Member Spotlight October 2019

The Comunità di Venezia in a few lines? 

The Comunità di Venezia s.c.s. is a not-for-profit organisation that operates in the Venice area. It helps young people recover from addictions or mental health problems  through community-based residential or semi-residential care. Our work is focused on psychological treatment and counselling, rehabilitation and social inclusion of young people with substance abuse or mental health problems.  Our organisation is a social co-operative with members including psychologists, educators, social workers and nurses.

What are the Comunità di Venezia’s main activities ?

The Comunità di Venezia operates two residential treatment centres acting as therapeutic communities. The first centre – Villa Renata – was established in 1984 for young adults with substance abuse and mental health problems.  The second centre – Casa Aurora –  was established in 1990 for young mothers  with drug abuse or with mental-ill health who are admitted to the centre with their children.

The facilities operate in collaboration with the Veneto region, the local health authority and the Municipality of Venice. About 100 people are hosted in small facilities placed in different areas of the town, providing home to 25 mothers and infants and to about 50 young adults.

The Comunità di Venezia offers individual and group psychotherapy, personal evaluation of skills and provides specific personalized support based on the individual needs (e.g resuming education, vocational training, re-establishing good relations with friends and family, cultural and leisure time,  promoting physical activities etc). We strongly support young people undergoing rehabilitation to  live independent lives and to participate in paid employment and social activities, enabling in that way their social inclusion.

The Comunità di Venezia carries out  activities  in cooperation with others European networks and stakeholders in the field of  rehabilitation ( Euro-TC),  partnership for improving health, equity and wellbeing (EuroHealthNet) and research with University of Padua Department of Psychological development and IREFREA networks.

Where can we find out more?

You can visit our website: www.comunitadivenezia.it