The Phoenix Institution GmbH offers assisted living places for 26 female or male adults. The team consists of two men and three women with social pedagogical training.

Our mission is based on the resources of the clients. One task can be to accompany and support the re-integration after a hospital stay, to help with the administration of finances, to accompany the search for a daily structure or, where re-integration is not possible, to accompany the development of an adequate and positive attitude to life with the greatest possible exclusion of self- and / or other-endangering behavior.

The apartments are located in Winterthur in a quiet, green settlement. The residents live in single rooms in shared apartments for 1, 2 or 4 people. There is a large common room with TV/video and internet.


How do we come to this position?

We looked into the idea of integration and re-integration and realized that in today's language, integration is usually equated with

• Performance
• Adaptation
• Ability to sublimate deficits through numerous strategies
.

But what happens to people who fall through this performance net? How do we deal with them?

For us, integration means being able to participate in life with deficits, handicaps, mental illnesses, etc. Knowing your limits and learning to lead a good life with them. Doing as little harm as possible to yourself and other people. To be proud of yourself. We want to provide a platform for stability in this process.

We want to offer a framework where resources are available to develop, try out new things and explore new paths. We are convinced that many of our residents have a lot of potential. Sometimes it's just a matter of helping them to unearth their buried knowledge and occasionally demanding a little more than they think they are capable of. Winterthur has a wide range of services for people with mental disabilities, and we want to make the most of them. We want to network because we are convinced that only by working in a network can we offer a platform that has a stabilizing effect.

In this network, different professional fields come together. Through acceptance, tolerance, respect and a willingness to learn from other professional fields / titles, we can benefit from an immense pool of expertise.

Mission statement

Phoenix Institution GmbH

The aim of Phoenix Institution GmbH is to support and accompany people with psychosocial difficulties and the resulting behavioral coping strategies during a phase of their lives.

We offer space in small residential groups to practice acquiring lost everyday skills and to expand the range of life strategies. We provide support and guidance where we are needed and where the need arises. In all other areas, we give the residents as much freedom as possible.

In principle, we are convinced that most of our residents know what the best solution to a problem is for them. Often, it's just a matter of bringing forgotten things back up to date and accompanying the steps to the first sense of achievement.

We are a team made up of people from different backgrounds, family systems, beliefs, training and life experiences.

But we agree on the following points:

• Not all people are equal, but all deserve the same appreciation.
We work with different people, our work is geared towards these differences.
• Conflicts are part of life. We deal with conflicts without losing respect for the other person.
We are aware that professionalism is made up of two essential factors:Training, studies, acquired specialist knowledge
• The way in which what has been learned is implemented
• We reject violence, including in the form of language, as a solution strategy
• Our team culture is characterized by respect, humour, transparency, respect and a willingness to deal with different values.
We constantly remind each other that small steps can lead to big changes.We consider topics such as religion, spirituality and lived forms of sexuality to be part of everyone's private sphere.

How do you proceed if you are interested in the Phoenix?

There are two options:

 

 

• Find out more on our website and print out all the forms you need for admission.
• Contact us by phone and find out about available places, the admission procedure, costs and other questions.

Tariff regulations

Category     Daily rate in CHF
Where 1            131.00           full board incl. meal allowance
Where 2            154.00            full board incl. meal allowance
Wo 3            164.00              full board incl. meal allowance

When the client enters, the daily rate "Living 3" is always charged. The comprehensive classification takes place after 1/ 2 year (3 months probationary period + 3 months assessment according to IBB).

The range of services includes:

 

 

• Accommodation incl. basic room facilities
• Supervision, accompaniment
• Internal employment
• Collaboration with the entire client system
• Debt restructuring (if possible)
• Use of laundry facilities
• Health care
• Internet access
• Liability insurance for damage (fire, water, burglary) caused to residents by third parties

The residents are responsible for their own meals.

These tariff regulations are an integral part of the residence contract.

Additional agreements are possible at the request of the cost bearer and must be agreed with the institution management.

Living

Our apartments offer space for 1 or 4 residents.

Each apartment has a kitchen, 1 bathroom with WC, 1 separate WC and a balcony. The rooms have basic furnishings (bed, table, chair and wardrobe) and can be furnished by the residents themselves.


Care concept of the Phoenix Institution

Note: for the sake of simplicity and better readability, only the masculine form is used in this document.

The care concept of the Phoenix Institution is divided into three phases (orientation - stay - and exit phase), which in turn are subdivided into themselves according to the individual descriptions. Further parts of the care are the residential group meetings and the 3 monthly general meetings, which will be launched from September 09 and at which both we from the team and the clients can express their concerns.

Orientation phase

The orientation phase lasts 4 months and is divided into two parts.

The first part (2 months) is mainly about getting to know the institution, the team, the reference person, the roommates and the rules. This part is a trial period for both sides. After 2 months, there is a meeting to determine whether you will stay at the Phoenix after the trial period or leave again.

The following 2 months are used either to find a suitable follow-up solution (if one of the two parties resigns) or to determine the structure of the stay, draw up daily, weekly and monthly plans and specify target agreements


Residence phase

In the residence phase, we work according to a principle based on four cornerstones:

 

 

1. Daily structure
2. Physical health
3. Finances
4. Social contacts and leisure time

We see these four cornerstones as the pillars of the individual and as a barometer for independence and satisfaction. The fewer of these cornerstones are "intact", the greater the risk of isolation, dissatisfaction, independence and dependence. We consider the following sequence of building up the cornerstones to be optimal. However, we always start where the clients feel motivated and would like to take a few steps further.

The respective work on a cornerstone is in turn divided into three sequences:

A) Initiate
B) Deepen
C) Conclude/Evaluate


1st cornerstone: Daily structure

As a rule, clients come to us who no longer have a daily structure and need to relearn how to engage with regular structures. On the one hand, this involves keeping to internal appointments at the institution and, on the other, looking for a job or occupation outside the institution of at least 40%. The process of looking for a suitable job is often very stressful for the clients, raises many fears, questions and doubts, and they often need days when they can "log off" from the subject of the day structure. Nevertheless, the daily structure is of fundamental importance. Having a task also means being able to discuss this task with other people and therefore being able to take part in conversations about work, annoying bosses and working hours, for example. We have noticed that this little bit of "normality" - as our clients call it - can make a big difference in terms of self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. There are also clients who come to us who, for various reasons, are no longer able to integrate into a "sheltered workplace" or something similar. They fall through all the cracks, bump into everything and can only fit into a system to a very limited extent. Most of them have been in clinics and institutions for many years. With these clients, our work consists of developing their "lifestyle" together with them, examining what structures exist in their daily routine and, above all, doing everything possible to ensure that these people can lead their lives without endangering or hurting themselves or others.

Here, too, we cannot work according to a specific support plan, but have to follow constantly changing paths together with the clients. The aim is also to maintain the quality of life in such a way that the client is well in everyday life.

 

 

• Initiate: Find a daily structure of at least 40%. If this is not possible (e.g. in the event of illness or complaints), define the personal lifestyle with the greatest possible exclusion of risk to self and others.
• Intensify: Adhere to the daily structure, reduce absences and delays if necessary. Or train and consolidate the new lifestyle, which is needed in the daily routine.
• Conclusion/evaluation: Evaluate the process and development.

2nd cornerstone: Physical health

We are convinced that a person's physical condition has a huge impact on their overall experience. As long as clients are dealing with chronic pain without findings, suboptimal medication settings, constant sleep disorders or similar, it will be difficult to look for a job with them or build up a circle of friends. In this phase, cooperation and exchange with general practitioners and/or psychiatrists or psychotherapists are central. The aim is to precisely define the "status quo", to differentiate between what can and cannot be changed and to train people to deal with the limitations that can no longer be changed - i.e. are chronic in the medical sense.

Adapting the diet is also part of this phase. The main aim here is to train a diet that is both beneficial to the individual's physical condition and in line with the limited budget of our clients.

 

 

• Initiate: Check your state of health. Are you due for treatment (teeth, gynecologist or other specialists)? Obtain cost approvals if necessary, provide nutritional advice with regard to budget planning
.
• Intensify: Approach and complete treatments, pay regular attention to diet, adjust medication, maintain sleep patterns.
• Completion/evaluation: Evaluate the process and development

3rd cornerstone: Finances

Most of our clients are in debt to a lesser or greater extent, no longer have an overview of their administrative affairs, do not know how to plan a budget or find it difficult to stick to it. This leads to reminders and debt collection, an increase in the mountain of debt and an even greater loss of self-esteem, often resulting in more and more isolation. We advise our clients and try to work out the best possible approach for them when it comes to paying off their debts. Debt restructuring is not always feasible, sometimes it is also about learning to live with the debt. Another step is to avoid incurring new debts and to learn to create a budget and live by it. Our experience is that many clients are relieved when they have a clear budget to guide them.

 

 

• Initiate: Clarify the financial situation. If possible, start debt restructuring, train administrative processes, process deferral requests, create budget plan.
• Intensify: Adhere to budget planning, pay bills regularly, continue to pursue debt restructuring.
• Close/evaluation: Evaluate process and development

4th cornerstone: Social contacts/leisure time

This phase is about maintaining the existing social network or building a new one. Many of our clients have been involved in various institutions for a number of years. They take part in projects launched by institutions. This always has a stabilizing factor and for many of the clients it is good to be able to exchange ideas with like-minded people. At a later stage - depending on the client's resources and interests - we find it important to reintegrate outside of institutional projects. To get to know people who are perhaps not "psychiatrically experienced" and who deal with completely different issues. This also allows you to experience that not everyone on the street recognizes that you come from a clinic. This in turn increases self-esteem and gives the impression of being part of this society, of being able to participate in social events and in life.

Statements from clients have inspired us to place more emphasis on this point. For example, one client told me with surprise that she had been attending a dance course for two months now and had already spoken to everyone there, and it had never been about illness or problems. She had also been asked because she was so good at certain dance steps. Her astonishment that she was not perceived as "ill", "strange" or "disturbed" and her joy that strangers wanted to learn something from her was an incredibly wonderful experience for us. The experience described is just an example and we have experienced many such situations.

 

 

• Initiate: "Inventory of the social network", support and, if necessary, initiate contact. Support in discussions with family members. Search for suitable hobbies, clubs or associations
.
• Deepen: Actively organize leisure activities, maintain contacts, maintain continuity.
• Completion/Evaluation: Evaluate process and development

The individual cornerstones described partly merge and complement each other, because we perceive people as a holistic individual and not divided into "cornerstones, phases or sections".

Our work is about focusing on certain topics and working, training and trying out these topics in a targeted manner. It is often the case that by working on one cornerstone, other issues dissolve. It can sometimes be the case that clients seem to stagnate in their development or in their work on the various issues and suddenly, for no apparent reason, they take a huge step forward.

We considered whether we should limit the phases in terms of time. In the end, we decided against it. With a time limit, we can no longer offer the high degree of individual work that is important to us and makes sense. We want to start where the clients show motivation and can and want to move forward (in the sense of de Shazer / solution-oriented approach and C. Rogers, who refers to "unconditional appreciation" as a driving force). From our experience, we know that breaks are always needed and that clients can also block progress. Sometimes changing a medication is enough to slow down the entire work process and we want to do justice to these factors.

In order to be able to reflect on the progress and clarify any questions that may arise, we maintain regular contact (email, telephone) with the funding agencies (if this is desired). Cost bearers who do not indicate a need for such semi-annual reports will only receive the exit report from us, which provides an insight into the overall progress and indicates what we consider important for the client in the future.

Once a year, a site meeting is held at our institution. If possible, this meeting should also be attended by the cost bearers and the most important reference persons outside the institution. Additional meetings may be held in the event of acute crises in which it is necessary to make new arrangements together in order to work out a new approach and then stabilize it.

Leaving phase

Sooner or later, many of our clients are faced with the question of leaving and it is important to initiate the leaving phase well.

The leaving phase lasts between three and nine months. This phase is about putting everything in place that is needed for an exit:

 

 

• Reschedule your budget
• Looking for an apartment
• Register and deregister
• Organize relocation
• Intensify therapy (if necessary)
• Saying goodbye in the shared flat
• Room cleaning and handover
• Organize train subscriptions, for example

It is also important in this phase to discuss all the cornerstones once again, to record the current status and to check where or whether there is a need to clarify and take care of details again.

We inform the external network, the doctors and/or psychiatrists involved and there should be close cooperation once again so that the clients have the best possible start after leaving us.

Sometimes clients are convinced that they need to leave now. Even if this is not always in our interest, we try to offer the best possible support. It is also important to us that clients know that the "leaving" project can be terminated at any time. We consider it crucial that our clients sometimes try out a step - as long as it doesn't take on an auto-aggressive character - so that they can experience for themselves whether they are ready or not.

If they resign and leave regularly, there is nothing to prevent them from re-entering later. We want to give our clients this security whenever possible.

In situations where we as an institution have had to terminate a client's contract, it is always possible to discuss re-entry. As a rule, additional agreements are then concluded, which must be signed by the client Reasons for termination on the part of the Phoenix Institution are, for example:

 

 

• Use of hard drugs
• Self-endangerment
• Violence against roommates, social workers or tenants in the neighborhood
• Self-harm (this depends on the recommendation of the treating psychiatrist)
• Refusal to cooperate on the smallest basis

We are not limiting ourselves to these 5 points. There are always new creations of sabotage and we reserve the right to give notice of termination for other reasons.

In the event of an irregular withdrawal, we will discuss the withdrawal procedure with the cost bearer and inform the psychiatrist and family doctor if necessary.

Residential group meetings

Reason for the residential group meetings

The residential group meeting serves on the one hand to address planning issues such as:

 

 

• Cleaning schedule
• Purchases
• Responsibilities for everyday jobs

On the other hand, we can also recognize conflicts at an early stage and initiate conciliatory discussions if necessary. We can also offer clients support in living together and help them to recognize dynamics that occur in residential groups and intervene in good time. Our clients all have their own life stories and, to a large extent, different diagnoses that can have an impact on everyday life. Here we try to mediate when there are difficulties in understanding each other, being tolerant of behaviors, etc.

Interval

The flat-sharing session usually takes place every two weeks.

The frequency can be deviated from if:

 

 

• Under-occupancy of the shared flat, e.g. only one client
• A shared flat in which everything is going well and the clients would like to reduce the number of sessions. In this case, however, a time frame is agreed when the selected self-management is reviewed again
.
• Loss of work by the person responsible for the residential group

Duration of the living group sessions

The living group session is mandatory for all clients. It lasts a minimum of 20 minutes. The duration of one hour should not be exceeded. A WG session can last longer if:

 

 

• you have decided to have a game night
• the plan is to cook and eat together
• There is a desire to tackle a topic in depth (nutrition planning, budget, making contacts, etc.)
• There is a major crisis that needs to be discussed (it is important to weigh things up carefully here. Sometimes, even in a crisis, it is better to make a stop and continue the discussion a day later)

The WG sessions are also an instrument where clients can raise their own concerns and discuss them together. Clients also have the opportunity to discuss any agenda items/topics for a plenary meeting in advance at a WG meeting so that they can raise their concerns with greater certainty at the plenary meeting.

Plenary meeting

Meaning and purpose of the plenary meeting

The plenary meeting should basically be an instrument that clients can use to raise and discuss concerns. These can be concerns to the social workers but also concerns to other clients in the Phoenix institution.

Discussing a concern at a general meeting is not an easy undertaking for some clients. Here, clients can learn to express their own opinion, find suitable wording, argue for a concern and deal with counter-arguments. The plenary meeting is also an instrument with which one can learn to accept the rejection of a request. We are convinced that clients usually have strong resources at their disposal and that it is often simply a matter of activating the right channel and offering them a platform to express themselves and develop something in an appropriate manner. Another key point is that we want to motivate clients to play their own part in shaping their everyday life and living situation and to distance themselves step by step from the attitude "This and that is my right, bring it to me" and "I'm here, entertain me".

Duration and interval of the plenary session

A plenary session should last no shorter than 20 minutes and no longer than 1 hour. This provides enough time to discuss issues. After the plenary meeting, there is still time to have a drink and exchange ideas if there is a need, but this is optional.

The plenary meeting takes place every three months.