Association of Social Workers of Denmark 1998 - to this day, the result of which was the monthly publication of the professional newspaper " Herald of social worker". And the project "Development of Occupational Therapy in Kyrgyzstan" in 1999 with the support of the Russian-European Union, as a result of which the Bishkek City Rehabilitation Center received a sensory room with the most modern equipment.

In 1998, the ASWKR participated in the formation of the Socio-Psychological Faculty at the Bishkek Humanitarian University, where the specialty "Social Worker" appeared for the first time in the history of Kyrgyzstan. The faculty annually trains and graduates specialists under the state order.

In 1998, for the first time in the history of the Kyrgyz Republic, a new profession, the "Social Worker", was launched on the initiative of the ASWKR.

In 2015, the ASWKR implemented trainings on the ToT system "Train Trainers to Train" and created the Center for Advanced Studies at the Socio-Psychological Faculty of BHU.

The ASWKR in 2003 became a member of the World Federation of Social Workers (www.ifsw.org), which has special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.

The ASWKR has participated in the development of Kyrgyzstan's social legislation several times (for example, the Law on the Principles of Social Services for Population in the Kyrgyz Republic of December 19, 2001, No. 111, the Law on Rights and Guarantees of Persons with Disabilities of April 3, 2008 No. 38, etc.)

The Association today unites more than 3,500 people in its ranks - employees of boarding schools and social development departments, members of non-government organizations and individuals.

The Association of Social Workers of the Kyrgyz Republic successfully and fruitfully cooperates with many partners. Among the permanent partners are the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic and its regional and district departments and departments for social development, as well as the Socio-Psychological Faculty of the Bishkek Humanitarian University.

In addition, the ASWKR is the main partner in Kyrgyzstan for the NGO "European House" (Denmark), thanks to whose support this website was created.

The European House (Copenhagen, Denmark) and ASW KG ASW KG has been cooperating with the Danish NGO The European House (Det Europæiske Hus or TEH) since 2009. The two NGOs have been working closely together towards continuing inclusion of disadvantaged members of society and creating better opportunities for people living in various state institutions around Kyrgyzstan.

They have been doing so by working both across disciplines and across sectors. This included not only seminars for social workers, but also cross-sector masterclasses, where parents' associations, smaller NGOs, local municipalities, businesses, students, and - first and foremost – recipients of social help would engage into discussions and give their own input and share their own experiences. All of the theory work has resulted in three social entrepreneurships, the first ones in the country to be based at state institutions.

Additionally, in the course of these years TEH has organised three workshops on location in Denmark. ASW along with employees of three state institutions for people with disabilities, Ministry of social development, Bishkek Humanities University, and representatives of local municipalities could get inspired and gather ideas to bring back home.

Education: What we did in terms of theory

Within these years ASW and TEH have organized multiple seminars for social workers and other professions, all having one shared goal: Changing perspective on people living in institutions and moving towards the inclusion of marginalized members of society.

(1) In the first years of cooperation, the seminars aimed at shifting social workers' focus towards their clients' goals and abilities – contrary to the traditional defectology - and working out practical tools for assisting their clients in becoming full members of society. One of the key shifting experiences was the series of seminars held by two young Danish men who also happen to have cerebral palsy. Volunteers of TEH Frederik Holm Johansen and Toke Vadstrup flew in to Bishkek from Copenhagen to meet social workers from various state institutions and tell them about their own experiences of growing up with cerebral palsy.

TEH together with the Kyrgyz specialists also carried out a number of workshops and seminars focusing on pedagogical plans for the most severely disabled children and young people (i.e. for the employees for Belovodskiy special institution), on interdisciplinary cooperation, and exchange of information among professionals and parents.

(2) The next step was holding seminars on more practical matters, and that is the modern tool of social change – social entrepreneurship. Social workers, both in Northern and Southern Kyrgyzstan, participated in interdisciplinary masterclasses that were held by local social entrepreneurs and student action groups with experience of setting up a social enterprise.

This series resulted in an additional cooperation between ASW, TEH and Association of social entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan. The three NGOs organized a two-week seminar for employees of four state institutions for retired people and people with disabilities. As a result of that educational project, social workers and several elderly citizens of Nizhnyaya Serafimovka Boarding Home for Retired People started their own social entrepreneurship. "Sockmates" is a social enterprise that hires elderly people to knit woollen socks and other accessories.

Bishkek Humanities University, Social and Psychological Faculty

Department of Social Work and Practical Psychology

For about 20 years, the Department of Social Work and Practical Psychology of the Bishkek Humanitarian University. K. Karasayeva provides training for specialists in social work and practical psychology. The training system is built into the process of reforming higher education: bachelors and masters are being trained. A national model of social work is being formed, and research and volunteer activities on social work are developing. Master's, Ph.D. and doctoral dissertations on topical topics of social work and psychology are defended.

For several years the department has formed a highly professional team, consisting of experienced and competent specialists. Nowadays, doctors and candidates of sciences, masters and teachers work in the staff of the department.

The department is the developer of the State educational standard for social work (bachelors, masters) and the leading center for students training and professional development of specialists of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The department is also a full member of the International Federation of Schools of Social Workers (https://www.iassw-aiets.org), participates in joint social programs in partnership with universities in Germany, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Iran and other

The department cooperates with international organizations such as Unicef, the European Union, the Red Crescent Society, CADAP, the East-West Speed Foundation, and others.

Currently the department participates in the following international programs:

• The Danish Government's project "Supporting training, improving professionalism and retraining of specialists in social work, social workers of the Kyrgyz Republic".

• The project, in collaboration with the University of Frankfurt, "Research into the role of social work in the prevention of drug abuse, HIV / AIDS and hepatitis".

• EU project on providing technical support to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic: development of national (sectorial) frameworks of qualifications for social work, opening of an ACT on the basis of the BHU college, development of the State Educational Standards of Higher Professional Education and professional standards.

The social center "Akak", "Resource Center for Social Work" and "Center for Socio-psychological counseling, training and training" Umut" function at the department.

In the framework of partnership relations, the department concluded employment contracts for graduates with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the Social Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Bishkek Employment Department, the Bishkek Mental Health Center, the social development departments of the republic, hospitals, correctional institutions and more than 40 social rehabilitation centers of Bishkek.

Today, BHU has about 500 students and masters in the field of social work and practical psychology. It should be noted that studies are being conducted and textbooks are being issued under the stamp of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic in the state language specifically for social work and psychology.

In our opinion, the growth of adolescent suicide, child abuse, mental disorders, addictions, children with disabilities, deviant behavior is a problem for our society and requires systematic, highly qualified training in the provision of psychosocial services.

Therefore, the social sphere today needs the practical-oriented and "narrow" specialists, who have the appropriate knowledge, skills and competencies. They are specialists in social work with a group of "risk", social work in aiyl okmotu, social work in psychiatry and in correctional institutions.

Together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, the European House of Denmark, the ACP of Russia, the Iranian ASR, a program is planned for the organization of mobile social emergency care in Kyrgyzstan.

It should be noted that the department managed to conduct a number of international events on social work.

For example,

International forum: "Social cohesion as a factor of social well-being" Bishkek-2015,

International Forum "Social Work in the 21st Century: Challenges and Solutions" 2017.

International Conference "The role of civil society / NGOs / self-help and social work in the field of drug addicts and the prevention of infectious diseases among injecting drug users" Bishkek-2018.