Institutional care for children and adolescents that use drugs

Abstract The literature highlights the existence of weaknesses in the psychosocial care network, especially in the treatment of children and adolescents that use drugs. The study aimed to comprehend, based on the Winnicottian theoretical framework, how a Residential Care Unit has been providing care to children and adolescents with needs arising from drugs use in situations of social vulnerability. Semi-structured interviews, with eight care providers, and 65 hours of participant observation were carried out. From the thematic analysis, three themes were constructed: (1) Setting: regarding attention to basic needs and construction of a routine; (2) View: regarding empathy and expansion of perspectives; (3) Aggressiveness: regarding new ways of relating. Important actions are aimed at constructing care for this specific population, as this is a current theme with recent and weakly structured public policies.