SOLACE-CEE in Sofia: Advancing Together in Integrated Care
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, became the venue for our SOLACE-CEE project meeting in the last week of June 2025. Health and Social Development organization welcomed all partners. More than 20 people from seven organization: DEDO Foundation, All for family (VPR), Casa Ioana, Health and Social Development (HESED), Metropolitan research Institute (MRI), Housing First Poland Foundation and Hungarian Maltese Charity Service came together with a single goal – to seek further direction for the integration of health and social care.
3 days full of presentations, valuable discussions, insights combined with practical demonstrations
The three-day program included meetings, workshops, discussions, and visits directly to the communities where Health and Social Development (HESED) operates. Our common goal was to advance the development of an integrated care model that responds to the needs of homeless people, families in crisis situations, and individuals with complex needs. We focused on exchanging experiences, sharing data from joint research, and future planning.
Day 1: Data, Insights, Discussions and Workshop
The meeting kicked off with presentations of the current status of project activities among all participating partners. Each team presented their successes, challenges, and progress achieved at the local level.
A key point of the day was the presentation of results from the Needs Assessment questionnaire survey, which we conducted at the local level in spring 2025. This data provided valuable insights into the needs of target groups.
In the second half of the day, we delved deeper into the topic of integrated care – what it means in practice, how it could function, and what we need for it. The end of the day was dedicated to a workshop exercise focused on case studies through Brain Trust Methodology. The results brought new perspectives on solving situations of specific clients from practice.
Day 2: Discussion with Frontline Workers and Community Visits
On the second day of the program, we exchanged meeting rooms for the field. We started the morning with a brief introduction to HESED’s work – an organization that has long worked with people with experience of homelessness and families in crisis.
The discussion with a general practitioner and nurse who work daily with clients in the field was enriching. Their experiences with building trust and overcoming barriers between health and social services were very inspiring for participants.
We got insight into the organization’s daily work with different groups of clients. We saw how their wide spectrum of services functions. From caring for the youngest children in preschool programs, through support for mothers with children, to work with teenagers.
In the afternoon, we took an exploratory tour of the ghetto where HESED operates. We saw not only living conditions but also specific facilities that function in these locations. At the end, we also visited one of the facilities in the broader center of Sofia.
Day 3: Discussions, Planning and Discovering Sofia
On the third day, we moved to the center of Sofia, where a lecture and discussion with a pediatrician awaited us. She regularly comes to one of HESED’s facilities and provides healthcare. She spoke not only about her work but also about the challenges it brings.
This was followed by a communication meeting and in the afternoon also a Steering Committee session, where we jointly planned the next steps of the project and prepared for the launch of pilots. Before leaving Sofia, we still managed to visit the historic center. We started at St. Sofia Cathedral and continued following the traces of Bulgarian history and culture.
This meeting confirmed that real change only occurs through cooperation. The integration of health and social services represents more than just technical innovation. It is a fundamental change in approaching humans as a whole, with respect for their needs, life context, and potential.
Our joint effort moves us forward in building a better future for the most vulnerable groups of our society.
