In the second half of June 2021, the HAO team organised at the headquarters of the Services Center for Supported Employment from Constanța a workshop dedicated to the parents of young adults with disabilities who are members of the support group created by us within the project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability”- LEAD.
The meeting was facilitated by Alina Dobrescu, psychologist, and Coordinator of the Supported Employment Programme and it was an excellent opportunity for our colleague to provide emotional and informational support to parents who face various problems in the relationships with their children.
On this occasion, Alina highlighted that the parents have to understand the importance of the participation of their children in the decision-making process with impact on their lives. In this context, our colleague talked about various practical ways in which young adults can be involved in this process. Also, Alina explained to the parents why it is important to maintain their emotional balance, while pointing out the dangers of focusing exclusively on their child’s needs.
“Unfortunately, few parents are also pay attention to themselves, to their own needs and desires; most parents consider that it is a sign of selfishness on their part if they do not pay full attention to the needs of their child. Over time, such behavior leads to physical and nervous exhaustion. Here, at our meetings, parents are helped to find the best solutions to the difficulties they face every day, they receive emotional support, and they have the opportunity to interact with other parents in similar situations. Our meetings contribute to the development of a sense of belonging to the support group created within the LEAD project. These parents and relatives of the young adults with disabilities understand that they are not alone”, highlighted Alina.
In her opinion: “Interventions at the level of the support group improve the psychological state of adults and, as a consequence, the emotional availability of parents in the relationship with the child will increase, which will contribute to the well-being state of the family.”
