The Municipality of Barcelos saw the approval of funding for the “Sou +” project, which aims to promote the inclusion of homeless people, paying particular attention to the problem of mental health, training the target population and raising awareness and combating stigma within the wider community.
The program, which is particularly relevant in the current context of the pandemic, with the increased risk of poverty and difficulty in accessing essential goods, has an execution period of two years and includes an investment of over 160 thousand euros, co-financed by the Program Operational North 2020, through the European Social Fund.
The project stands out for having a multifaceted and innovative character, anchored in the constitution of three case managers, more specifically, a psychologist, a social worker and a social educator, who will allow each homeless person to remain allocated the professional who best suits their specificities and vulnerabilities.
Because it is not possible to promote inclusion without psychiatric intervention, the program is also different in terms of the importance given to stabilizing and promoting mental health, which will translate not only into consultations, but also into fieldwork. Also worthy of note is the fact that homeless people are co-authors of the project itself, through a “Focus Group” of six people, who suggested themes and highlighted concerns and needs, such as the creation of an occupational center, which would be better will help develop the project and contribute to its performance.
In the end, a guide will be created, which will allow the transfer of good practices to other territories that lack similar interventions.
