Since its founding, the Adult and Elderly Care Institution "St. Basil of Ostrog - Miracle Worker" has been focused on cooperation with numerous institutions, organizations, and entities, finding its place within the broader protection system and enhancing its ability to fulfill its purpose more effectively.
First and foremost, there is the indispensable collaboration with the local community and authorities in Novi Bečej, as well as with all relevant provincial secretariats, national ministries, the National Health Insurance Fund, numerous social work centers, humanitarian organizations (such as the Maltese Organization), the Red Cross, associations of disabled people, the media, the Orthodox Church, and other religious communities, as well as economic organizations.
However, the most important and intensive interactions occur on the local level. Naturally, given the nature of its work, the institution maintains the closest, almost daily cooperation with the Municipal Social Work Center and the Health Center in Novi Bečej, as well as the Medical Center in Zrenjanin. For similar reasons, there is also cooperation with local pharmacies and nearby neuropsychiatric hospitals.
To enhance and enrich its services, the institution continually expands its circle of collaborators. A significant portion of its users are elderly, necessitating coordination with the Pensioners’ Association. This became especially prominent with the introduction of open forms of social protection and the operation of the Day Care Club.
On the other hand, the youngest participants—children from kindergartens and elementary schools—also play an important role. Their presence in the Home, with school performances and reciprocal visits to schools, represents some of the brightest moments in the lives of the residents. The children enjoy spending time in the Home and interacting with the residents during other activities, such as participating in the institution's workshops.
Additionally, there is cooperation with the City Library, the Workers’ Sports and Cultural Home, and other institutions and organizations, as well as the media. The institution’s activities often receive media attention, primarily through appearances on the local TV station and articles about the institution’s events in the local press, as well as in more widely circulated newspapers ("Dnevnik," "Blic").
In the last decade, the importance of collaboration with gerontological centers, homes, and special institutions has increased, both within Serbia and abroad. The goal is to exchange experiences, find appropriate forms and methods of working with users, and compare overall operations.
After difficult years of shortages, restrictions, and challenges, the functioning of social institutions for accommodating individuals with mental and intellectual disabilities became extremely challenging. At the beginning of 2001, the leadership of these institutions decided to unite and form the Directors’ Association for the Accommodation and Care of People with Special Needs. The institutions that were members included Veternik, Stamnica, Veliki Popovac, Kragujevac - Male Pčelice, Tutin, Stara Moravica, Jabuka, Čurug, Stari Lec, Pančevo - Zbrinjavanje, Sremčica, Doljevac, Zemun - Home for the Disabled, Trbunje, St. Petka - Paraćin, Kulina, Aleksinac - Tešice, and Novi Bečej. The association had a president, the first being Mirko Tošić, followed by Dragutin Milovanović, Milenko Čurović, and Ljiljana Bognić. At meetings, which were held every two to three months, current issues in the social protection system and the challenges facing institutions were discussed. The association's president would present conclusions to the relevant ministry. Through its members in working groups, the association actively participated in drafting regulations, the Collective Agreement, job classifications, rules for minimum standards, and other important areas for the functioning of the institutions. Meetings were usually attended by representatives from the relevant ministry and the president of the social protection workers' union. The association ceased its operations in 2012.
The institution is a member of the Employers' Association of Social Protection Institutions for the Elderly and Adults of Vojvodina, established on May 10, 2005. The association has legal status and was founded by the union of about twenty institutions in Vojvodina. This serious association was recognized by provincial authorities as an important partner in discussions about the functioning of institutions and the protection of their interests. A statute was adopted, containing general provisions, goals, tasks, management bodies, and members of the association. Each year, a work program and financial plan are adopted, along with an annual report and final account. In drafting the work program, current issues related to the Law on Social Protection, funding for institutions, licensing of institutions, standards, job classifications, healthcare challenges, and many other issues are always considered. The association is a member of the European Association of Social Protection Institutions - E.D.E. A similar association, but covering the entire territory of the Republic of Serbia (Employers' Association of Social Protection Institutions of the Republic of Serbia), was established on May 4, 2006, following the positive and efficient work of the Vojvodina association. In addition to institutions for adults and the elderly, members include institutions for children, social work centers, day care centers, and home assistance providers.
In 2011, at the initiative of the Home in Novi Bečej and the Home in Banja Luka, a collaboration among “professionals” providing institutional care services for adults and the elderly was initiated. A cooperation agreement was signed between the institutions “St. Basil of Ostrog - Miracle Worker” from Novi Bečej, the Public Institution Social Gerontology Center from Banja Luka, the Home for the Elderly “Grabovac” from Risna, “Our Home” from Travnik, and the Home for the Elderly in Krško. This collaboration, through mutual visits and exchanges of experiences, continued and deepened mutual contacts and good relations. This marked the beginning of the realization of the idea of regional collaboration among homes. At the end of 2013, the Home “Danica Vogrinec” from Maribor joined, and a new Memorandum of Long-Term Mutual Cooperation was signed.
All parties agreed to cooperate long-term on projects and activities, exchanging experiences that would improve and enhance the working and living conditions for users in care institutions. At that time, the idea was born to hold a regional conference every year in a different republic, focusing on topics related to the work of social protection institutions, improving the quality of life for users, and the work of employees in social protection.
Thanks to this initiative, the FIRST regional conference was organized in 2013 on the theme “Aging and Old Age - Quality of Life.” It was held in Risna, under the auspices of the local ministry, the European Union, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The conference topics included aging and old age, the quality of life for users in homes, occupational therapy, and the development of community-based care. The official name of the conference, “For a Little More,” was promoted at this time, symbolically indicating the direction this collaboration would take in the future: to make at least a small step or “a little more” toward improving the quality of life for users.
The host of the SECOND regional conference in 2014, with the theme “Quality of Life in Homes for Adults and the Elderly,” was the Social Gerontology Center from Banja Luka. It was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Srpska.
The THIRD regional conference took place in 2015 in Novi Bečej, focusing on “Burnout at Work.” The conference was opened by the relevant minister and the provincial secretary as sponsors. More than 150 participants attended. In addition to representatives from about twenty of our social institutions, signatories of the agreement, there were guests from Sarajevo, Bijelo Polje, and Osijek.
For the first time, Sports Games were also initiated—“games without borders,” characterized by a humorous and relaxing nature, aimed at preventing employee burnout. Since that conference, in addition to the first thematic day, sports games have become a regular part of the conference, with 15 to 20 employees from each institution participating.
In 2016, the FOURTH REGIONAL CONFERENCE “For a Little More” was held in Maribor from September 6 to 10, focusing on “Recognizing the Needs of the Elderly and Dependent, Sustainability and Financing of the System.” The conference received support from the relevant ministry.
Risan in Montenegro hosted the FIFTH REGIONAL CONFERENCE “FOR A LITTLE MORE” in June 2017, under the auspices of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of the Republic of Montenegro. The theme was “Quality of Life for People with Mental Health Issues in Homes for the Elderly.”
The most recent, the SIXTH regional conference “For a Little More,” was held in Banja Luka. Its theme was “Quality of Services and Competencies of Employees in Homes for the Elderly.” In addition to regular participants, the conference included associated members from the Home for the Elderly in Bijelo Polje and the Cantonal Public Institution “Home for the Social and Health Care of Persons with Disabilities and Other Individuals” from Sarajevo. It was concluded that the next meeting (SEVENTH CONFERENCE) would again take place in Novi Bečej in 2019.
Collaboration was also established with a similar institution for individuals with mental disorders in Osijek. This home is in the process of deinstitutionalization, i.e., transformation, which is also our task for the future. Their experiences will serve this process, which represents one of the most important tasks for the institution “St. Basil of Ostrog - Miracle Worker.”
The institution has signed cooperation agreements with secondary vocational schools for medical technicians, cooks, hairdressers, and other professions. Based on these agreements, students receive practical lessons here according to their programs, with mentors provided by employed professionals.
In recent years, agreements have been signed with the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad, the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade, the Higher School of Social Work in Belgrade, and the Higher Vocational School ICEPS (International Center for Professional Studies) for the implementation of internships. The institution has accommodation facilities for students during their internships. Within the administrative building, a separate facility has been constructed with four dormitories and ten beds. The dormitories were built specifically for the exchange of workers, guests, and family members of the residents. The rooms are comfortable, furnished with furniture, TVs, wireless internet (Wi-Fi), and other amenities necessary for a pleasant stay. Meals can also be prepared for them in the institution's kitchen.
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