Three ways, one goal: The components

Psychological help directly at the job centre

In the 3for1 project, psychologists offer up to 10 sessions, each lasting up to 50 minutes.

The initial sessions with the psychologists help you gaining a first understanding of your psychological symptoms and working out realistic opportunities for change. Afterwards, the psychologists support you in determining personal goals for the intervention. The psychologists will tailor subsequent sessions to you and your individual needs. The psychological consultations can be useful in gaining a different perspective on yourself and your issues, as well as developing healthy coping mechanisms for your symptoms.

Thoughts and worries regarding your job search can also be a topic. Depending on your needs, the psychologists can inform you about various topics, such as what is meant by "depression", what contributes to the development of symptoms, or how to calm yourself down in case of panic and anxiety. Another starting point is to provide you with new strategies for dealing with stressful feelings, states of tension or crises and to practice them together. Sometimes it can also be helpful to work out patterns in your emotional experience, behaviour or relationships and relate them to life events. Basically, the more you engage and the greater your motivation to change and address your problems, the more you will be able to take away from the intervention with the support of the psychologists.

If treatment beyond the intervention is helpful for you, the psychologists will support you in finding suitable further treatment.

 

Support on equal footing

Peer navigators are individuals who experienced personal crises and mental illness (as well as frequently unemployment) themselves. They have learned to cope with these challenges. Peer navigators want to accompany individuals like you on equal footing during challenging times and to support you to tackle challenges of everyday life. Based on your individual needs, meetings can be scheduled once or twice a week.

Meeting with you peer navigator, you can discuss together what the peer navigator can help you with. Topics could be, for instance, setting new goals or making decisions. Other topics could be coping with everyday tasks such as accompaniment to appointments with doctors, local authorities, or support groups, as well as accompaniment for other types of activities.

The main motto of peer support is: helping you to help yourself. You take action and your peer navigators guides and supports you during your first steps.

 

Accompaniment in searching for work and at the workplace

The 3for1-Projekt implements the approach of "supported employment". Its motto: "first place, then train". This means that the job coaches support you individually and unconditionally in finding a job in the primary labour market that suits you and your situation. Furthermore, the job coaches continue to support you at your new workplace. The job coaches are usually trained social workers.

The support is tailored to your personal needs and could include compiling/revising your application documents, finding a suitable workplace, accompaniment to job interviews, visits at your new workplace, as well as supporting you in addressing arising issues at work.

Job coaches support and complement the work of your employment officer at the job centre. They are not only your advocate, but also an intermediary between you, the job centre and the new workplace. These mediation meetings usually happen in joint meetings with you because we always aim to talk with you, not about you.