Implementation Period: February 21, 2022 – August 17, 2022

ASET Center, with the support of UNICEF and in partnership with  Ministry of Health and Social Protection, within the framework of the Disability Assessment Reform in the Social Protection System, aiming to ensure a shift in the evaluation paradigm from a medical approach to a bio-psycho-social approach, implemented this project initially in several regions of the country. ASET Center has empowered local professionals to understand the disability assessment reform and to correctly implement it by following the assessment scheme accurately.

The professionals were trained to first understand that the reform aims to move from a traditional medical approach to a broader bio-psycho-social approach, which takes into account not only the medical aspects but also the psychological and social aspects of individuals with disabilities.

ASET experts initially identified the training needs, particularly related to the challenges professionals faced in the early stages of this assessment scheme and the transition from a medical approach to a psycho-social one (an approach in line with international standards, such as the International Classification of Functioning – ICF).

The trainings aimed to increase the competencies of professionals involved in the disability assessment process, including family doctors, specialist doctors, and social administrators. A total of 119 social administrators, 409 family doctors, and 318 specialist doctors were trained in the Korça, Shkodra, Vlorë, and Lezhë districts. This training served to fill existing gaps and raise awareness about the importance of a broader approach, which considers not only the medical diagnosis but also the psychological and social impacts on individuals with disabilities, and the importance of services to support them in order to have a better quality of life.