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This review paper focuses on self-help strategies for helpers of different professions, but with an emphasis on counselor self-help strategies and challenges. At the very beginning of the work, the term self-care was defined and self-help strategies were explained. It is explained in the paper that self-care_a strategies include activities that achieve an optimal balance in the field of mental and physical health of helpers. For this reason, special attention was paid to the creation and maintenance of these strategies in the work. Activities in the function of self-help, in terms of their content and manner of performance as well as time commitment, have the purpose of providing the helper with relaxation, entertainment and emotional well-being. The paper describes the challenges of reconciling the business and family role of helpers as possible obstacles to maintaining a healthy boundary between work and family and an effective self-help and self-support strategy. The main postulates for reflecting the helper's self-help strategies are explained, with an emphasis on the sources of support that the work organization should provide and the activities that the helper can take personally. At the end of the paper, guidelines for the application of self-help strategies of professional helpers are described in order to encourage the improvement of regular use of effective self-help and self-support strategies.

This review paper offers a definition and explanation of the self-care concept as one of the basic ways of developing and nurturing professional and personal capacities and maintaining healthy boundaries between the professional and personal life of helpers. The paper also emphasizes the ethical components of self-care as an imperative for helpers to take care of their own mental and physical health. Challenges for the development and maintenance of skills and conditions for the sustainability of self-care in the helping professions are described and analyzed from the perspective of personal responsibility and the institution's obligation to ensure healthy working conditions and professional growth and development. Introduction to the self-care concept and comparative analysis is presented through the presentation of various, mostly foreign studies that have monitored the effects of self-care on the overall health of helpers and their professional effects. The paper also describes the adverse consequences of the lack of self-care skills and activities that encourage it. It also emphasizes the negative effects on the health of the helpers and their work potential. In conclusion, guidelines are defined for the development and maintenance of the helper's self-care, important both for his satisfaction in personal life and especially in professional success and self-actualization.

SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG PERSONS AT RISK OF DROPPING OUT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM: RESULTS OF THE SLOVENIAN PROGRAMME PROJECT LEARNING FOR YOUNG ADULTS In order to understand the phenomenon of dropping out of the education system, it is important to direct scientific and professional interest on understanding the lifestyle of these young persons from their perspective. The concept of social vulnerability of the youth is useful for that purpose, as it explores risk factors in various life circumstances of young persons, based on which approaches and programmes focused on prevention of dropping out, solving the problems of droputs and unemployed young persons are developed. The programme Project Learning for Young Adults combines both approaches and is based on an individualised, holistic and structured way of working with vulerable young persons. It consists of three levels of project activities: elective, individual and interest based with the aim of developing working habits, team work, self-confidence and career interests in order to reintegrate young adults in the education system and promote their entering the labour market and social inclusion. The programme has been active for 25 years in the Republic of Slovenia and it has included over 1,370 young adults. It has been financed by the European Social Fund. Key words: vulnerable youth, drop-out, NEET population, project learning for young adults.

ABSTRACT Social work represents an applied profession and academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, empowerment and emancipation of individuals. This paper aimed to gain an insight into the perspective of social workers on working conditions and social attitudes towards the profession, with recommendations from professionals for advancing its current position. The thematic analysis was applied within a qualitative research framework. Research results indicated negative perceptions on working conditions among research participants – social workers in Croatia – pinpointing issues, such as financial insecurity, understaffing, inadequate office space, shortage of business vehicles for field visits, an excessive scope of work and administrative burden, disrespect for social workers' dignity, and difficulties in establishing cooperation with service users. Social workers' recommendations for addressing these issues concerned: improving working conditions (amendments to the legal framework, employment of professional staff and professional training), improving workplace security (reinforcing the public official status and increasing security staff), and promoting the social work profession, involving enhanced media relations, consistent communication and raising public awareness through best practices from the organisations and institutions in the system. Key words: social work; working conditions; perspectives; society

FACTORS' STRUCTURE OF CROATIAN VERSION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE »BOUNDARY FLEXIBILITY OF WORK AND FAMILY ROLE The aim of this paper was to verify the factor structure and metric characteristics of the Croatian version of the questionnaire »Boundary Flexibility« (Matthews & Barnes-Farrell, 2010.). The survey was conducted on a convenient sample of 187 employed parents of underage children. In the data analysis, factor analysis and Spearman correlation coefficient were used. The three-factor structure of the questionnaire was obtained: the first factor »Family plans adjustment to the job requirements« contains six items (Cronbach alfa = 0.891), indicating readiness of respondents to adjust family plans to job requirements. The second factor in »Job requirements adjustment to the family role« (Cronbach alpha = 0.814) contains eight items, which point out the ability and willingness of respondents to adjust their job requirements to family obligations. The third factor, »Possibility of increased engagement at work without major difficulties in performing family obligations«, contains four items (Cronbach alpha = 0.784), and refers to the respondents' ability to meet increased demands at work, without adverse effects and significant difficulties in the family role. Given that the extracted sub-scales are not fully matched to the factor structure of the original questionnaire, the obtained results point out to certain specifics in the application of the Croatian version of this questionnaire. Verification of the metric characteristics has shown the satisfactory reliability of the obtained sub-scales and the possibility of further application of this instrument. Key words: work-family role balance, boundary flexibility, metric characteristics of the questionnaire.

Rad prikazuje istraživanje koje je imalo za cilj utvrditi dostupnost socijalnih prava i usluga za obitelji u općinama u ruralnim područjima Hrvatske. Specifično su postavljena tri problema istraživanja: 1) utvrditi dostupnost određenih socijalna prava i usluga za obitelji, 2) utvrditi postoje li razlike u dostupnosti s obzirom na regionalnu pripadnost i razvojna obilježja općine te 3) utvrditi postoje li razlike u standardima kvalitete socijalnih prava i usluga s obzirom na regionalnu pripadnost općine i razvojna obilježja općine. Podaci su prikupljeni web anketom s predstavnicima 215 općina. Obiteljima su u većoj mjeri dostupna socijalna prava u odnosu na socijalne usluge. U najvećoj mjeri razvijena su prava i usluge koje promovira središnja državna vlast. Općine u panonskoj regiji kao najslabije razvijenoj imaju najviše dostupna socijalna prava, a najmanje dostupne socijalne usluge. Prava i usluge su dostupnije u općinama koje su bliže središtima županija. Što se tiče standarda kvalitete socijalnih prava i usluga, stanovništvo je zadovoljavajuće informirano i uključeno u planiranje, dok je slabije razvijeno korištenje EU fondova i uključenost civilnog društva. ; The paper presents a research on the availability of social rights and services for families in the municipalities in rural areas of Croatia. Specifically, three research questions were raised: 1) to determine the availability of certain social rights and services for families, 2) to determine whether there are differences in accessibility with regard to regional affiliation and developmental characteristics of the municipality, and 3) to determine whether there are differences in the quality standards of social rights and services given the regional affiliation and the developmental characteristics of the municipality. Data were collected through a web survey with representatives of 215 municipalities. Social rights are more available to families than social services. The most available rights and services are those promoted by the central government. Municipalities in the Pannonian region, as the least developed ones, have the most available social rights and the least available social services. Rights and services are more available in municipalities closer to the county centers. As regards the quality standards of social rights and services, the population is sufficiently informed and involved in planning, while the use of EU funds and civil society involvement are less developed.

Der Sammelband steht für eine kritisch-politische und transformative Soziale Arbeit. In zwölf deutsch- und vier englischsprachigen Beiträgen diskutieren die Autor*innen drei übergeordnete Ziele: bezahlbaren Wohnraum, eine engagierte Gesellschaft und eine solidarische Ökonomie. Sie betrachten Probleme wie Armut und die Prekarisierung von Arbeitsverhältnissen und bieten Antworten in einer kritischen Professionalität sowie in den Stimmen der Adressatinnen und Adressaten.

Der Sammelband steht für eine kritisch-politische und transformative Soziale Arbeit. In zwölf deutsch- und vier englischsprachigen Beiträgen diskutieren die Autor*innen drei übergeordnete Ziele: bezahlbaren Wohnraum, eine engagierte Gesellschaft und eine solidarische Ökonomie. Sie betrachten Probleme wie Armut und die Prekarisierung von Arbeitsverhältnissen und bieten Antworten in einer kritischen Professionalität sowie in den Stimmen der Adressatinnen und Adressaten.