By Decree No. 10,282 of March 2, 2020, in articles I and II of Art. 3, the activities and services performed by the Therapeutic Communities are considered essential and, therefore, it is important to guide coronavirus prevention and clarify how chemical dependents should be welcomed in these institutions.

Thinking about it, the National Secretariat for Drug Care and Prevention - SENAPRED, in partnership with the Ministry of Citizenship, published a guidebook directed to the work of therapeutic communities,addressing information about the virus, its symptoms, its transmission and preventive measures to be taken. It also addresses issues of behavior and relationship between the welcomed, visits, monitors and society in general.

The booklet emphasizes the importance of welcoming,since the chemical dependent cannot be prevented from performing his treatment and the interruption of the reception can put his life at risk. However, in cases of suspicion or confirmation of coronavirus infection, the host should be referred for care in the Health Unit.

For admission to the Institution, the period of social isolation of at least 14 (fourteen) days within the Institution, according to the Protocol of Clinical Management for the New Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), available at the link: https://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2020/fevereiro/11/protocolo-manejo-coronavirus.pdf, and its possible updates must be observed. Therapeutic Communities that do not have physical and human resources to perform social isolation should not be welcomed.

Read the booklet in full.