SPIN CZ (CR)

Who we are

SPIN CZ was established in 1993 in Prague as a non-profit and non-govermental organization and as a result of the VIT introduction in the Czech Republic. VIT was introduced in the country by Orbis Pictus (see Jarabee).

Since 1993, trainers and supervisors of SPIN trained hundreds of professionals in different types of organizations, e.g. social work, education (from pre-school, primary education to university education), youth care, health care, elderly people care etc.

In 2007 there are about 150 active VIT practitioners, 15 supervisors, and about 30 participants in the VIT trainings.

SPIN CZ is supported by the government of the Czech Republic (Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health Care). SPIN CZ has played a leading role in the integration of ICT in the VIT method. In 2005 SPIN CZ developed a CD-Rom for teachers, which was widely spread throughout primary education in the Czech Republic.

In this project SPIN CZ will provide its knowledge and experiences regarding the integration of VIT and ICT. SPIN CZ is responsible for the development of the new ICT tools and the international website portal (see work packages).

SPIN CZ is very much interested in participating in an active, structured international network in order to exchange knowledge, experience and research as well as development and utilization of the European training standards and standards of good practice.

In addition to its long term cooperation with Dutch organisations, SPIN has good working relationships with the Hungarian VIT trainers, because SPIN CZ supported Orbis Pictus during the VIT introduction in Hungary. From 1996 there is also continuous and intensive cooperation between SPIN CZ and UK partner.

What we believe in

We believe in such a practice, which focuses on what an individual is already doing that is successful. The goal of all interactions between practitioner and client is to identify and support every individual’s strengths and resources.

We believe, that strengths exist in the individual, family and in their larger environment.

We believe in a professional work in partnership to utilize these resources to support lasting change.

We believe, that strengths-based practice offers a clear alternative to the usual pathology-based approaches that focus on the diagnosis and treatment of dysfunction to remediate or “fix” problems.

What we do

• VIT education and training: workshops, introduction courses, tranings of trainees, training of supervisors, intervision groups;
• Courses for developing staff: various „in-house“ courses using VIT tools and methodology to support good quality of communication in organizations;
• Development of VIT methodology: to support good quality of practice in various areas of social work, health care and education (VIT for multiproblem families, VIT for families with child with special needs, VIT for foster parenting, VIT for caregivers for elderly people, VIT for caregivers of people with dementia, VIT for teachers in primary education.....)
• Publishing video and written materials for professionals and general public;
• Implementation of VIT on the national level: continual supervision support, regional intervision groups, national conferencies, development of ICT tools, ...
• Active participation in cooperation between organizations and individuals on international level with the goal of exchanging best practice to establish high quality international standards.

Contact us

SPIN – National Centre for VTI
Ke Kamyku 686/2
142 00 Praha 4
tel/fax: 00420 241714650
e-mail:spin@spin-vti.cz
www.spin-vti.cz
contact person: Katerina Silhanova
e-mail: silhanova@spin-vti.cz