Tijuana, January 18.—The Tijuana City Council provides free care to people with addiction problems through its three treatment centers for men, women, and adolescents.
The municipal government, through the Municipal Institute Against Addictions (IMCAD), headed by Florina Righetti Rojo, manages two therapeutic communities that provide residential care for men and women. The adolescent care center currently provides outpatient consultations.
The criteria for accessing IMCAD programs, which are part of the Ministry of Welfare, are very simple. The most important requirement is that people come voluntarily. It's important that they enter with the willingness to begin a process in which they will work hand in hand with a team of specialists who will motivate them to change their habits and improve their psychosocial functioning, with the goal of avoiding relapsed drug use.
The treatment lasts nine months. During the first six months, users receive comprehensive care, which includes individual, group, and family psychological and addiction counseling; sports activities; Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings; spiritual guidance; meditation; and training in trades such as tortilla making, baking, and carpentry, among others.
The therapeutic community for women currently serves 16 clients, but the facilities have space for up to 30 people. The support center for men currently serves 62 clients and has space for up to 100. The therapeutic community for adolescents currently only serves approximately 50 minors on an outpatient basis, providing psychoeducational therapies and preventative talks.
