Following the initiative of the Local Action Group for the prevention of addiction (LAS) Novo mesto, the reception and day centre for drug addicts has started its operation in Novo mesto. The idea to establish the centre has been taken into effect during the summer months. The mayor of the Municipality of Novo mesto supported the idea and secured the offices. At the Cvelbarjeva ulica 2, in the old city centre of Novo mesto, the works to organize the offices are in progress, together with the users of the centre’s services. The expert management of the centre has been entrusted to the society “Projekt Človek” (www.projektclovek.si), which has many years of experience managing such work centres. The centre is open every workday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The centre’s goal is: to offer safe abstinent surrounding for anybody who is currently abstaining or are included into substitute therapies. The professional staff of the reception centre offer information about the inclusion into the programs which would suit the most to the addicts in the given moment. The day centre performs individual and group programs in forms of creative activities, sports and psychosocial therapies. Relatives of the addicts are also welcome to take part in the activities of the centre. The organization of the offices, which is currently in progress, is already a part of the program.

The day centre has a regional characteristic, meaning that addicts from the entire South-East region can be included into the programs. The new workforce of the centre (Miha, Vesna and Ivana) will have another important task: to establish connections and cooperate with all other institutions which are included, through various activities, into the area of preventive measures and solving addiction problems in the South-East region.