USJ and ARTM Forge Strong Partnership in Social Development Initiatives
USJ and ARTM Forge Strong Partnership in Social Development Initiatives
03
Nov
03/11/2023
USJ and ARTM have deepened their collaboration to contribute to the social development of Macao through supervised internships, talks, and joint research projects. Recently, they co-organised an international seminar on drug and alcohol prevention and signed a MOU, solidifying their long-term partnership in the fields of Social Work and Psychology.
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) and the “Associação de Reabilitação de Toxidependentes de Macau” (ARTM) have a long tradition of history in their shared mission of contributing to the social development of Macao. ARTM has hosted students from various USJ programmes for their supervised internship, and some USJ alumni are now staff members of ARTM.
In October 2018 a collaboration agreement was signed and staff from USJ provided supervision to the ARTM staff. In addition, staff from USJ also did Talks to the users of the different ARTM’s services and vice versa, to USJ’s students. There has also been cooperation in the field of research, namely the implementation of the study on “Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP): Views and Experiences of Macao’s Service Users” in 2018.
Communication between USJ and the ARTM has continued and recently, under the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), both parties co-organised the “International Seminar on Prevention of Drug and Alcohol“, during which a memorandum of understanding was signed between USJ and ARTM, and the “Family UNited Training” by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The “International Seminar on Prevention of Drug and Alcohol” & MOU Signing
The “International Seminar on Prevention of Drug and Alcohol” was held on 30 October, 2023, at the Fátima Auditorium of USJ’s Ilha Verde Campus. It served to discuss the efforts underway in Macao to prevent the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol and it aimed to strengthen collective understanding and improve prevention initiatives in this field. The event was attended by local and international practitioners, such as ARTM representatives, USJ academics and representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
During this Symposium, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between USJ and ARTM. This MOU is aimed to strengthening the long-term collaboration between both parties and to promote academic and professional initiatives in the areas of Social Work and Psychology. The MOU was signed by the Prof. Jacky Ho, Dean of FHS, and Mr. Augusto Nogueira, President of ARTM.
(From left to right: Augusto Nogueira, President of ARTM and Jacky Ho, Dean of FHS)
(Karen Peters, Regional Programme Officer Drugs and Health at UNODC)
The “Family UNited” Programme
The “Family UNited” training programme was held at USJ from 1 – 3 November, 2023, and it was attended by 40 participants, including students from the USJ’s Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy programme, and members of the different NGOs in Macao, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The programme, facilitated and organised by ARTM and USJ, was hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), represented by Karen Peters, Regional Programme Officer Drugs and Health at UNODC, Narendra Narotama, Programme Officer – UNODC, and Lucky Pramitasari, Programme Associate for the Prevention Programme – UNOD.
This 3-day face-to-face programme is a UNODC evidence informed Universal Family Skills Programme for Prevention of Negative Social Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. It offers a combination of parenting knowledge, skill building, competency enhancement and support. It has been designed to reduce presenting problems and prevent future difficulties through training and education.
