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Description
The project "SHOTGUN 2.0: consolidação de práticas para a reinserção social” (“consolidation of practices for social reintegration”) has as its general objective the social reintegration of 50 people with Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies in recovery processes through a set of actions that promote their economic empowerment and training for employability, as well as the training of professionals who work with this target audience in therapeutic communities.
Summary of project results
This proposal guarantees the continuity and sustainability of the processes and results that began with the previous edition of SHOTGUN, which was financed by the same funding programme. The results have been expressly positive and significant in the lives of the beneficiaries. We would highlight the number of people integrated into employment/studies (according to their life projects), as stated in the final report: ‘Two months after the end of the project, it can be seen that 25 people are integrated at a professional (23) and academic (2) level and 3 are looking for work (28p in social reintegration, 29%). It should be noted that a large proportion of the beneficiaries are still undergoing treatment (45%). It is also important to emphasise that the project''s Final External Evaluation corroborated the project''s effectiveness, stating that ‘it is possible to confirm that the project empowers its beneficiaries when they say that “Shotgun teaches them how to live outside”’ and ‘it is possible to state that Shotgun unequivocally contributed to the development of empowerment skills, both in terms of professional, academic or occupational integration and socio-emotionally’. Despite the success of the previous initiative, it is important to recognise the need to maintain and strengthen it, not least because of the demanding conditions in which the project took place, namely its short duration (14 months) and the limited resources available (1 part-time technician and 1 volunteer manager). In this sense, edition 2.0 will focus specifically on the sustainability of the project''s dynamics and effects, while also responding to the needs encountered. On the one hand, the need to strengthen the professionals at the TCs, particularly in terms of knowledge and skills that contribute to positive, balanced therapeutic processes and relationships that promote the reintegration and autonomy of their beneficiaries. On the other hand, the opportunity to strengthen and consolidate partnerships as a potential for growth, through critical reflection on common practices and obstacles - which, we believe in the long term, will contribute to improving the functioning and impact of the organisations. In this sense, it is important to mention that the partner TCs have different approaches and operating models, despite sharing the general objectives and guidelines common to the national TCs - so we consider dialogue on challenges and learning to be interesting and pertinent, contributing to a culture of collaborative and shared learning. There is still a prevailing need for us to act, given the lack of effective and systematised responses to promote the social reintegration and autonomy of people with addictive behaviours and dependencies (CAD). There are different factors that contribute to greater difficulty in accessing and maintaining employment for people with CAD, such as: i) insufficient or outdated employability skills (e.g. access to services, job-search techniques, digital and financial literacy); ii) a weakened support network and consequently fewer job-seeking contacts; iii) a negative and maladjusted image associated with people with CAD, which blocks or reduces the possibility of integration into the labour market. Shotgun responds to these challenges through empowerment and capacity-building actions, as well as by building a community of support and raising awareness among civil society and employers of the social capital of the people we work with.
This proposal guarantees the continuity and sustainability of the processes and results that began with the previous edition of SHOTGUN, which was financed by the same funding programme. The results have been expressly positive and significant in the lives of the beneficiaries. We would highlight the number of people integrated into employment/studies (according to their life projects), as stated in the final report: ‘Two months after the end of the project, it can be seen that 25 people are integrated at a professional (23) and academic (2) level and 3 are looking for work (28p in social reintegration, 29%). It should be noted that a large proportion of the beneficiaries are still undergoing treatment (45%). It is also important to emphasise that the project''s Final External Evaluation corroborated the project''s effectiveness, stating that ‘it is possible to confirm that the project empowers its beneficiaries when they say that “Shotgun teaches them how to live outside”’ and ‘it is possible to state that Shotgun unequivocally contributed to the development of empowerment skills, both in terms of professional, academic or occupational integration and socio-emotionally’. Despite the success of the previous initiative, it is important to recognise the need to maintain and strengthen it, not least because of the demanding conditions in which the project took place, namely its short duration (14 months) and the limited resources available (1 part-time technician and 1 volunteer manager). In this sense, edition 2.0 will focus specifically on the sustainability of the project''s dynamics and effects, while also responding to the needs encountered. On the one hand, the need to strengthen the professionals at the TCs, particularly in terms of knowledge and skills that contribute to positive, balanced therapeutic processes and relationships that promote the reintegration and autonomy of their beneficiaries. On the other hand, the opportunity to strengthen and consolidate partnerships as a potential for growth, through critical reflection on common practices and obstacles - which, we believe in the long term, will contribute to improving the functioning and impact of the organisations. In this sense, it is important to mention that the partner TCs have different approaches and operating models, despite sharing the general objectives and guidelines common to the national TCs - so we consider dialogue on challenges and learning to be interesting and pertinent, contributing to a culture of collaborative and shared learning. There is still a prevailing need for us to act, given the lack of effective and systematised responses to promote the social reintegration and autonomy of people with addictive behaviours and dependencies (CAD). There are different factors that contribute to greater difficulty in accessing and maintaining employment for people with CAD, such as: i) insufficient or outdated employability skills (e.g. access to services, job-search techniques, digital and financial literacy); ii) a weakened support network and consequently fewer job-seeking contacts; iii) a negative and maladjusted image associated with people with CAD, which blocks or reduces the possibility of integration into the labour market. Shotgun responds to these challenges through empowerment and capacity-building actions, as well as by building a community of support and raising awareness among civil society and employers of the social capital of the people we work with.
At the time of the final report, 21 out of the 58 beneficiaries people were already integrated at a professional (20) and training level (1) and 6 were looking for a job, therefore 47% were socially reintegrated, or ready to be. It is important to note that part of the beneficiaries were still undergoing treatment (12%).