The Canary Island Health Service (SCS) has launched a pilot project called “Puentes en Salud” in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, aimed at homeless individuals facing addiction, mental health issues, and difficulties accessing healthcare. Initially, the project will support around 60 people in the city, with plans to extend to other municipalities across the islands.
On Wednesday, SCS Director Adasat Goya, along with Fernando Gómez-Pamo, the head of Mental Health and Addictions, Charín González, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Social Services councillor, and Beatriz Rodríguez Villega from Médicos del Mundo Canarias, announced the initiative.
The project will deploy a mobile, multidisciplinary team that will work on the streets to provide social and health support, psychosocial assistance, psychological intervention, and referrals to public health, primary care, and addiction services. This team will target vulnerable areas, including beaches, ravines, and urban zones where homeless individuals are often found.
Puentes en Salud focuses particularly on those with substance abuse problems, social barriers, and hindrances to using traditional healthcare services. Rather than replacing existing social resources, it aims to bring services directly to where these people are, build trust, and create tailored support pathways.
Planned actions also include educational interventions on harm reduction, health promotion, sexual and reproductive health, support against prescription drug poverty, and distributing health kits. The project will coordinate with addiction care units, municipal social services, mental health resources, community groups, and associations.
Additionally, it addresses gender perspectives, paying special attention to homeless women, who face more significant barriers and risks of violence. This includes psychosocial support groups, interventions in sexual health, and detection of gender-based violence.
The initiative will also include a commission for monitoring, result evaluation, and annual reporting. Puentes en Salud aligns with national strategies on addiction and local goals for comprehensive care, harm reduction, and social inclusion.
