Miss Mónica of the Guide is the attendant of the Social Services of San Juan of God in Valencia. She is psychologist and social worker

"In her intervention, Mónica de la Guía explained the different problems of the collective she works with, highlighting the few knowledge there is about this situation. Among the causes that prompt the beginning of a social exclusion situation, she emphasized as the first factors the job loss and the alcohol consumption that are associated to other factors like mental disorders and poverty. This causes the loss of support by the families and society. It is not only a single factor, but rather a group of causes that happen and prevent the person from having an independent life. She presented the resources and social help network present in Valencia, that is to say, the “San Juan de Dios” shelter. This center provides fostering, occupational workshops for the recovery of social abilities, derivation to residences, hospitals or specific centers, as well as the programme addressed to people with alcohol problems, where workers carry out psychological and social evaluations.

One of the main operating points is relapse prevention. Furthermore, the association undertakes the “Street work” where they inform homeless people about the access to the resources and also try to motivate them to start a change process. Among the resources the shelter has, the volunteering programme is specially important to sustain all this structure as it is a priority to achieve the involvement of the individual in his or her social integration."

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