El centro del adolescente de Las Condes

Abstract

Procedures leading to the project design of a Center for Research and Comprehensive Care of Adolescents is reported, along with the process of seeking international tunding and local ("municipal") sponsorship.
Comprehensive care of the problems of adolecents is conceived as curative and preventive and it is focussed on individuals as well as on the group of peers and the families. Responsibility of the community in prevention is also commented.
Curative care has been successful because of the young well selected, professional team.
The main problems are those related to mental health, with 80.9% of the total diagnosis. Adaptative reactions and mental disorders comprise 82% of the group of mental health problems.
Prevention is based upon the voluntary work of youth with young people. Groups of "monitoring teachers" and "monitoring students" are being formed at the High Schools.
Characteristics of population served, human resources of the Center and methodology applied are described.