The Regional Secretary of Health spoke in Angra do Heroísmo at the opening of the second edition of the training for the Regional Network of Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk. On the occasion, she stressed that this initiative, implemented by the Regional Directorate for Prevention and Control of Dependencies, intends to improve the information and knowledge levels as well as to ensure the development of technical skills aimed at increasing professional specialisation.
 
“This Network has the primary goal of promoting the rights of children and young people, namely in the area of health," stated Teresa Machado Luciano.
 
These principles are implemented through the prevention of abuse, the early detection of contexts, risk factors and alarm signals, the follow-up and provision of care, and the identification and/or referral of situation to the appropriate entities.
 
The Regional Network of Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk began in 2015 with the establishment of a Centre at Santa Maria Health Unit and was completed in 2018 with the creation of a Centre at Horta Hospital.
 
“The Regional Health Service has 12 centres, one in each Island Health Unit and three Hospital Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk. Currently, there are five paediatricians, 10 Family Doctors and General Practitioners, 18 nurses, four psychologists and 12 social workers working at these centres, making up a total of 49 professionals," stated the Regional Secretary for Health.
 
The Regional Directorate for Prevention and Control of Dependencies organised in partnership with the Directorate-General for Health the first module of this training, which took place in Ponta Delgada in September 2018.
 
This training was directed to the technicians working at the Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk of Island Health Units and Hospital Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk as well as to the coordinators of school health teams, covering 45 professionals.
 
The training module now under way is exclusively aimed at professionals working at the Support Centres for Children and Youth at Risk, representing 20 professionals. 
 
Teresa Machado Luciano stressed the Regional Government's efforts regarding the training of the interdisciplinary teams that make up these Centres by promoting training activities and preparing guiding documents in recent years.
 
The Regional Secretary for Health also considered that this operating model, implemented through the Regional Network, contributes to the prevention and detection of risk and danger situations as well as to the provision of care, the identification and referral of cases, and the prevention of recurrences.