The Diametro centre, recently inaugurated in Milan, will provide outpatient services free of charge to people in highly vulnerable situations
Based on an individualised and multidisciplinary approach, the centre offers tailored advice, listening, support and guidance services to young people, adults and families affected by substance use disorders and behavioural addiction, among other issues – image: Dianova Italy
- Based on the article published by Dianova Italia (in Italian)
Dianova’s Diametro centre was officially inaugurated on January 18, in the heart of Milan, in a space owned by the municipality. The inauguration was attended by various institutions, supporters and partners who contributed to the implementation of the service.
The Diametro centre aims to offer free outpatient services to provide responses to people facing addictive disorders (substance and behavioural addictions), psychological distress or risk behaviour. Based on an individualised and multidisciplinary approach, the centre offers tailored advice, listening, support and guidance services to young people, adults and families affected by this type of problem with the aim of identifying the most appropriate responses and referring each person to the appropriate service.
The service works in partnership with the School of Clinical Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. This collaboration will result in the development of a system for analyzing the results of the centre and the impact of its interventions, as well as the participation of some of the school’s students, who are in the process of specialization.
At the inauguration, Lamberto Bertolè, Councillor for Welfare and Health at the Municipality of Milan, stressed “the importance of bringing addiction-related stigma to an end”.
In his view, it is also necessary “to set up access points to services such as those offered by the Diametro centre, in order to build an integrated network of services that can respond to the needs of people – especially the youngest – at an early stage, before their difficulties reach a chronic stage”.
Marco Cormio, vice-president of sector 4 of the municipality of Milan, stressed the importance of having an additional offer of addiction services. He also offered “his full cooperation to combine the realities of the territory with the services operating therein, with the aim of better reaching young minors”.
According to Filippo Petrolati, Director of the Fondazione di Comunità Milano Onlus, which contributed to the implementation of the Diametro centre, “Among the factors that led the Fondazione to support the start-up of the service were the innovative and free of charge care and support, the development of networks and connections, and the implementation of professional and social reintegration activities”.
Representatives of the institutional and private sector actors who helped start up the Diametro centre were also present at the inauguration including the Department of Mental Health and Addictions of ASST Rhodense, BNP Paribas and the Papillo architecture studio.
Lastly, Gianluca Castelnuovo, Director of the School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, gave a clear overview of the role of the university in the Diametro Centre. This collaboration stems from the need to evaluate the impact of the services offered by the centre. According to Castelnuovo, “The data collected in recent years stress the lack of qualified personnel in the services that deal with phenomena such as addiction or distress situations. We’ve got to take the University and its future graduates out of their own environment and place them at the service of the territories and the associative world; for the University, this is an added value in terms of research, expertise, exchange of skills, clinical supervision and follow-up of results”.
On behalf of Dianova International, we would like to congratulate Dianova Italy and all of its partners for the realization of an innovative project that will provide each person living in distress or in a highly vulnerable situation and adequate solution.
