["Help Conference", a new social assistance for integration according to § 53 SGB XII--a two-year analysis]

To deal with applications for social assistance for integration according to § 53 SGB XII, in the district of Hannover a so called "Help Conference" was introduced. Since implementation of "Help Conferences", the number of applications has increased by about 1,100% over the past five years. We analysed whether a change from the institutional help system to more individual "help" has already been realised.

"Help Conferences" recorded between 2005 and 2006 were evaluated in regard to demographic and medical data. 78 of 202 protocols (40%) had been filled in completely and thus could be included in our evaluation.

37 patients (47%) had F2 spectrum diagnoses according to ICD-10. More than one third of our patients (31 patients=40%) were male patients with a diagnosis of addiction, whereas in this study female patients were rarely affected by addiction (5 patients=6%). The first application was filed by the hospital social service in most cases. Applications submitted by the patients themselves were an exception. 46 applications (59%) were follow-ups, submitted by the institution responsible for the patient.

The new system is focused on the individual interests of patients and implicates an improved and more predictable aftercare in patients with psychiatric diseases.