In Southern Brazil, treatment services for dependent people are provided mainly by civil society stakeholders such as NGOs, churches, and community-based organisations. The professionalism of these services is however not always guaranteed as they rely largely on volunteers and former dependents who have not necessarily had the opportunity to undergo proper training in the areas related to substance misuse and therapy. Consequently, the Brazilian government developed some much needed regulations for minimal standards with regard to treatment services, in 2001. Unfortunately, it did not follow up the regulatory overhaul with improved and adequate professional training opportunities for care givers.
Highly Professional Courses in Psychoactive Substance Misuse Treatment
Blue Cross Brazil helped close this gap by designing extensive professional courses in psychoactive substance misuse treatment, in close collaboration with the Lutheran Faculty in Blumenau (Santa Catarina). The modules of these courses cover the following themes:
- The physiology, pharmacology and psychology of psychoactive substance dependence.
- Therapeutic community approach
- Relapse prevention
The courses emphasise the importance of integrating theory and practice. By the end of each course, participants are expected to understand how to effectively interact with clients using their newly acquired skills and drawing upon theory to inform their actions. Much attention is also paid to issues related to ethics and values which greatly influence the quality of interactions with clients.
In 2010, a total of 18 courses were offered to more than 600 professionals and volunteers from therapeutic communities, social institutions (public or private), hospitals, and churches! Through its project, Blue Cross Brazil contributes significantly to the improvement of the quality of services provided for dependent people and their families in Southern Brazil.
Blue Cross Brazil wishes to make its course offering available to other regions of Brazil. Your donations are much welcome to help Blue Cross Brazil achieve this important objective.