Dreaming Project Institute

Background

The 23 families served by Dreaming Project (Projeto Sonhar) currently present at least a social risk situation that directly affects family dynamics. The main issues identified are sexual abuse of children and teenagers, alcoholism, drug addiction, extreme poverty, neglect and mistreatment, mental health issues and domestic violence.

The UBS (Basic Health Units) in the community have a professional to meet the mental and emotional health demands of the assisted population. However, it is difficult to get an appointment and, when it happens, the therapy is usually done in groups, generating different complaints among the participants. Patients feel exposed considering that, for most, it is not easy to talk about themselves and their issues.

To match other needs, Dreaming Families Project (Projeto Sonhar Famílias) aims not only to offer social actions, but also direct psychological assistance. Therapy enables personal empowerment, the capacity to strengthen and restore affective bonds, overcoming traumas and reducing mental suffering.

For this reason, psychological assistance is fundamental to help the development process of a more just and egalitarian society, allowing families and individuals the means to develop biopsychosocially.

How It Works

The Dreaming Project Institute (Instituto Projeto Sonhar) has created a specific methodology that includes the following steps:

1. The family is referred to the Dreaming Families Project (Projeto Sonhar Familiar) through a partner from the services of the city’s policy of Social Assistance, Health and / or Defense of the Rights of Children and Teenagers.
2. By the time of the family’s admission, the first step to be taken is based on the development of a trust relationship between the project’s social educator and the family members, through the affective bond.
3. Each project educator works with a group of 12 families; for each family core is built a customized plan of care according to their specific needs.
4. Visits are made weekly to families with the purpose of assisting on family restructure, monitoring external activities, as well as addressing and guiding family issues.
5. Social-educational meetings are held with families, which aims to create an emotional bond and foster the development of its members in areas such as education, health, housing, work and income, life project, citizenship and relationship with the local community.
6. If there is need, psychological care can be offered after an evaluation of family members and, when possible, other community members.
7. Crosswise, they work on local development, with the goal to promote the strengthening of networking with other social organizations in the region, aiming to increase the synergy in the sustainable development of families within the community.

In relation to the offer of psychological care, it is also worth mentioning that:

• The goal of psychological counseling is to offer direct psychological assistance to children, teenagers and families in situations of emotional conflict, mental suffering, or exposed to situations of personal and social risks.
• Counseling will always be offered when the social educator identifies issues that cause mental suffering or when it is observed the need to strengthen and restore affective ties in the family.
• Therapy sessions are held at the Dreaming Project (Projeto Sonhar) headquarters and will be performed by two professionals, one for the youth and one for the adults.
• Each professional offers counseling twice a week: youth therapist on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the adults therapist on Thursdays and Fridays, both from 9am to 5pm.
• Psychological care is not a conditionality for the families participating in the project. Other community members who perceive the need and who have the desire and the commitment to the service can be attended.
  • Type of Service: Individual and Group Service.
  • Location: Dream Project Headquarters.
  • Frequency: Once a week.
  • Duration: 60 minutes per session.
  • Number of direct recipients in the year: 45.
  • Monthly Sessions: 96.
  • Sessions in 10 months: 960 (This number corresponds to the number of sessions per group therapy, although up to 4 participants, we compute 1 session. The number of individuals is added to the number of recipients).
• The counseling lasts according to the need and demands of each patient. On average, there are two usual frequencies: short term (2 months) or long-term (up to 18 months).
• The patient can be discharged when the main complaint is solved, when it reaches the maximum length of service or if the patient desires to terminate the therapy.
• The psychology professionals also will hold educational lectures every three months as a form of addressing themes and issues that might come up in the sessions or in the regular visits (via social educators). Up to now, for example, it has been identified the need to talk about parental alienation, mothering aspects and early childhood care.
• Educational lectures will be held in the headquarters quarterly, in the mornings and afternoons, in order to increase the audience.