In the now – alas – distant 2008 I went to the United States of America thanks to a scholarship from US Department of State. At the time, I was part of an anti-mafia association in my city: Palermo.
Thanks to the aforementioned scholarship I had the opportunity, among other things, to learn about the situation of associations in various American states. Although I don’t agree with the country’s healthcare system, I was able to appreciate the attention paid to the world of associations.
In the USA, in fact, the Associations are financed with private funds and those who belong to them, in addition to providing a service to the community, also have the possibility of paying rent and bills. In short, there is no sort of volunteering “pure” overseas but, in this way, we guarantee the birth and, above all, the growth and survival of Associations that make up, in all respects, for the government’s shortcomings.
Upon my return to Italy, I tried to speak and replicate the – in this case yes – good American example and model but, as we know, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” and my attempt failed miserably.
Today, when I deal with something completely different, but I have never abandoned my pen… or rather, my computer… I happened to come across a reality of Veneto that I didn’t know: the“Street Psychologist” Association.
To find out more, I spoke to Laura Baccaro. Doctor in Clinical and Community Psychology, criminologist expert in legal psychology, professional civil mediator, family mediator, trainer, contract professor of Criminal Psychology and Criminology in some university institutes. Honorary judge at the Court of Surveillance from Venice. Founder and Scientific Director of Journal of criminal psychodynamics, an open access online periodical of essays, criminology and research. She is the author of many articles and some scientific essays. «I firmly believe in the “right to relationship” and the “right to solidarity”, which I have been pursuing with the “Street Psychologist” Association for several years» he began.
Dr. Baccaro, when and how was the “Street Psychologist” Association born in Padua?
We were born in 2005, but with another name. In 2012 we changed our name and became the“Street Psychologist” Association” because we started collaborating with the Padua branch of a national association: “Street Lawyer”. We did this with a view to synergy to support homeless people. Afterwards, we expanded our sphere of action to the evaluation of asylum seekers from Africa who arrived in Padua after having landed along the Italian coast. Ours has always been an integration activity.
How many and who are the people who are part of the Association?
For many years, the Association has been made up of six permanent volunteers, to whom are periodically added two or three interns who carry out their internship at our headquarters and then leave. We are psychologists, psychotherapists, linguistic mediators, people with degrees in Political Science, Counselors… In short, we believe a lot in multi-professional work.
What services do you offer?
Starting in 2009, we began to deal with the treatment of offenders, as well as stalking and violence in relationships. Our mission is always to provide assistance through our branches – therefore we do not take charge of “patient” – but always with a view to understanding and recognizing everyone’s civil and social rights. We continue to deal with migrants by offering evaluations to territorial commissions on appeals presented in relation to victims of sexual abuse, torture or people who have difficulties in sexual recognition.
How many and who are the people who turn to you?
The people who came to us were not very many, numerically. Before Covid, we were following about 50 or 60 people a year. After Covid, things have changed because, following an interview with us, we accompany those suffering from mental health problems to services in the Padua area. Our focus is mainly on criminology and legal psychology. Our services are aimed at those who have committed the crimes contemplated in the so-called “code red”.
Thanks to which funds are you able to carry out your services?
We had funds available from 2013 to 2017. Today our activities, totally free for users, are the result of the purely voluntary work we carry out. Between 2020 and 2023, however, we created a project aimed at preventing violence in relationships between adolescents. We involved almost 2000 high school students, between the provinces of Padua and Rovigo. In this case, we were able to count on funds made available to us by the Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo.
What is the mental health situation in Padua?
The discomfort and suffering of people are increasingly increasing, as in the rest of Italy. Nonetheless, as far as the Padua area is concerned, I can say that the services exist. But it would not be correct to say that they have no need to be strengthened, to better respond to the needs of the population. Moreover, over the course of almost twenty years of life of the Association, our users have also changed and, with the change of our territory and its needs, we have changed too.
Psychology, in short, is ascience in progress”. As well as the pathologies it deals with. It’s just a shame that, just like in 2008, associationism in Italy is always left to the good will of private citizens.
Barbara Giangravè
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