Indicator 1(B): What housing options are available for people with mental disabilities?
Conclusion:
Social care institutions remain the predominant housing option provided by the government to people with mental disabilities. Many ‘community-based’ residential services reflect an institutional model, and some are within the grounds of larger social care or psychiatric institutions.
Explanation:
The main forms of accommodation made available to people with mental disabilities are various forms of social care institutions. The types of institutions include homes for adults and children with intellectual disabilities, homes for adults with psycho-social disabilities, homes for adults with dementia and homes for medical and social care for children (see Glossary). These institutions are funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy or directly by the Ministry of Finance, and managed at the municipal level. Homes for medical and social care for children are funded and managed by the Ministry of Health.
Bulgarian law also recognises family-type residential centres, transitional homes and protected homes as other forms of residential services (see Glossary). Whilst these are presented as ‘community-based services’[18] and the capacity of each is between 6 and 10 places, they represent an institutional model of congregate accommodation. They are usually full and there are substantial waiting lists. Some of the residential services are located in the yards of social care homes or psychiatric hospitals.[19]
Monitoring conducted by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee revealed the institutional nature of some protected homes. They found that new walls were inserted into rooms and corridors in some social care institutions, with the newly constructed spaces being designated as ‘protected homes’.[20] The home for persons with intellectual disabilities in Goren Chiflik illustrates this. The institution, which has some ninety residents, incorporates a so-called ‘Centre for Placement – Family-type residential centre’, which accommodates 15 persons.[21] It is part of the larger institution.
[18] Bulgaria, Regulations for Implementation of Social Assistance Act, Art. 36, para.2, item 7, available in Bulgarian at http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/-13038592 (last accessed: 23 September 2014).
[19] Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights in Bulgaria in 2011, Annual report of the BHC (Sofia, March 2012), 55, available at http://www.bghelsinki.org/media/uploads/annual_reports/2011-en.pdf (last accessed: 23 September 2014).
[20] Slavka Kukova, “Fundamental Rights situation of persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities: desk report Bulgaria”, Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), 31 August 2012, 50, available at http://www.humanconsultancy.com/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc={0303D8AA-C1B3-4AF1-BEC5-D412AFE1BF6D}&file=BG_FRA_MH%20-%20final.doc&action=default (last accessed: 23 September 2014).
[21] See the findings of monitoring conducted by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee between 2008 and 2009: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Needs assessment of the structures involved in the process of deinstitutionalisation, Monitoring Report: August 2008 - August 2009, 133, available in Bulgarian at http://issuu.com/bghelsinki/docs/needs_assessment_2009-1-/133 (last accessed: 23 September 2014).