The Psychological support Department operates on three levels:

A - Psychological support and counseling of the same person that is in rehabilitation procedure.

This includes:

• Investigation of emotions, thoughts and attitude towards the health condition or disability of every patient.
• Facilitation in expressing them and emotional unloading.
• Search for strength and support sources during the rehabilitation period.
• Facilitation in finding functional ways for crisis management, based on cognitive techniques and utilization of the person’s abilities.
• Encouragement
• Coordination of my work with the therapeutic personnel of the Center, in order for my intervention to have more applicable results.

B - Family counseling

Information for the emotional, behavioral or even the cognitive extensions of the disease or disability of the suffering family member. Affirmation of the transient character of certain dysfunctional attitudes and cooperation in facilitating the member during rehabilitation. Encouragement and support of the family to organize a facilitating daily schedule, coordinated by the rehabilitation goals, in order for the member to receive the maximum support possible.

Evaluation and exercise of the higher cognitive functions in cases of patients that need such support (due to cognitive deficiencies caused by neurological conditions, strokes or cranial-brain injuries).

Use of neuropsychology scales for the evaluation of the higher cognitive functions and more specifically: perception, orientation in time and space, perception of their physical condition, focusing on a play (visual or acoustic), verbal and written speech, understanding, producing, procedural matters, short-term and long-term memory, finding solutions in problems, critical thought.

Exercising any skills that the person presents, deficiencies and regular follow-up afterwards. Suggestions and activities in their free time in cooperation with the people close to them.

C - Social Services

At the OLYMPION Center in Chania, the Social Services general aim is the psycho-social evaluation, the update, the guidance and the counseling support of the patients and their families, mainly during the three rehabilitation stages: the crisis phase (realization of the changes in every day life of the person and possibilities to deal with them), the recovery phase (evaluation of the person’s social status) and the rehabilitation phase (social reintegration).

The above are accomplished with:

• Private and group counseling – support of the patient’s and their families during the whole rehabilitation program.
• Special observation of the patients for their smooth adjustment in the rehabilitation program.
• Assistance provision in relation to the person’s social reintegration (information to the person and the family, of the existing community sources and the conditions in order to utilize them).
• Social reintegration actions development etc.