Association for Supporting Activities for Persons Needing Help DROGA
ul. Niepodległości 19
11-015 Olsztynek, Poland
tel. +48 89 521 64 75
Facebook.com/stowarzyszenie.droga.olsztynek
e-mail: stowarzyszenie.droga@wp.pl
Established in 2010, the DROGA (ROAD) association is a project-driven and fully independent organisation, self-funded from external and competitive sources. We provide support and therapeutic services holistically to local community members and at-risk groups affected by addictions, alcoholism and domestic violence, including the survivors, perpetrators and local youth. The members of our association are psychologists, lawyers, therapists, academics, welfare workers and youth workers, social media officers, and managers. We also run bottom-up social campaigns aimed at raising awareness of people and stakeholders in areas related to IPV. We publish books and come up with training programs dedicated to practitioners such as police officers, representatives of the health service, teachers, employees of the local welfare centres, and local elected officials. The association conducts therapy for perpetrators and survivors based on the Duluth and Trauma Informed Model.
The mission of the DROGA association is to protect human rights by supporting victims of crime and those around them
We provide direct legal and psychological assistance and undertake advocacy efforts aimed at improving the situation of victims and conduct social campaigns.
We take on tasks related to social integration, health protection and promotion, social work, as well as addiction prevention and treatment, with particular emphasis on high-risk groups.
The association conducts, among others:
- therapy for perpetrators of violence, based on models such as the Duluth Model, and works with individuals experiencing violence and victims of various types of crimes using the Trauma-Informed Model,
- therapy and educational activities focused on behavioral addictions (e.g., internet use, electronic devices),
- socio-therapeutic activities for children and youth from families struggling with alcohol problems and/or domestic violence,
- training for institutions dealing with issues of violence and addiction (e.g., healthcare, schools, police) and communication with victims of crime.
The association develops and publishes materials based on its own original programs on the issues of domestic violence, communication, violence prevention, and addictions. Since its establishment, we have completed over 30 different projects related to domestic violence, funded by both national and international sources, including EU funds. We also implement transnational projects in collaboration with institutions and non-governmental organizations from France, Italy, Finland, and Malta.
DROGA Association is a member of the WorkWithPerpetrator European Network which is an umbrella organisation, WWP EN supports its members in offering or developing responsible, victim-focused perpetrator work.
DROGA Association cooperates with Victim Support Europe (VSE), a leading European umbrella organisation that advocates on behalf of all victims of all types of crimes.
The Association holds accreditation in the sector of adult education within the Erasmus Plus program, funded by the EU.
Key staff members:
Krzysztof Rubas
A certified specialist in assisting both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, he brings over 25 years of professional experience in violence intervention. Additionally, he is a certified expert in the therapy and rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Monika Kotowska, PhD
Assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Policy, she graduated in administration and law from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and in tax law from the Warsaw School of Economics.
prof. Agnieszka Zduniak
A sociologist and translator, she has been an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn since 2008. She holds a PhD in humanities with a specialization in sociology and an MA in German philology.
Agnieszka Bucała
A graduate of SWPS in psychology, specializing in clinical and health psychology. She runs classes in the field of trauma therapy. She carries out psychological consultations, and psychological diagnoses, and conducts psychoeducational classes. She has experience in providing frontline services in favour of local government and welfare officers working with families confronted with domestic violence.
Marzena Ossowska
Treasurer of the association, professional accountant, expert in finance and settlement of projects financed from external funds.
Agata Potkaj
A certified psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the penitentiary service, he is an addiction psychotherapy specialist and a certified expert in helping both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. He is also the author of the violence prevention program for children and adolescents, „Violence on Dates.”
Marta Dąbkowska-Wilczek
The project manager and coordinator, an expert in internet marketing (SEO) with over 10 years of professional experience in implementing educational projects, and a manager of international projects.
Emilia Kowalik
An expert in data analysis, programming and artificial intelligence. She develops programs and runs classes for young people to improve their digital skills.
Maciej Duda (Ph.D)
A lawyer and Assistant Professor at the Department of Criminology and Criminal Policy at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warmia and Mazury (WPIA UWM). She is an expert in hate crimes and hate speech.
Dr. Joanna Narodowska
An expert in the field of green criminology. She conducts research on crimes against cultural and natural heritage, as well as in the areas of victimology, cybercrime, food crime, economic crime, women’s crime, juvenile delinquency, and social pathologies.
Anna Piotrowska
A social educator, career advisor, probation officer, psychotherapist, and trainer at the School for Parents and Educators, she is also a yoga instructor. She works at Primary School No. 1 named after Polish Nobel Prize winners in Olsztynek.
Anna Prusik (Ph.D)
Professor OSW, Doctor of Humanities in Pedagogy, is a social pedagogue and the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Olsztyn University of Science and Technology. Her research interests lie in social and family pedagogy, with a particular focus on contemporary social problems and issues related to the family, analyzed within the contexts of prevention, support, and counteracting addictions and violence. She also conducts training on threats in cyberspace and is a regular participant in both Polish and international conferences, training sessions, and workshops. Additionally, she is the author of numerous scientific publications released in Poland and abroad.
Ewa Jarota-Sobczak
Addiction psychotherapy specialist
Emilia Kowalik
An expert in data analysis, programming, and artificial intelligence. She designs programs and conducts workshops for young people to enhance their digital skills.
prof. Justyna Karaźniewicz
A lawyer and Professor at the Department of Criminal Law at Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz. She is a long-time employee of the Police Academy in Szczytno (Higher Police School in Szczytno) and a collaborator with the Bureau of Expertise and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Chancellery of the Sejm, serving as an expert. Her research interests focus on issues related to Polish criminal proceedings, including procedural guarantees for participants, such as the victim. She is the author of numerous scientific publications, including those on the rights of crime victims in criminal proceedings, non-criminal forms of victim protection, and support for victims of domestic violence. She has participated in and organized numerous national and international conferences.
prof. Małgorzata Augustyniak
Academic teacher, author of numerous papers on philosophy and law, including „French Jurisprudence and the Dispute over the Method: From Positivist Exegesis to Free Scientific Research”, „Man in Public Space in the Philosophy of Hannah Arendt”, „Sustainability as an expression of the concern for the future” and many others.
Magdalena Monika Gosik
A certified specialist in providing support to victims of domestic violence. She is the organizer and coordinator of local social campaigns focused on the issue of domestic violence.
The Board of the Association for Supporting Activities for People Needing Help in Olsztynek:
Krzysztof Wilczek – President
Monika Kotowska – Vice President
Anna Piotrowska – Secretary
Marzena Ossowska – Tresurer
