The Therapeutic Community of Mijas, the only centre in Andalucía exclusively dedicated to women with addictions, closed on August 4 and will not reopen. The Junta cites risks of fire and flooding and poor communication for the schooling of patients' children.
The Therapeutic Community of Mijas, the only centre in all of Andalucía specifically dedicated to women with addictions, has closed permanently. The residence, dependent on the Agency for Social Services and Dependency of Andalucía (ASSDA), opened in March 2000 and closed on August 4. Sources from the Junta de Andalucía have confirmed to Diario Sur that it will not reopen.
The centre is located in Las Lagunas de Mijas, but away from the urban core, in the scattered area of Entrerríos. The Ministry of Presidency, Health and Emergencies justifies the closure by stating that the location "did not meet the appropriate conditions" as it is in an area at risk of fire and flooding, and has a negative report from Emergencies. The Junta adds that the centre had "poor communication" regarding the schooling of patients' children, who can live with them between the ages of 0 and 3 years.
At the time of closure, the residence, with a capacity for 32 women, was attending to nine patients. One was discharged, two moved to therapeutic outings, and the rest were transferred to Almonte (Huelva), where another of the five therapeutic communities in Andalucía, all mixed, is located.
The staff, made up of 20 workers (16 women and four men), claim to be "devastated" and "in shock" upon learning of the decision. They consider it "serious" to have halted a resource that serves women "in vulnerable situations", many of whom are victims of gender violence within the VioGén system. One of the workers reasons: "If there is a fire risk and they need to clear 15 metres, install a hydrant or create an exit for a safe evacuation route, let them do it." The employees fear that the closure hides an intention to contract the places with private entities.
The centre operated with an interdisciplinary team: management, administration, ten monitors, two psychologists, two educators, a social worker, a nurse, a cook, and a driver, all public employees, with cleaning and maintenance outsourced. At the time of closure, there was no doctor, an absence that complicated admissions as they are the ones who diagnose, adjust medication, and reduce dosages. During the Christmas of 2024, the centre had already been closed for a few days due to staff shortages.
The closure occurred four days after a decree was published in the BOJA transferring the management of therapeutic communities from Social Affairs to the Ministry of Presidency, Health and Emergencies. The Junta assures that the workers "will be offered the best solutions" and "facilities for the continuity of work". Part of the staff has been teleworking since then for calls and follow-ups, while others cannot perform their duties as they require physical presence.
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