The Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of PWDs “To Ergastiri” aims to help the social integration and general well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities. Our activities aim to provide quality services and create new opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. As well as psychological support, counselling, supporting the development of self-image and identity, education, maintaining family structure and relationships and increasing social consciousness.

“To Ergastiri” offers occupational training and integration of those who are capable and wish to enter the free labor market. Training workshops include sections on baking, laundry, weaving, ceramics, gardening, general crafts and bead and herb processing.

“To Ergastiri” trains and supports 100 adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. Our organization employs approximately 40 permanent staff members. The continuous training of our staff takes place through international conferences, seminars and transnational projects focusing on new developments in the field of intellectual disability and modern educational approaches.

“To Ergastiri” is the first organization that provided Supported Living programs for people with disabilities in Greece. Through our activity program and positive mentoring, residents gain important life skills and reach their full potential while taking on their assigned social roles. We are active in various sectors both nationally and at European level, we actively seek our involvement in projects in relation to the arts, sport and best practices that we can use for the benefit of the people who receive our services.

“To Ergastiri” is a pioneer in the integration of assistive technologies into a supported living environment and everyday life.

We focus on active aging initiatives for people with intellectual disabilities and see our organization as a leader in developing methodologies to further improve the quality of life of our beneficiaries and their families.

The association was founded in 1998 by a small group of parents with the undivided support of friends of fellow citizens and the contribution of the late Takis Dimitrakopoulos, with the aim of supporting people with autism in the region and their families.  Today, the activities of the association have a nationwide scope.

The aims of the Association

• to inform and raise awareness of local authorities and the community on autism issues
• to identify people with autism in the region in cooperation with the local authorities
• organising conferences, information workshops and educational programmes
• cooperation with experts in research on autism promotion
• the creation of educational and living structures.

The Structures

The Association operates three facilities for people with autism, which are funded and supervised by the Ministry of Health – Mental Health Directorate. Some of the running costs are covered by donations from parents and individuals.

Freedom Boarding School: this is a home for twelve adults with severe to moderate autism and severe behavioural problems. It operates year-round on a 24-hour basis.

HARA I Day Centre: Section 1: a programme for adults with severe to moderate autism. Section 2: “Autonomous Community Participation – ASK” for high-functioning individuals.

HARA II Day Centre: Section 1: Early intervention morning programme for children aged 2.5 to 5 years. Section 2: Afternoon programme for children aged 5 to 10 years.  In both sections, support and education is provided to the family at home.

“Distance psychoeducation and family support service and home help for caregivers of people with autism“. The action is funded by the Ministry of Health and it is possible to contact them in person, by telephone or online.

ESTIA is a Support and Social Care Centre for people with intellectual disabilities, recognized Charity Association, overseen by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. It was founded in 1982 by parents of children with intellectual disabilities. ESTIA is specialized in providing support and care to people with intellectual disabilities (PWID) from 15 years of age, with the aim to improve their life quality and to support inclusion into the community. ESTIA key activities are vocational training, support services for the disabled and their families, social skills training, creative learning and leisure time activities, sports programmes, early child intervention, training of trainers, seminars and conferences. About 80 service users with medium or light intellectual disability are attending the services on a daily basis. Also, ESTIA has developed a network of Supported Living Houses that operate within the social fabric, taking into account the needs of each resident, providing support services for dignified living and inclusion into the community, in Psychiko, Melissia, Pikermi and Vrilissia. The staff working at ESTIA are 50 and 100 volunteers. ESTIA is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2018.

ESTIA AGIOS NIKOLAOS is an award-winning life-sharing community where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers live, create and grow together. The community members, of whom only one-third have disabilities, are residents as well as day participants from the region.

The Purpose of ESTIA is all-encompassing inclusion and the enrichment of each member’s life, so that everyone may fulfill their dreams and aspirations both within ESTIA and in the local area – throughout their lives. The spectrum of needs we are tasked to cover is vast, from old age and dementia to the development of the special abilities of our youngest members with autism, to even the enabling of full immersion into the local society for those members who can live and work semi-independently.

ESTIA has been operating in Galaxidi since 1993 and is a subsidiary of a German Foundation of the same name. Because of its unique way of operating, ESTIA was recognized as a potential model for non-institutional care since its inception and awarded the coveted “Public Benefit Institution” status by the Greek State. ESTIA has three Homes for Assisted Living (SYD) licenses, (two of which are operational and financed by European Regional Funds) and a Day Care Center license, which operates for our members and people from the area.

The Organisation for the Protection of Persons with Autism – Pervasive Developmental Disorders (P.D.D.) of the prefecture of Kastoria was set up in March 2006 by three families of children with autism that live in the area. The initiative was backed up by family members and friends and soon developed into a non-governmental, non-profit body currently supported by almost 300 members, 35 of which are people with autism.

The Organisation has received a certification as a non-profit, non-governmental body that provides social care services and is supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Health.

 Initiatives and Actions

Since its creation in 2006 the Organisation has undertaken a number of initiatives, the most notable of which include the following:

• Establishing and running a Day Centre for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism (since 2012)
• Running volunteering schemes like “Befriending” (since 2008)
• Promoting positive awareness about autism in the community (including festivals and theatrical performances)
• Providing training (including seminars and workshops)
• Actively participating in local and national actions for the protection of rights of people with autism (including petitions, public representation)

“SYZOI” – the Association of parents, guardians and friends of visually impaired children with additional disabilities, such as autism, mental retardation, neurological disorders, motor or sensory discrepancies, was founded in Thessaloniki Greece, in 2007 and is a certified provider of social care services, is a non-government, non-profit organization, which aims to provide lifelong support and to achieve, among others: 

• High level of therapeutic programs in order to reach maximum of potential
• Education and vocational training of visually impaired children with additional disabilities
• Psychological and social support of the children as well as counselling to their families
• Promotion of scientific research on both prevention and rehabilitation
• Social Awareness on multiple disabilities

A better life and a more autonomous future.

The Institute of Systemic Behavior Analysis (ISAS) was founded in 2010.  It is a non-for-profit organization aiming to provide optimal educational and therapeutic services for children with Neurodevelopmental and other Disabilities or Difficulties. Aside from the therapeutic and pedagogical endeavors, there is an emphasis on research and applications of the Systemic Behavior Analytic Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Basic Aims of ISAS:

Clinical/Therapeutic and Educational Purposes:

The scope of ISAS encompasses infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with special needs and with difficulties in adjusting properly to their family, school, and social environment. The ultimate target of service providing at ISAS is an optimal adjustment for all recipients as defined by themselves, their families, and their therapeutic team. To reach optimal outcomes, it is considered important to understand the needs of the service recipients in a systemic context. That is, defined by the systems, sub-systems, and ultra-systems with which each recipient interacts dynamically. Each service recipient is viewed within the complexity defined by his/her needs and the complexity of contextual parameters to which he/she needs to adjust. Thus, language, communication, social and emotional development, behavioral adjustment, social inclusion and several others, are all areas targeted at ISAS to achieve an optimal outcome. In addition, involving the family in the therapeutic process is considered to be critical for the therapeutic outcome. Parents are not only trained to reach a co-therapeutic level of involvement, but they are also supported through palliative care which is the case for siblings as well.

Research Purposes:

Rigorous research has been conducted at ISAS aiming to advance the teaching and therapeutic technology of Behavior Analysis to achieve improved outcomes for all service recipients, with an emphasis on systemic early behavior-analytic intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. For research purposes, ISAS is affiliated with distinguished academic settings, such as the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and North Texas University, as well as prestigious foundations such as the Onassis Foundation.

Life-Long Education, Staff Development, and Supervision:

The Institute aims to disseminate the Systemic Behavior Analytic Model by participating or organizing conferences, staff-development seminars, and supervisory practices. The recipients of those services are psychologists, psychiatrists, general education teachers, speech and occupational therapists, as well as other educational and mental health professionals.

The Vision of ISAS is the provision of ample opportunities for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults to adjust to their home and school environment as well as to their social milieu in ways that enhance the quality of life for them and their families. Opening venues that may help them redefine meaning for their everyday lives.

“Ploes” is a Non-Governmental Organization, founded in 1998, by mental health professionals from different scientific sectors and training fields.

Now, more than 100 people are employed in all of its projects. Mental health professionals, social workers, occupational and speech therapists, special education professionals, child psychiatrists, psychologists, are under the umbrella of “Ploes” E.Psy.Me.

The ongoing projects and services are addressed to citizens affected by autism spectrum disorders, mental and psychiatric disabilities, in the urban environment of Piraeus and surrounding suburbs, (region of Attica).

“Ploes” Organisation is committed to tackling social exclusion by enhancing service users’ social and mental wellbeing.

Our services are based on the principles of social psychiatry, which consider mental disabilities as a phenomenon of multiple and complicated factors. It is our strong belief that negative current and future consequences can be limited by using constant, appropriate and effective scientific methods of prevention and intervention. The fundamental principles of all our services and action plans derive from this approach.

“Ploes” Organisation’s facilities include:

• Daycare Centre for treating children with autism spectrum disorders (K.HM.A 1)
• Specialized Centre of Professional Training for adult disabled people.
• Diagnostics and Therapeutics Units for prevention and psychosocial rehabilitation of children and adult population
• “Schedia” Social Club for people with intellectual disabilities
• Vocational Training in Mental Health “Katarti”, offers training courses and seminars in dedicated fields of mental health services by certified trainers, both for professionals, the general population and for those with special needs.
• Daycare centre (K.HM.A. 2), for teenagers and adults with autism spectrum disorders
• “Ostria” Boarding house for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities
• Guesthouse for adolescents with psychosocial difficulties
• Research, Development & European Projects Department

The Panhellenic Association of Adapted Activities “ALMA” is a non-profit association, that was created in 1996, by a group of scientists of various specialties in the field of special education that wanted to contribute to the acceptance of diversity in all aspects of life.

During all these years we design and implement a number of programs for children, adolescents and adults with autism and mental disability aiming at their psychosocial development and full integration into a society of equal opportunities, while supporting their family.

We are close to the family from the difficult time of accepting the diagnosis until the lifelong rehabilitation of the young person with a disability in a House of Supported Living.

We begin with early intervention and support the child in all aspects of his/her life as a parallel family, inspiring both the child with disabilities and his family to discover the power of diversity.

Through educational, sports and cultural activities we provide holistic therapeutic individualized intervention that suits the needs of each of our children or adults.

All our actions are designed according to the triptych of our philosophy:

• Education and integration of the person with a disability
• Support and discharge of the family
• Information and raise of community awareness

Year after year, ALMA team grows and evolves, embracing more and more people with and without disabilities and their families.

“Merimna Paidiou Katerinis” is a Greek non-profit NGO that was founded in 1979 in Katerini by a handful of concerned citizens. Our latin logo-name is “Care for the mentally disabled of Pieria”. Our purpose is to advance the rights and well-being of disabled persons especially the one with mental disability, autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

This has been accomplished so far in two ways. By running facilities that provide services to persons with disabilities and with actions in the community that shape a better society, a society of inclusion through education and awareness.

Currently we have two facilities in operation that provide Day Care services to the persons of the province of Pieria with disabilities. Their total capacity is 91. At these facilities, among the day care, there are also programs of therapies (speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), preparation for autonomous or semi- autonomous living, sports, leisure, psychological support etc.

Since the beginning of 2020 we have begun the operation of three houses of semi-autonomous living where a total 12 people are accommodated. People with disabilities have the right to live independently and choose their future on their own. In these houses we provide the needed assistance to fulfill this goal. Our target is to expand this action, make a net of houses throughout the province and meet the full demand for independent living in our area.

Merimna is also carrying a series of action in order to raise awareness of the public regarding the rights of persons with disabilities and their inclusion in the society. An educational program approved by the Ministry of Education is performed every year to the students of the high school classes. The target is to shape an ethic code for the citizens of tomorrow. A code that makes them respect disability. After all disability is not just a personal medical problem but it is also a problem of the society, its structure and way of functioning.