HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje - Services and Assistance

Target groups which the organization works with:

Sex workers, people using drugs and their families

Assistance and services the organization offers

1.Legal service:
-Free legal aid in several areas – human rights, criminal law, civil and economic law, family law, law on committing offence, administrative law, discrimination etc. Services are being offered in the form of advice, guidance, preparing of documentation, accompaniment to institutions and through procedures, advocacy at competent courts of law regarding strategic cases where severe violation of human rights and discrimination is present. Documenting cases of violation of human rights which is an essential tool when it comes to data collection, following trends of rights violation, analysis and creating arguments for advocacy for condition’s improvement, as well as preparation of shadow reports aimed for international organs and organizations.

Free legal aid according to law:

• initial legal advice regarding the right of using free legal advice,
• general legal information,
• general legal advice,
• help regarding completion of the request on secondary legal aid,
• help in filling out forms, official forms issued by and administrative institution during an administrative procedure regarding social protection and children’s rights protection; retirement, disability and health insurance; protection of victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence; procedure for enrolment in the registry book of a new-born; obtaining personal identification documents and citizenship,
• submitting a petition to the Commission for protection against discrimination and to the Ombudsman as well as requests on protection of freedoms and rights to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia.

2. Social services:
Information and counselling regarding the necessary documentation for exercising social protection rights, health protection, children’s protection in order to overcome the basic social risks which the individual is facing with. Motivating clients in reporting cases and accompaniment to institutions.

3.Psychological and psychiatric services:
This service includes ventilation and supportive psychotherapy, counselling on therapeutic models and approach in drug addiction, individualistic transactional analysis psychotherapy, individual counselling and group work, work with people who use drugs and with their families; individual counselling with sex workers.

4.Pedagogical services
This services includes work with children whose parents use drugs and it is related to literacy, socialization, group and individual educational workshops with children, assistance in doing the homework from the scope of regular schooling, developing everyday skills (hygienics habits, children etiquette), adoption of basic educational terminology, creative workshops, organizing events etc.

5.Medical services

• Evaluation of the general health condition, simple treatment of injuries as a result of from long-term and irregular injection procedures, education and counselling on types of drugs, harmful consequences due to drug use, HIV/AIDS prevention, Hepatitis B and C as well as other blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections;
• Encouraging clients for treatments according to the existing models of treating drug addictions in RM;
• Information on sexual and reproductive health

6. Exchange of injection equipment, distribution of condoms and informative material

• distribution of sterile injection equipment,
• returning of already used injection equipment,
• distribution of condoms

7. Paralegal support
Paralegal support consists of counselling, informing and motivating people who are difficult to reach to and who use drugs in order to realize their rights through peer education. It also includes creation of condition of sobriety.

Office hours

Program for reduction on drug related harms

1.Drop in center in Kisela Voda:
Office hours: 10 am – 2 pm on workdays
Phone: 02 3130 058
Services: service for equipment exchange, social, medical and legal service, HIV counselling and testing, creative workshops, educational events

2.Drop in center in Shuto Orizari:
Office hours: 10 am – 2 pm on workdays
Phone: 02 5211734
Services: service for equipment exchange, social, medical and legal service, HIV counselling and testing, creative workshops, educational events

3.Field work team:
Office hours: 7.30 am – 10 am and 11 am – 3 pm on workdays
Phone: 075 76 99 48
Services: service for equipment exchange, social and medical service

4. Field work team for minors using drugs:
Field work activities twice - three times per week

5.Day care rehabilitation and resocialization center for people using drugs and their families:
Office hours: 10 am – 3 pm on workdays
Phone: 02 511 2684
Services: psychologist, psychiatrist, creative workshops, educational events

6. Paralegal support
Team: paralegals
Services: field work education

Support program for sex workers and their families

1. Day care support center for sex workers
Office hours: 1pm – 5 pm on workdays
Phone: 02 2630 499
Services: distribution of condoms and lubricants, social and legal service, psychologist, HIV counselling and testing, service for equipment exchange, educational events, use of washing machine, shower, meal

2. Field work teams for sex workers
Phone: 02 2630 499
Team: social worker and field work member of the team
Services: distribution of condoms and lubricants, social service

Paralegal assistance
Phone: 02 2630 499
Team: paralegals
Service: legal aid and field work education

Free legal aid according to law: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 3 pm.

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Contact information

Association HOPS – Healthy options project Skopje

48/1-6 Hristo Smirnenski street, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Phone: +389 (0)2 3 246 205

E-mail: hops@hops.org.mk  

Website: www.hops.org.mk