By Jessica Hernández Guerrero
Arazareth Clinic is a Civil Association (nonprofit organization) specializing in the treatment of addiction and emotional disorders. They recognize that an important part of treatment begins with prevention early in life, which is why they have issued an Alerta Roja (Red Alert).
Alerta Roja is an Arazareth Clinic program aimed at children and young adults with the intention of preventing and treating risky behaviors in this population. The program emerged in May of this year due to the growing need in schools to have intervention programs that address and prevent problems such as bullying, self-harm behavior like cutting oneself, eating disorders, or gangs are among the many problems that have exceeded the currently existing internal programs.
Alerta Roja acts on the following working model. Group interventions are carried out where both psychoeducation and group psychotherapy are administered. From the group interventions, cases are detected and channeled to receive individual attention according to what the student needs. It seeks to help children and young adults create a life plan aimed at identifying their meaning of life, which is why the motto of Alerta Roja is “Make sense,” referring to the fact that the best way to overcome adversity and prevent risky behaviors are by giving meaning to life and working every day to achieve it.
In the process, the beneficiaries of the program are supported so that they can identify their talents, capacities, and abilities to later be channeled with the institutions that can support them to enhance those talents that are counted on and begin to be the person you want to be for San Miguel de Allende. Alerta Roja has supported urban and rural schools adding about 10 schools that have benefitted with group interventions, in Phase 1 of the program. However, Alerta Roja continues and is currently establishing relationships with various public institutions and Civil Organizations to create a more solid support network for children and youth and of course to reach more people.
