Psychosocial Adaptation Residence for Children and Adolescents “Picón de Jarama” in Paracuellos de Jarama (Madrid)

The Psychosocial Adaptation Residence -REAPS- for children and adolescents “Picón de Jarama” in Paracuellos de Jarama -Madrid- belongs to the network of centres of the Regional Ministry of Family, Youth and Social Policy of the Community of Madrid, and its day-to-day management and supervision are carried out by the Directorate-General for Children, Family and Birth Rate Promotion. 

The REAPS cares for a total of 50 minors aged between 12 and 17 who have serious behavioural problems, with difficulties in the family, school and social spheres. Many of them have deficits in socialisation patterns. This deficit prevents them from maintaining positive relationships with others and manifests itself in significant behavioural problems: lack of acceptance, isolation, mistrust and aggressive behaviour. In short, they are children or adolescents at risk who need continuous educational support to achieve an acceptable level of social adaptation and to move away from maladaptive behaviour. 

For this reason, through methodological work based on developmental stages within each child’s or adolescent’s process, this residential service offers children and adolescents a space for training, education, and social and therapeutic skills development, where their needs can be met, they can strengthen their skills and improve their social integration; while their families are brought into the therapeutic Family Intervention process, through which they can overcome difficulties in coexistence, relationships, care and communication, with the sole aim of being able to return to the family home whenever possible after completing the therapeutic process. 

The methodological principles that govern the daily intervention of the REAPS team are as follows: 

• Resocialisation: the child or adolescent continues to be part of society, so the Centre fosters social and family ties, positive contacts with the outside world and their participation in social organisations, in order to prepare for their social normalisation. 

• Wholeness: the child or adolescent is seen as a whole, an integral being. 

• Individualisation: the individual and distinctive characteristics of each child or adolescent are taken into account, adapting the intervention to their stage of development and making them the protagonist of their own process. 

• Progressiveness: the child’s or adolescent’s stay at the centre is governed by a system of progressive stages, depending on their pace, progress and objectives achieved. 

• Flexibility: in its educational intervention, the Centre makes use of any events and incidents that occur and adapts to the particular profile of the children and adolescents. 

• Coherence and Continuity: there is significant coordination of all areas of the institution in order to provide an intervention based on consistent criteria. 

 The team of professionals, made up of more than 100 workers, comprises different professional categories: management, deputy management, doctor, psychiatrist, nurse, psychologists, social workers, educators, educational assistants, training and sports instructors, administrative assistants, cooks, general services assistants and security guards. In addition, during the school year there are 2 teachers from the Regional Ministry of Education and Culture.