Your Heart, Your Limit (ESC)

Project number: 2018-1-PT02-ESC11-005620

European Solidarity Corps

Country: Portugal

Duration: 01.10.2019-31.08.2020 (11 months)

Coordinating Organization: ProAtlântico – Associação Juvenil
Hosting Organization: ARIA – Associação de Reabilitação e Integração Ajuda
Sending Organization: Creative YouthLand

Description:
ARIA, located in Oeiras where the volunteer was integrated, has two responses of psychosocial rehabilitation communitary to support young people and adults with psychiatric diagnosis and difficulties of social integration, family and/or professional:

*Social and Occupational Forum Oeiras – a structure that provides a rehabilitation program for people with mental health problems, manifested by difficulties in social integration, family and/or professional.
*Protected Life Unit at Algés – It is a residential support unit on a temporary basis, intended for people with stable psychiatric disease which are psychosocial disadvantage and requiring significant technical support at any stage of life. The services aim to improve the quality of life of users and enhance their community integration.

These two structures are supposed to:
*Improve the social skills of users, strengthening the capacities of autonomy, self-sufficiency, choice and defend their interests;
*Create and maintain a network of social support to give answers to some basic needs, such as: housing, interpersonal relationships, employment and leisure;
*Promote and foster the link with families;
*Promote the quality of life and mental health;
*Promote the connection to the community;
*Promote adherence to the treatment program.

These responses have the capacity 30 and 7 customers, respectively.

Tasks of the volunteer
The volunteers:
* Helped in rehabiltative activities, such as crafts, basic skills training,
* Taught clients the use of public services and/or public transport;
* Conducted social and recreational activities, (eg. : indoor and outdoor games and group activities, visits to places of interest (museums, cultural activities, art galleries);
*Spent time with clients, keeping them company, talk, take a walk or just listen them;
*Accompanied clients to medical appointments;
*Participated in meetings and training sessions;
*Collaborated in administrative tasks such as filling, answering phones;
*Planned, organized or participated in ad hoc client activities.