The Covid pandemic prevented us from holding new sessions of our International Workshop for almost three years, but we finally held our first post-pandemic session in June 2023. It was a great event where people from the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia came together to exchange good practices and learn about the San Patrignano model. We are happy to announce that we can resume our regular sessions three times a year.
The world went through challenging times, and we all know that the most vulnerable were severely affected by the impact of pandemic on daily life. We have all rediscovered ourselves as fragile human beings needing meaningful relationships, just like those to whom we turn our support and our desire to offer help.
This workshop aims to explore these aspects and emphasize the value of relationships as a key to change and improved quality of life.
The International Workshop at San Patrignano allows participants to experience the daily life in the peer-led therapeutic community of San Patrignano for a full working week, from Monday to Friday both included. The program combines lectures by experienced members of the staff with experiential learning labs in close contact with the residents. This immersive experience can offer social workers and practitioners working with people affected by SUD, scholars and NGOs interested in the San Patrignano model, a unique opportunity to get to know closely our rehabilitation and social reinsertion model, as well our initiatives in the field of prevention from drug use addressed to young people.
San Patrignano, one of the world’s largest residential treatment centers, has been working for the last forty-four years for the full recovery of those suffering from substance use disorders. Offering a program of rehabilitation, skills training and full social reintegration completely free of charge, the community has given a new chance to more than 26,000 young people with an independently verified drug free success rate of over 70%. Currently San Patrignano is home to roughly 800 residents, male and female, without any discrimination based economic, religious or social conditions.
Primary prevention initiatives are also part of our daily commitment: we organize theatrical presentations, interactive debates and study trips to the community using “peer-to-peer” education on the dangers of drug use and at-risk life styles. In addition, the lectures will elaborate on the economic aspects of the organization, which is not a charity but a social enterprise.
Aim of the workshop: San Patrignano welcomes NGOs, government delegates, academia, social workers, students, professionals and individuals interested in deepening their knowledge on our method in addressing drug problems, studying our model and educative approach. The workshop has been developed to respond to the large number of requests for study visits and internships at San Patrignano, to share our expertise and offer a unique experience of our community. The International staff in cooperation with the University of Bologna and Milan created the format, based on previous visits of government and civil society delegations from around the world in recent years. The program provides classes in the morning, while in the afternoon residents, under the supervision of the study visit coordinator, will act as mentors to the workshop participants favoring their understanding of peer support and peer mentoring, central elements of our method
Venue: San Patrignano, Rimini, Italy
Language: English is required for the participants.
Duration: 5 days: the course will take place from Monday to Friday both included. Please make the necessary travel arrangements to be able to arrive on Sunday and leave on the following Saturday.
Fees: 1000 euro (The fees include: registration, lectures, learning material, tutoring, coffee breaks and meals, for the duration of the course). It doesn’t not include accommodation and local transportation.
Accommodation and local transportation: Participants will choose and book their own accommodation in Rimini, which is 12 km away from SP and connected with public transportation. The community will provide suggestions in this regard and indications regarding local transports.
Day 0:
Arrival to Rimini and independent accommodation into the hotel.
Day 1:
9:15am Arrival to San Patrignano: welcome coffee and guided tour to the San Patrignano premises and the vocational training departments until 4.30pm.
At 4.30pm: Briefing on the week ahead
At 5.45pm Back to the hotel
Day 2:
9:15am Morning: Lectures
Lunch with the residents
Afternoon: Experiential learning labs in assigned vocational training workshops.
Dinner with the residents.
At 8.25pm Back to the hotel
Day 3:
9:15am Morning: lecture
Lunch with the residents.
Afternoon: Experiential learning labs in assigned vocational training workshops.
At 5.45pm Back to the hotel
Day 4:
9:15am Morning: Lectures
Lunch with the residents.
Afternoon: Experiential learning labs in assigned vocational training workshops.
Farewell dinner at SP.accio – San Patrignano Restaurant/Pizzeria
At 8.25pm Back to the hotel
Day 5:
9:15am Morning: Lectures
Lunch with the residents.
Afternoon: Conclusions, final wrap up and delivery of participation certificates
At 5.45pm Back to the hotel
Day 6:
departures
Note: This program might be subject to minor changes due to logistical or organizational issues.