Institut für Sozialdienste gemeinnützige GmbH

The Institut für Sozialdienste gemeinnützige GmbH — widely known by its abbreviation "ifs" — is a non-profit social services organisation based in Vorarlberg, Austria. It describes itself as an institution of the free welfare sector (freie Wohlfahrtspflege) and states that it is politically independent and confessionally unaffiliated, operating in all regions of Vorarlberg. Its headquarters are listed at Interpark Focus 40, 6832 Röthis. ifs provides help and support to people in psychological and social crisis situations. Its services are aimed at children, adolescents, adults and older people, as well as families and couples. They are also open to people with disabilities or with a migration background, to victims of violence, and to perpetrators. The organisation brings together professionally qualified social workers, psychologists, marriage counsellors, counsellors for people with disabilities, educators and psychotherapists, and cooperates with external partners such as doctors, lawyers and interpreters when needed. Counselling sessions are free of charge, and staff are available at the counselling centres during the day, including at short notice for consultations and in crisis situations. For longer-term treatments and therapies, a personal contribution is agreed individually according to social criteria. Counsellors are bound by professional confidentiality. The organisation traces its origins to November 1962, when the Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Betreuung der gefährdeten Jugend im Land Vorarlberg was founded — the predecessor association of ifs. The association was admitted in 1963, and the first youth and education counselling centre opened in Bregenz in 1969. In 1971 the association was renamed and the Institut für Sozialdienste was founded. Over the following decades it developed, in the words of its own published history, "from a citizens' initiative to a social service enterprise." Its history has been documented in a book produced jointly by ifs and the Rheticus Gesellschaft with Univ. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wanner. Today ifs presents itself as a broad social service provider with multiple fields of work (Geschäftsfelder / Fachbereiche) and a defined corporate structure. It publishes annual reports, a magazine titled "wie", media materials and podcasts, and maintains governance documents including a mission statement (Leitbild), a code of conduct, a complaints procedure, victim protection officers, a child protection concept and whistleblower protection. The managing director is Mag. Dr. Martina Gasser, MBA.

The history of the Institut für Sozialdienste (ifs) begins in November 1962, when the Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Betreuung der gefährdeten Jugend im Land Vorarlberg was founded — the predecessor association of ifs. Those present at the founding included Kaplan Emil Bonetti, Dr. Hermann Girardi, Oswald Lenz, Gerda Schelling, Dr. Herbert Tschofen, Hannelore Ulmer and Dr. Adolf Würbel. In 1963 the association was officially admitted, and working groups (Arbeitskreise) of the association emerged in the towns of Vorarlberg. In 1969 the first youth and education counselling centre (Jugend- und Erziehungsberatungsstelle) was founded in Bregenz. In 1971 the association was renamed and the Institut für Sozialdienste was founded. From that point the organisation expanded its range of services and its geographical reach across Vorarlberg. Its own published history, prepared jointly by ifs and the Rheticus Gesellschaft with Univ. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wanner, is titled "Die Geschichte des ifs Vorarlberg – Von der Bürgerinitiative zum sozialen Dienstleistungsunternehmen" ("The History of ifs Vorarlberg – From Citizens' Initiative to Social Service Enterprise"), and the organisation's website presents this history in chronological sections covering the decades from 1962–1970 onward through 2020. Over the decades ifs developed into a broad social service provider. It describes itself as an institution of the free welfare sector (freie Wohlfahrtspflege) that is politically independent and confessionally unaffiliated, active in all regions of Vorarlberg. Its multidisciplinary teams bring together social workers, psychologists, marriage counsellors, counsellors for people with disabilities, educators and psychotherapists, cooperating with external doctors, lawyers and interpreters as needed. Counselling is free of charge, with a socially graded personal contribution for longer-term treatments and therapies, and staff are bound by confidentiality. The organisation today maintains a defined corporate structure with multiple fields of work (Geschäftsfelder / Fachbereiche), a mission statement (Leitbild), a code of conduct, a complaints procedure, victim protection officers, a child protection concept and whistleblower protection. It publishes annual reports, a magazine titled "wie", media materials and podcasts. Its headquarters are listed at Interpark Focus 40, 6832 Röthis, and its managing director is Mag. Dr. Martina Gasser, MBA.

• 1971

  The association is renamed and the Institut für Sozialdienste is founded.

• 1969

  The first youth and education counselling centre is founded in Bregenz.

• 1963

  The association is officially admitted; working groups emerge in the towns of Vorarlberg.

• 1962

  In November, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Betreuung der gefährdeten Jugend im Land Vorarlberg, predecessor association of ifs, is founded.

Non-profit, politically independent and non-denominational social services provider of the free welfare sector, active throughout Vorarlberg, Austria.

• Psychosocial counselling

  Free counselling for people in psychological and social crises, available at counselling centres during the day, including at short notice.

• Youth and education counselling

  Counselling for children, adolescents and families, dating back to the first centre opened in Bregenz in 1969.

• Marriage and family counselling

  Counselling for couples and families delivered by qualified marriage counsellors.

• Counselling for people with disabilities

  Support and counselling for people with disabilities.

• Psychotherapy and longer-term treatment

  Longer-term treatments and therapies with a personal contribution agreed individually according to social criteria.

• Support for victims of violence and work with perpetrators

  Services open to victims of violence as well as to perpetrators.

• Services for people with a migration background

  Services open to people with a migration background, with cooperation from interpreters where needed.

1. 1ifs - Institut für Sozialdienste (official homepage)ifs.at
2. 2Über uns: ifs - Institut für Sozialdiensteifs.at
3. 3Geschichte: ifs - Institut für Sozialdiensteifs.at
4. 4Institut für Sozialdienste gemeinnützige GmbH (Wikidata)wikidata.org