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Executive
The present executive of the Association is made up of five members.

President: Mr. Salström-Leyh
Vice-President: Mr. Tammar
Secretary: Mr. Vesen
Treasurer: Mr. Weisbrodt
Voting Member: Mr. Heumüller
Assembly
At present, the assembly is made up of:

President: Mr. Fernando Pires;
Vice-President: Mrs. Maria da Graça Pires
Secretary: Mrs. Maria Rabaça
Financial Council
The members of the Financial Council presently are:

President: Mrs. Salström
First Secretary: Mrs. Weisbrodt
Spokesman: Mr. Schüren
Team
   
Ralph Dohlen
Special Educational Needs(SEN):
Technical Director 		Petra Tschirner
Administrative Director
Francisco Santos
Consultant
   
History
O The Algarve Project Institute for Social Rehabilitation (IAPRS) is an organisation registered in Portugal to help young people. It works in cooperation with other European organisations to plan individualised total care programmes for young people. Since 1993, young people have been accepted and helped, both socially and educationally, supported by specially selected foster care families in the Algarve and Alentejo. Throughout our years of service in Portugal we have consistently striven for excellence in the quality of the services we offer. In 2005, we became an association for social cohesion and inclusion under the registered company name of IAPRS (the Algarve Project Institute for Social Rehabilitation).In May of 2011 we have been recognized as association of public utility. The proof of our quality and development lies in the increasing number of partnerships with other European institutions, mainly in Germany and Luxembourg. Since then, we have grown and developed to receive referrals and work in partnership with institutions in other EU countries, namely Portugal. We are now the most highly regarded institution among accredited organisations who entrust young people to foster families overseas. We stand out from other institutions operating in southern Europe for our work in Individualised total care programmes, and the professional approach and conscientious attention which we apply to all cases.

Mission
To give young people involved in the programme an opportunity to change, by developing a plan for living which incorporates social rules and norms.
About us
The IAPRS is an organisation created primarily to develop and promote social cohesion and inclusion, and harmony within the family; and to carry out activities aimed at supporting children and young people and their families. It is aimed at assessing and giving support to young people with socially conflicting behaviour, with a view to helping them to devlop a sense of self and reintegrating them within the society and the community. The institute seeks to implement programmes aimed at confronting the social, psychological and pedagogical conflicts which young people suffer. Our work is subject to scientific research studies in the area of sociology and education, mainly studies and projects on psychological and sociological research, studies on behavioural imbalance and instability caused by social factors. We work to sensitise the public and improve social awareness in the community through active cooperation with organisations having similar or complementary aims. We also work towards educating the community about the real problems experienced by young people and their families.
Young people
The conventional form of help often given to young people in Germany and even here in Portugal is not suited to deal with the extremes of social behaviour presented by the type of young people in this group. These are children and young people at risk, and owing to their history could present behaviours that are potentially delinquent.
These are young people whose families suffer from socio-economic problems, as well as emotional instabilities which may expose their children to maltreatment, neglect or sexual abuse.
They may also come from dysfunctional families with atypical social behaviour, and whose way of life and past experiences make the possibility of group integration in the first phase impractical.

In the Individualised total care Programme model:
· The ideal age for joining the programme is between 12 – 16 years
· Young people have regular support from their coordinator
· They generally receive distance learning education
· They participate in a range of activities, suited to the individual needs of each young person.

The conditions for joining the project are:
· The young person is generally referred to the programme by the local social welfare authority.
· The process starts with a “Help Plan Meeting” in which the individual program is set out. There is a statutory requirement to review this plan every six months.
· The young person must be invited to join the programme, and will be given information and the opportunity to clarify any doubts they may have about the programme from the outset. They may also have the opportunity to listen to the views of other young people who have gone through the programme.
· The young person is allowed to join only when he/she makes a positive decision to start the programme.

Criteria for non-admission are:
· If there is principal need for drug detoxification or rehabilitation.
· If the young person is accused of violent aggression or sexual violence.
· If the person has psychiatric problems and is undergoing treatment which requires constant supervision by medical personnel.

Foster Carers
Foster Carers or host families must:
· have a command of the language of the young person whom they are hosting
· be part of the community where they reside
· undergo professional training leading to a Professional Assistant Certificate for Individualised Educational Measures (Certificado de Asistente Profissional para Medidas Pedagógicas individuais).
· participate in monthly mutual-help progress meetings
· write a report on the young person they are supporting
· participate in six-monthly IEP review and planning meetings, carried out by the authority referring the young person.
Support for Carers
· Individualised supervision is carried out by specialised psychologists.
· 24 -hour Telephone Support with the coordinator is available.
· IAPRS Coordinator makes fortnightly visits to guide and support the young person.

New Carers:
Procedures for introducing new foster carers to the programme are as follows: After rigorous evaluation as to whether or not the candidates’ personal abilities and conditions make them eligible to be included in the programme as foster families, each candidate foster care team must submit to a criminal records check which must show no registered evidence of criminal behaviour. Candidates are also subject to medical clearance.
Once candidates have been accepted as foster carers, they will receive a Procedural Manual which will give them information, details and explanations about the programme. This information will be supported by additional clarification from the coordinator. Carers will receive more frequent visits from the coordinator in the first few weeks, so that they feel they are receiving full support.
Partners
The institute (IAPRS) works in conjunction with various organisations responsible for helping children and young people. It receives referrals from partner organisations for the youth support programme, with documentation on the young person. Immediately, a matching foster care family is found. This level of cooperation is maintained through regular contact, including the six-monthly review of the support programme for the young person at “Help Plan Meetings”.

The list of our present partners can be found in the links.