In the fight against the search
Around a quarter of all employees in the laufer muhle and the social operations are so-called ex-users. Ex-users are former addicts who, after successfully completing therapy, make their knowledge of addiction available to all those who come after them to the sociotherapeutic facility of the laufer muhle. But experience alone is not enough for a therapeutic qualification. Therefore, in 1998, the laufer muhle first thought about how to add professional expertise to purely empirical competence. These considerations led to the development of the "sociotherapeutic assistant" (STA), which has now been officially recognized for several years by the nurnberg academy of industry and commerce for central franconia as an "IHK certificate course".
No recognition as skilled workers
The ex-users in the laufer muhle are still fighting for another recognition. Despite their expertise, they are still regarded as auxiliaries by the cost bearers, which is naturally reflected in their financial categorization and deployment possibilities. The ex-user team around michael thiem wants to achieve a recognition at least as "part-skilled". For a long time now, they have been promoting this event to the politicians who visit the laufer muhle. After all, almost all of the federal drug commissioners have already been guests at the event.
The participants of this certification course were happy about this partial recognition, but even now, since this has not yet been achieved, they are going through the course with full commitment and great enthusiasm. "All the graduates before me have told me that the 'STA' has also helped them a great deal personally and in coming to terms with their addiction," reports one participant. By studying subjects such as psychology, sociology, addiction theories and therapeutic methods, as well as language skills, social legislation and similar topics, they were able to understand their addiction much better and, in combination with their own successful therapy, developed competencies that help them to help others who do not yet have the insight and willingness to undergo therapy.
Sponsors provide educational opportunities
Baris kece, this year's graduate, summed up the experience with the following words: "i have taken away many aha-effects for myself and have understood many things i never thought about before. I have slowly and literally come to my own senses."The "new" players thanked the graduates of earlier years, who accompanied them throughout the years, for their example and respect, and the sponsors for making such an educational opportunity possible.
The STA course 2020-2021 was also affected by corona, but now the certificate ceremony could take place. This year, the district councilor and representative of the district for the needs of people with disabilities, lydia bauer-hechler (grune), conducted the ceremony. Also present were district councilor ute salzner ( CSU ) and anne wedel-klein from the management martin bauer group. The latter has been supporting the laufer muhle in many ways for years; anne wedel-klein donated the proceeds from a lecture for STA certification. Markus odorfer came to represent the IHK academy, and martin wirsching, head of the state vocational school in herzogenaurach, came to represent the schools where the stalers do prevention work. Sigrid thiem represented the friends of the laufer muhle, who supported the financing of the course from the very beginning.
Michael thiem regrets that the official recognition of the important function of stalwarts, who act as valuable role models, has still not progressed after so many years, and asked politicians and decision-makers to continue to support this project.