BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

Laura Hurtado on 13 March 2024

Program that seeks to break the taboo of addictions in families

BRUS is an initiative aimed at young people up to 24 years old who live in families affected by alcohol and drug addiction. The primary objective is to break the taboo surrounding these issues through in-person meetings and an anonymous chat service. Additionally, the program encourages young individuals to focus on their own needs rather than taking responsibility for situations they cannot control.

The online chat provides access to individuals who may initially be hesitant about seeking face-to-face treatment or are unable to physically attend a center. This virtual format allows vulnerable individuals to express their experiences, regardless of their location. Furthermore, the online platform enables safer and more confident self-expression, allowing them to articulate their feelings more effectively.

Users can choose whether they want to maintain continuity with the same therapist across multiple sessions or start anew each time and switch therapists. BRUS also facilitates communication for young people who have completed the therapeutic process but wish to stay connected with the center.

Characteristics of innovation

Proximity care, Addictions, Adolescence and youth, Childhood, Families and upbringing, Innovative organization, Integrated care, Mental health, New model of intervention

Localization

Denmark

Partners / Funders

Genesis

BRUS was born in 2016 under the auspices of the Center for Digital Pedagogy in Denmark. From the outset, it embraced a digital approach, incorporating an email mailbox and an anonymous online chat. However, there is also the option to receive in-person counseling. The goal of employing hybrid solutions to address issues is to more efficiently reach vulnerable young people.

Level of implementation

The pandemic and the resulting inability to find refuge in activities outside the home led many young people in vulnerable families to seek solutions through the Internet. In 2020, BRUS recorded 431 conversations on the platform, more than double the number from 2019.

Currently, the program is present in several localities in Denmark through an intermunicipal collaboration agreement

More information

Propose your innovation

See our selection of innovations

Banc d’innovacions

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

IWI Project, a support program for families seeking to improve their well-being

The IWI Project is a program that provides support to families with minors in their care who detect difficulties within their own homes and wish to address them in a community-based manner.

Barnahus, care service for child victims of sexual abuse

Toni Codina on 21 February 2024

A pioneering integrated unit in Catalonia and Spain, made up of a specialised multidisciplinary team, whose objective is to avoid the re-victimisation of children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse and to provide all the necessary care in a single space.

Barnahus (children’s house in icelandic) is a project to help children and young people –from 0 to 18 years of age– who have suffered sexual abuse and to prevent aggression against minors. It puts the victim of sexual abuse at the centre, working in a single space with all the care services they need and minimising the traumatic experience of reliving the aggression. This avoids victims having to go through courts, police stations, hospitals and children’s services. It is promoted by Save the Children and is supported by five Catalan government departments, mainly the Social Rights department, but in coordination with the Health, Education, Justice and Interior departments.

Barnahus has a welcoming and friendly appearance to provide security, comfort and confidence to children and their families. There are separate rooms to preserve privacy, a kitchen-dining room, offices and a medical examination room. The psychosocial team –consisting of psychologists and social workers with a coordinator– works full time, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and also offers translation services.

Catalonia already has centers in Tarragona, Manresa, and Lleida. In 2024, Intress, a partner entity of the iSocial Foundation, has promoted the opening of a Barnahus facility in Terrassa and in La Seu d’Urgell. On February 27th, the Idea Foundation, also a member of iSocial, will inaugurate a center in Granollers.