The vice president and councilor for Equality and Inclusive Policies, Aitana Mas, has visited Dénia today with the purpose of confirming the imminent start-up of the works of the Specific Center for Mental Health Diseases (CEEM) La Pedrera and the Rehabilitation and Integration Center Social (CRIS) in the locality. These actions will involve an investment of more than 6,27 million euros through the Pla Convivint.
Mas has indicated that, when they are in operation, these centers will have about 90 places to care for people with chronic mental health illnesses. 42 residential places in the CEEM and another 45 of an ambulatory nature through the CRIS, becoming the first public infrastructure of these characteristics in the region of La Marina Alta.
The minister has made these statements during her visit, where she has met with the mayor of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, and members of the municipal corporation in the framework of collaboration and coordination between the Generalitat and the local Administration to "dignify the service provided in this town and throughout the Marina Alta through the Valencian Public System of Social Services".
"We are in a region where there has been a historical deficit in the generation of new places in social services, from childhood to the elderly or mental health, in the latter case a problem aggravated after the pandemic and that must be addressed," he pointed out.
Thus, the vice president has reported that the works of the CEEM and the CRIS "are also added to the reform of the Child and Adolescent Care Center."Les Rotes', whose project is being drawn up for an amount of 200.000 euros, and the construction of the second residence for the elderly, with a budget of 10 million euros, for which the specifications are being drawn up by the city council.
"In total, these actions add up to more than 16 million euros in direct investment that will be made by the Ministry of Equality and Inclusive Policies in Dénia through Pla Convivint," he pointed out.
Primary Care Services
On the other hand, during the meeting, the model of the program contract promoted by the Vice-presidency and Ministry of Equality and Inclusive Policies to improve the social services of Primary Care, "which in the case of Dénia has allowed the investment to have went from 243.00 euros in 2015 to 1,5 million euros in 2023».
This means multiplying the budget by six "so that the City Council can hire 8 professionals at this time instead of 29 people that it had eight years ago," he added. So if in 2015 there was one professional person for every 11.000 inhabitants in Dénia, now there is one for every 1.600.
«This is very important so that the City Council can expedite the procedures of the Valencian Inclusion dependency or income, among others, and offer that quality service and with all the professional profiles necessary to provide people in a state of vulnerability of human attention, dignified and as quickly as possible", he specified.
In this way, he has stated: «We strengthen primary care services, which are the gateway to the Valencian Public System of Social Services, thus building the true fourth leg of the welfare state that was missing, along with health, education and the pension system.
The vice president has also made reference to other social resources, such as the Dénia 24-hour Donation Center, "very important for the region and other neighbors such as La Marina Baixa, which in the last year has served more than 1.000 women, of whom 82 were from Dénia, which we are also helping so that they have a job placement, "he commented.
How great, I have to wait from month to month for an appointment at the psychologist, a short appointment, less than an hour, where the "paper" of attention is played, and where I can barely express myself, until the month that comes. I'm talking about Denia, public health, psychologists from the health center. This is all very well.
But it's also okay to tell the truth, these services unfortunately fall on deaf ears due to the precarious service they offer. Showing oneself as a «front», «there is assistance», «there is help», yes, there is, «there is, but under what conditions.
Much to fill the mouth of mental health, but you ask for an appointment and start to tremble. In my humble opinion you have to start fixing the base. If the base fails everything goes wrong. And as for public mental health, everything is going wrong. In case anyone thinks that we have a wonderful service, I'll already report a little on how it works, so that later no one feels cheated with promises from one another.