PREVENTION
Provide
youngsters and adolescents with the resources and the personal
ability to live in a society where drugs exist and to be able
to confront situations in which drugs are available.
The
prevention initiatives of the Avillela Acobá Service are
delivered through the Municipal Plan’s Programme for Minors
and Youth that the FSGG runs in the different Madrid neighbourhoods
where its centres are located. Personnel at these centres work
at identifying and recruiting minors in situations of social risk
through street work and contact with families.
In
addition to individualised work with minors and their families,
specific prevention actions are carried out in the form of workshops
directly related with drug dependency (substance identification,
consequences of drug use, alternatives to drug use…). The
material used in these workshops is designed especially for these
non-specific prevention sessions and actions implemented through
socio-educational and free-time activities such as computer sessions,
after-school support classes, internet access, dance, percussion,
summer school, etc.
Both
actions are carried out with groups of children and adolescents.
The Open Classroom group (Aula Abierta) is comprised of young
people between the ages of 13 and 20 while the group known as
Chavorrillos is comprised of children between the ages of 8 and
12.
Work
is also carried out in coordination with other entities such as
grammar schools and high schools, alternative shop classes and,
in cases of conflict, with the Social Services street educators.
TREATMENT
This
work is based on the direct relationship established with victims
of drug abuse and their families who we have identified and contacted
through the intervention teams or treatment centres.
With
a view to facilitating this population’s access to treatment
resources, the service accompanies them to their corresponding
drug treatment centre and helps them comply with admission requirements
and conditions.
Once
treatment has commenced, support and follow-up are provided. An
educator/mediator is assigned to each centre and a day is set
up for that person to establish direct contact with the users
and to coordinate efforts with the teams of field professionals.
In addition to making sure that treatment is being adhered to,
our work also includes providing emotional support, information
and counselling, accompaniment, visits and seeing to the formalities
regarding assistance and benefits, housing, school enrolment of
children… Specific intervention is also done with families.
The
majority of programme users are men over the age of 30 who are
married or living with a stable partner and keep up their family
ties. They work as mobile traders or scrap metal collectors and
most receive social benefits.
INCLUSION
Awareness
heightening and accompaniment work is done with a view to incorporating
these individuals into public sector training and job search resources
(INEM – employment institute, IMAF – insurance and
financial mediation, IMEFE – municipal employment and business
training institute and the ISLA Programme – socio-labour
inclusion) and the Foundation’s resources through the Acceder
Programme featuring training workshops and a job-finding scheme.
Once
a person is referred to the Acceder Programme, the personnel take
responsibility for welcoming and providing information, guidance
and follow-up, referral to both formal and non-formal training
facilities, job search support and labour market accompaniment.
