Federal Government extends vacancies to host and care for people with substance use disorders

Number can exceed 28 thousand places per year

Ministry of Justice, Brasília, 09/10/18

President Michel Temer, followed by the Minister of Justice, Torquato Jardim, announced on Tuesday (October 9th) the expansion, in more than 50% of the number of vacancies paid by the Federal Government in therapeutic communities to receive people who need to move away from the environment in which the drug dependency was initiated and developed.

The accreditation notice, published in April by the National Secretariat for Drug Policy (SENAD) of the Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the Ministries of Health, Social Development and Labor, provided 6,000 vacancies, which were expanded to 9,395 vacancies. As on each vacancy there are, on average, three occupancy per year, reaching a total of more than 28 thousand subscriptions per year, exceeding the target set for the end of 2019. The resources for expanding the number of vacancies, totaling around R$ 90 million, come from the Ministries of Justice (R$ 40 million), Health (R$ 40 million), and Social Development (R $ 10 million).

"The host is aimed at the care, recovery and social reintegration of dependents, and occurs exclusively on a voluntary and transitional basis," explained Minister Torquato Jardim. The condition for the host is the prior realization of diagnostic evaluation, either by a private, public network doctor or by the hospitable entity. The host can extend for up to 12 consecutive or intercalated months, within 24 months.

Therapeutic Communities are institutions of voluntary acceptance to dependents of psychoactive substances. They are not part of the Brazil Health Care Public System, but are considered equipment of the supplementary network of attention, recovery and social reintegration of dependents.

To fill the vacancies, 412 Therapeutic Communities have already been accredited, out of a total of 614 who have registered. The entities underwent a qualification and prequalification process in which, among other issues, the documentation of financial and sanitary regularization, the therapeutic project, with anticipation of recreational activities and that promoted the internal development, the promotion of self-care and sociability, as well as training.

Each Therapeutic Community must maintain a multidisciplinary team with at least two professionals of different degrees in the humanities or health sciences with proven professional experience in the area of drug dependency.

The host can interrupt the reception at any moment and participates, together with the family, of the definition of his / her Single Plan of Attention. He is also guaranteed access to the media, family visits, the right to privacy, including clothing, and respect for religious orientation. Each reception or disconnection must be immediately communicated to National Secretariat on Drug Policies, (SENAD / MJ) and the other agencies involved.

The services will be provided through a contract signed by SENAD / MJ, in charge of monitoring and supervising the execution. The term is 12 months, renewable for equal periods, up to the limit of 60 months, subject to penalties in case of violation of any of its clauses.

The therapeutic communities are not allowed to:

  • Demand counterpart financial or counterpart of service of human care
  • Practice or permit restraint actions or physical medication, with or without effect on the freedom of the person receiving it
  • Subsequent to forced activities
  • Practice or allow corporal punishment.