Contributed by: Vanja Mikulic and Irena Milatovic, Montenegro National VAW Monitors

So far in Montenegro, there have been very little positive experiences related to inter-professional cooperation, which has created a high level of inefficiency of state institutions in solving the problem of violence in the family.

Activists of SOS hotlines have realized that the precondition for improving the inter-professional cooperation is education of officials from various institutions about the problem of violence against women, but as well as education in fields of work and possibilities within other professions. Therefore, in 2003, the SOS Hotline Podgorica has started the project for the development of inter-professional cooperation in municipalities Podgorica, Berane, Bijelo Polje and Ulcinj, with the support of Foundation Open Society Institute - Representative Office Montenegro (FOSI ROM).

Organizing common seminars and working meetings in local communities, which provided an opportunity for mutual personal introduction, proved to be the most effective way of introducing each other, their ways and contents of work, and recognizing mechanisms for joint cooperation. Participants of the seminars/working meetings included officials from the Ministry of the Interior (Police departments), courts, centres for social work, Local Administration, Health institutions and NGOs dealing with the problem of violence against women and children - SOS Hotlines from municipalities Podgorica, Berane, Bijelo Polje and Ulcinj.

The aim of realized meetings and seminars was to introduce participants to legislation, experts’ skills, moral and professional-ethnics dilemmas of experts in their attempts to solve the problem of violence in family, and commonly searching the process of the others (such as: NGOs, family, local community…) who can provide help and support, and upon whom medical workers can lean.

During the realization of this program for development of inter-professional cooperation, the need for the establishment of multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), which will work on solving the problem of violence in family within their local communities, has been clearly defined.

Due to the mention above, SOS hotlines established working teams at the local - community level, and together with members of multi-disciplinary teams, participated in defining the mission, aims and objectives, programs and activities of MDTs, as well as in development of concrete programs and projects which will be implemented by MDTs.

Signing the Memorandum of Cooperation among SOS hotlines and relevant institutions and formation of MDTs create conditions for the successful elimination of violence against women. The present MDTs are the starting force and, at the time, the only relevant recourses on which future programs could be based, as the reform of entire system in the process of strengthening and protection of victims, survivors of violence.

The mission of the multi-disciplinary team is to reduce violence against women, children and the elderly in local communities through more effective cooperation among competent institutions (Ministry of Interior, Courts, Prosecutor’s Office, Centres for Social Work, Local Governments and Health Institutions) and NGOs,in solving concrete cases of violence, initiating amendments of laws and their enforcement in practice, as well as increasing the level of public awareness about the importance of violence as a social problem.

Source: SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Podgorica