The community and care directorate begins this month with a trial for coaching deaf citizens 18 years and older. The test is also for people over 18 years of age with a mild intellectual disability.
It is given to adults who, compared to their peers, think at a lower level or have problems with things that are normal for people their age. They often find it difficult to communicate with others, unable to see that they have a limitation. The coaching is also offered to a group of foundation access clients. These clients in daily life have difficulty participating in the community. The intention is that each participant in the coaching, with proper guidance and attention, learns to help their body better in the community.
Investigations in Bonaire have shown that these citizens have difficulty finding, for example, adequately paid jobs or housing. The trial will accommodate about 40 participants. Some of them have followed a course in the past in foundation form. Another part of the participants consists of access clients, or clients of a sign language interpreter. During the coaching, she works with each participant to see what help they need. Thus offering the participants a helpful personality. For deaf participants an interpreter of sign language is present.
Specially trained coaches coach the participants. The local office of the BV is responsible for the coaching of participants and training of life coaches. The trial is expected to run from September to December 2023. The community and care directorate hopes that after the evaluation of the trial, new participants can be coached.
Through the life coaching trial, the directorate wants to get a view of what the participants need in the field of among others training, employment, health. With this information, the directorate can make proposals and, together with other organizations, develop plans for these groups.