|
About
Us
Background
Staff
Contact Us
Home
|
PROAD was created in 1986, with the goal of developing
assistance, teaching, research and prevention activities in
illegal substance-related disorders area.
PROAD began its activities inside the facilities of the
Psychiatry Department of
Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)
and, since 1991, received an its own facilities, which allowed
the desirable autonomy for this specific activity.
In the beginning, the target population was only illegal drugs
users. However, with the growing need of alcohol and medication
addicts, since 1989 PROAD increased its target to all
substance-related disorders.
In 1994, with the development of greater knowledge of the
addictive phenomenon, PROAD once more increased its
target through experimental projects in non-chemical area, more
specifically with two programs: Gambling and Compulsive Sex.
The assistance program, which includes an individualized
approach to the substance-related disorders, allowed PROAD
to be chosen by the Federal Drugs Council (CONFEN), in 1988, as
one of the five Brazilian Reference Centers for the
population who search for assistance or professional training.
In 1994, PROAD was named a Reference Center for Drugs
and AIDS by the National DST/AIDS Program of
Health Ministry, in a world
pilot project for AIDS prevention of the United Nations (UN).
The importance of the work developed was recognized with a
special honor in October of 1994, in Paris, when the French
Government gave PROAD the Médaille de la Ville de Paris -
Échelon Vermeil, one of the highest decorations of France, which
only five other similar programs in world received.
In 1998, with the creation of the
National Anti-drugs Secretariat (SENAD),
PROAD became a National Excellence Center in
substance-related disorders area, a reference for the
iniciatives of assistance, teaching, research and prevention
activities developed by the Federal Government.
|
