Today, within the framework of the World Day of Social Work, the First National Forum of Social Workers “Empowering Social Workers” was held.
This forum was organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Order of Social Workers in Albania with the support of UNICEF through the program “No one left behind”, financed by the Swiss Agency for International Cooperation and Development and the European Union through EU4SI.
In her speech, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Albana Koçiu, emphasized the importance of further strengthening the role of social workers in the country’s vital sectors.
She underlined that the Ministry of Health, together with the Order of Social Workers, has been lobbying for the inclusion of social workers in the judicial system, with the novelty being the inclusion of social workers as court experts.
“We have worked hard to open up work fronts in important sectors, and I am not only talking about primary health care, but also hospital care, education and training. The innovation is the inclusion of social workers in the justice system, and we will have to lobby hard to include them in the organizational culture of public administration institutions,” Minister Koçiu declared.
According to her, social workers can contribute to the improvement of the working environment in public administration.
“With us, the world is moving forward, the country and the society are getting better, families are getting better, and we are creating a livable, solidary country where we all stand together, with no one left behind, and I am convinced that we will continue to make successful cases,” Koçiu emphasized. In the justice system, there are about 100 social workers part of the structures for children in conflict with the law, the courts, the penal system, etc.
During this activity, Minister Koçiu presented three certificates of appreciation to Gëzim Tushe, Julinda Vokopola and Klaudio Pulaha for their contribution to the enhancement of the values of the social work profession in our country.