LENA - counselling centre for people who are or have been involved in sex work

The counselling centre LENA offers counselling, support and guidance for people who are or have been involved in sex work. The services of the counselling centre are voluntary, free of charge and confidential.

In addition to health work and individual help, it is a declared goal of the counselling centre LENA to counteract social exclusion, discrimination, stigmatisation and criminalisation of sex service providers and thus to contribute to improving the working and living conditions of sex service providers. It is important for LENA to strengthen the self-esteem and the own competence of the group of addressees.

The social workers at LENA offer counselling on social, legal and health-related issues. If possible, qualification and leisure activities are also offered.

Support is offered regardless of

  • whether they are registered or not
  • whether they continue to work in prostitution/sexual services, have already ended it or would like to/can end it
  • their nationality and country of origin as well as their religious affiliation
  • their sexual orientation and sexual identity
  • whether they work in prostitution/sexual services of their own free will or whether they are/were forced to do so.

Office hours Monday - Thursday:

LENA - Fachberatungsstelle für Menschen, die in der Sexarbeit tätig sind oder waren

Or on mobile at:

Elke – Head of Department 0676/8776 2387 (German, English)
Stefanie 0676/8776 2388 (German, English)
Judith 0676/8776 2375 (German, English)
Daniela 0676/8776 2329 (German, English)


Counselling/information in ALL LANGUAGES now also available free of charge with video interpretation!


 

Our Services

Information, Counselling, Support

The staff at LENA provide counselling and support on social, legal and health-related issues. If necessary, an interpreter can be called in from the counselling centre free of charge. As part of the health and education work, multilingual information on sexually transmitted diseases and their prevention is provided in addition to counselling.

Open Café Space

During opening hours, the café space of the counselling centre offers the opportunity to exchange information and to get to know the counselling centre and its services without any obligations. There is also the possibility to use the internet café free of charge or to have a look at the specialised library.

Leisure & Education

The Counselling Centre offers qualification projects such as computer courses whenever possible. The Internet café Len@ and the specialised library on the topic of prostitution/sex work are further services. In addition, workshops, leisure activities, information and discussion groups, etc. are organised for addressees whenever possible.

Outreach Work

Through outreach work that takes place several times a week in the living and working environment of the addressees and, on a case-by-case basis, in health offices in Upper Austria, the addressees can be reached in a way that is more appropriate to their needs and adapted to their working conditions. 

Networking & education

The counselling centre is networked and cooperates with other national and international counselling centres and social organisations. The staff regularly take part in conferences, congresses and working groups on the topic of prostitution/sex work, but also on other topics relevant to social work (e.g. immigration law, migration). Students, school classes and training groups etc. have the opportunity to attend free lectures on the topic and the social work of the counselling centre.