Seminars and quality development

This seminar provides a first insight into the topic of flight and asylum in Austria by clarifying important terms and definitions and presenting current facts and figures.

In the seminar, participants can then either be sensitised to the topic of flight and asylum with a subsequent reflection on common prejudices and opinions, or discuss the living conditions of asylum seekers and the asylum procedure in Austria (e.g. basic care, daily allowance, employment opportunities).

The aim of the seminar is to provide an introduction to the topic of “unaccompanied minor refugees” (UMR, in German: UMF, Unbegleitete, minderjährige Flüchtlinge) in Austria. In addition to current facts and figures on the topic of unaccompanied minor refugees, the special circumstances leading to flight of refugee minors and their living situation in Austria will be discussed. Furthermore, the everyday situation of UMR in Austria is discussed: In this regard, accommodation and custody play a major role.

In addition, the following questions are dealt with:

• How does the asylum procedure and age assessment work with UMR?
• What about access to education for unaccompanied minor refugees?
• When is family reunification possible and what needs to be considered when minors reach the age of majority?

This seminar aims at an introduction to intercultural counselling, expansion of the concept of culture, concepts of belonging and identity, sensitisation regarding one’s own patterns of thought and perception, and intercultural communication.

Encountering and dealing with fellow citizens and clients from different countries of origin can be exciting and enriching and at the same time it presents us with a number of challenges.

The ability to “communicate interculturally” is becoming more important than ever in times of diverse migration and refugee flows, especially in the psychosocial work environment. By means of self-reflection and with the help of practical examples, we will approach the topic of “intercultural communication” and try to address it through concrete questions and possibilities for action.

The concept of culture will be addressed as well as the basics of human communication in order to be able to grasp what is special about intercultural communication.

This seminar strengthens the ability to deal with irritations, foreignness, fear, ambiguity and contradictions in unfamiliar situations and envisages a joint development of appropriate and individually adapted intervention strategies and techniques.

Reflection on the practice of intercultural counselling and possibilities to implement it in the context of professional intercultural and diversity-oriented psychosocial counselling.

Diverse migration and refugee flows and the accompanying changes in Austrian society also pose a multitude of challenges for the staff of psychosocial institutions.

For those affected, migration and flight almost always mean a confrontation with an exceptional psychological and physical situation that often cannot be resolved even after the life situation in Austria has apparently stabilised.

The affected people seek help and support and have become regular clients in many psychosocial institutions. But how can counselling or therapy succeed when there are not only language communication problems, but also differences in cultural understanding?

This seminar approaches this question through self-reflection and case studies in order to replace stereotypes and clichés with culturally sensitive knowledge and to develop adequate possibilities for action.

In addition, the role of mother-tongue counsellors and interpreters as well as the development and impact of traumatisation will be addressed.

This seminar is about reflecting on the experience of traumatic events and the manifold after-effects.

• What is trauma and when do we speak of post-traumatic stress disorder as a diagnosis?
• What happens in the brain and what are the treatment options?

Working with traumatised clients presents counsellors and caregivers with special challenges.

On the one hand, there is a need for meeting those affected with the right understanding and for strategies to be able to support them in everyday life and in crisis situations.

On the other hand, people who deal with traumatised people in a professional context, have to pay close attention to their own state of mind in order to remain capable of acting and to protect themselves from being overwhelmed and from feelings of powerlessness and the phenomenon of secondary traumatisation.

Building on case studies and self-reflection, helpful strategies for dealing with those affected will be developed and ways and means of psychological hygiene will be highlighted.

This seminar provides a basic introduction to the systematics of Austrian migration law. Participants will get an overview of the most important material laws and their contents. The seminar is therefore suitable for all persons who are interested in the legal aspects of the topic of migration and would like to learn more about the legal framework in this area.

Concrete contents are:

• Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz (Settlement and Residence Act)
• Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz (Employment of Foreign Nationals Act)
• Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz (Citizenship Act)
• Asylgesetz (Asylum Act)
• Grundversorgung, Steiermärkisches Betreuungsgesetz (Basic care, Styrian Care Act)

We are happy to offer you tailor-made seminar packages, which we plan individually with you in advance!