Alckmin highlights security when launching 'Crack Welfare'
"The cost [of crack is lower] and [it] is a highly addictive drug. Furthermore, it brings consequences from a security standpoint. We are reaping the consequences of this, and the State cannot remain silent in the face of such a situation," said the governor of São Paulo; the Recomeço Program is coordinated by Ronaldo Laranjeiras and will operate with a card that grants R$ 1.350 per month to the families of drug addicts who have accepted voluntary inpatient treatment.
Camila Maciel
Reporter from Agência Brasil
São Paulo - To continue the recovery process of the chemically dependent after the stabilization period is the objective of the Recomeço Card, launched today (9) by the state government, which will grant R$ 1.350 per month to cover the cost of staying up to 180 days in therapeutic communities.
"It's an innovative and, technically, very sound initiative. First, the person stabilizes, and then they need a few months to regain their dignity and reacquire certain values," explained psychiatrist Ronaldo Laranjeira, coordinator of the program and full professor at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
Laranjeira emphasizes that this is a complementary step to the clinical period. "The treatment of chemical dependency, especially crack cocaine, is not limited to one or two months of hospitalization. You will need a series of measures. Support for the person to recover their work and social life. This is a more complex process and it has to be done," he said. He believes this work can be undertaken by entities already qualified for this type of care.
Governor Geraldo Alckmin recalled that crack cocaine arrived in Brazil in the early 1990s and, in less than 25 years, has already reached epidemic proportions. "The cost [of crack cocaine is lower] and [it] is a highly addictive drug. Furthermore, it brings consequences from a security standpoint. We are reaping the consequences of this, and the State cannot be allowed to remain silent in the face of such a situation," he stated.
Alckmin emphasized that hospitals will not be accredited in this expansion of the crack cocaine combat program, as that remains the responsibility of the government. "We are taking care of the social aspect," he explained.
The state has 1.004 hospital beds exclusively for the treatment of drug addicts, according to the state government. With the card, the government hopes to serve up to 3 people in therapeutic communities, which will function as a step following hospitalization. The resources will be transferred to the entity, and the patient will not be able to access them directly. To participate in the program, patients must seek out the Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS), which are the responsibility of the municipalities.
The expectation is that the card will begin operating within 60 days in 11 cities: Diadema, Sorocaba, Campinas, Bauru, São José do Rio Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Presidente Prudente, São José dos Campos, Osasco, Santos, and Mogi das Cruzes. "The card came as a way to expedite the expansion of the program to the interior of the state," said Rodrigo Garcia, Secretary of Social Development, the agency responsible for accrediting institutions and monitoring the actions.
The accreditation of therapeutic communities to receive the card's resources will be done through a public notice. According to Garcia, the institutions must comply with certain rules, such as maintaining a human resources department with social workers, psychologists, and workshop facilitators. "In addition to the services they will provide, we require the facilities." Garcia informed that there are at least 130 communities in the state that could qualify for the service.
According to the secretary, this type of care already exists in the capital, provided through direct agreements with therapeutic communities. "It's our own model. We currently have 270 places in 13 different entities located around São Paulo."
Edited by: Tereza Barbosa