Family training in the Heisenholz day center

Learning to trust by getting to know each other

Zurich has a diverse urban society with a high percentage of migrants. The outpatient and inpatient care of children and teenagers at the Heizenholz Day Center is mainly concerned with changes in the family, at school or elsewhere that have posed seemingly insurmountable challenges. To overcome these challenges the facility first identifies which aspect needs to change by involving the parents and the involved agencies in the process . In the second step, the facility develops joint perspectives with all stakeholders. In this process, trust in the facility is essential. This step of building trust in everyday life and beginning from the first contact is reflected in regular training sessions, and accompanied by online coaching.

Developing common perspectives for change and helping families achieve goals  

The overarching goals of the coaching sessions are respectful interactions between all actors, recognition of experiences and attempts at solutions, utilization of potentials, promotion of personal responsibility, management of disputes, formulation and review of goals, needs orientation and responsible use of resources.

Building trust for families from collectivistic structures through authority using a narrative facility perception  

Through regular training and coaching, facility management and staff will learn the cultural differences between individualistic and collectivistic social structures and the related notions of authority and hierarchies. Through a consistent democratic and authoritarian attitude in conflict situations, positive narratives are created in the milieus, neighborhoods and migrant communities in the narrative facility perception. This leads to the building of trust and a functioning partnership in coping with the processes of change within the families and for the children and adolescents. 

inter 3 will accompany this innovation process and develop typical characteristics for successful cooperation with parents from educationally disadvantaged milieus and with collectivist educational models as part of an open research approach.