Authorisation for social reintegration activities in the field of substance misuse

Leaving a residential treatment centre for addiction marks a crucial stage in a person’s journey towards reintegration, often characterised by exhaustion and difficulties in finding accommodation or coping with everyday challenges without social support, thereby exposing them to the risk of relapsing into substance use. Reintegration into society is a key part of the therapeutic journey; it is not easy and is often fraught with pitfalls. Setbacks and relapses are part of the journey itself. In addition to continuity of care, guidance, contact and support are essential.

The facility or facilities for social reintegration take the form of a shared residence, organised according to a family-style model, which can accommodate up to six people who have completed the community-based therapeutic and rehabilitation programme and achieved the established therapeutic objectives. The service aims to consolidate the restoration of personal autonomy and to promote social and occupational integration (LEA Art. 35(2)(c)).

Admission requires the individual to commit to an individual plan agreed with the network of services and their community of origin. The individual stays at the accommodation for several months (a period to be agreed within the UVM), whilst awaiting the finalisation of the local support plan.

The service may represent the final stage of a community-based therapeutic rehabilitation programme.

The requirements for the authorisation and accreditation of a new organisation authorised to carry out the functions involved in residential social and healthcare services for social reintegration in the field of substance misuse are set out in Annex 1 toProvincial Council Resolution No. 1289 of 29 August 2025, and Provincial Council Resolution No. 590 of 24 April 2026 setting out the criteria and procedures for carrying out the functions of residential social and healthcare services for social reintegration in the field of substance misuse, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8-quinquies, paragraph 1-bis of Legislative Decree No. 502/1992.

Specifically, with regard to the requirements for accreditation, theapplicantmust:

• have, by whatever means, one or more facilities that meet the structural requirements set out in D.P.G.P. No. 30-48 of 27 November 2000, with a capacity of 6 residential beds (arranged in rooms containing no more than two beds each), in which men, women and, where appropriate, non-binary people may be accommodated, to be assessed on a case-by-case basis; the facility or facilities must preferably be located in an urban setting, that is, in a place easily accessible by public transport and from which workplaces and social venues can be reached conveniently, in order to encourage residents’ participation in community life;
• ensure compliance with staffing standards in terms of both quantitative requirements (the staff-to-resident ratio) and qualitative requirements (the suitability of professional qualifications and credentials in relation to the service provided);
• ensure compliance with staffing standards in relation to quantitative requirements.

In this regard, the compositionof the team that must be ensured is as follows:

• project coordinator: a healthcare professional with a five-year degree or a degree in social sciences or social work, and with at least five years’ experience in managing rehabilitation projects in the field of substance misuse or mental health, who may also perform the duties of ‘medical director’ as provided for in DGP 1529/2007 if they hold a degree in a health-related field;
• care workers: healthcare professionals responsible for socialisation and rehabilitation activities, holding the professional qualification of Terp or Professional Healthcare Educator; alternatively, the need for care workers may be met by staff with a degree in the socio-psychological/educational field who have at least one year’s documented experience in the specific sector within a public service (including professional placements and universal civil service) or an authorised and/or accredited private organisation in the social-health or social-care sector;
• the professional team must be organised in such a way as to ensure the presence of a project coordinator for 3 hours per week and of an educator or psychiatric rehabilitation technician or other care worker, as outlined above, for at least 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. As regards care staff, two daily time slots have been identified during which service provision must be guaranteed, namely approximately from 8.00 am to 10.00 am and from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm. A minimum staff-to-user ratio of 1:6 must be guaranteed.

The documentation and forms required to obtain authorisation and institutional accreditation are available on the page ‘Institutional accreditation of public and private social and healthcare facilities’.

The procedure for granting authorisation and institutional accreditation must be completed within a maximum of 150 days.

Should several organisations be accredited at the end of the preliminary assessment, the Provincial Health Services Authority will carry out a comparative assessment to identify the organisation with which to enter into a contractual agreement, taking into account the following selection criteria:

• specific experience in the social and healthcare sector in the field of adult substance misuse or mental health; or, alternatively, in the social care sector in the field of adult substance misuse and mental health, also taking into account the criterion of actual experience in terms of the length of time the activity has been carried out;
• demonstrated ability to implement support programmes for reintegration into work, housing, society and family life through the design and implementation of personalised plans, working in partnership with local institutions, voluntary organisations and associations, including the involvement of the client’s previous care provider;
• demonstrated ability to engage the individuals concerned and their families in the proposed plans;
• a project proposal that takes adequate account of gender differences and the needs of individuals;
• evidence of the volume of activity, measured in terms of total turnover and the average number of people supported by the organisation over the course of a year, broken down by the different areas of activity (social and healthcare and/or social care).

Applications for accreditation must be submitted by 23 June 2026.