UIC Barcelona's Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has signed a collaboration agreement with Gilgal Solidari, a non-profit organisation based in Sant Cugat del Vallès, which aims to help people in vulnerable situations and at risk of social exclusion.
As a result of the collaboration between the two entities, students of the Department of Psychology can carry out external work experience at Gilgal Solidari. This experience not only allows students to learn about the social reality of people in vulnerable situations and at risk of social exclusion but also gives them the opportunity to apply their specialised clinical knowledge in mental health within a context where there is a high human impact. This initiative raises awareness among future professionals of the importance of intervening from a holistic perspective that combines clinical knowledge with a deep social commitment.
The first students to participate in this initiative were Amaya Aguado and Maria Estrem, students of the University's Master's Degree in General Health Psychology. As Amaya explains, “Being able to do the work experience at Gilgal Solidari has given us the opportunity to help homeless people, a highly stigmatised sector of the population that is in a very vulnerable situation and to which few resources are allocated. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the people who work in this organisation, users find a place where they feel listened to and where they can receive emotional and psychological support.” “These months have been an incredible and very enriching experience that has allowed us to put into practice the knowledge acquired in both the bachelor's and the master's degree”, she adds.
Meanwhile, the director of Gilgal Solidari, Rebeca Galán, highlighted that “the collaboration with UIC Barcelona has been a gift that has allowed us to offer our users quality psychological support from professionals, such as the students on the University Master's Degree in General Health Psychology”. “Since Amaya and María joined our team to do their practices, we have noticed a great change in the dynamics and interaction with the people who come to our centre. Thanks to their work, we have been able to provide quality support to people who are going through a very difficult time in their lives.”
Marina Santamaría, director of the Master's Degree in General Health Psychology, pointed out how this partnership consolidates UIC Barcelona's commitment to training professionals with a holistic vision of health, combining technical knowledge with a special sensitivity to the needs of those most vulnerable. As she shared at the graduation ceremony of the first graduating class of the master's degree, “We at the University and the Department of Psychology are proud to have students who contribute to the construction of the common good, who translate the values of UIC Barcelona into professional practice and who have an impact on the world through the excellence of the service they provide”. In this way, partnerships such as the one established with Gilgal Solidari, the result of the University's social commitment to the Sant Cugat City Council, serve to reinforce UIC Barcelona's mission to contribute to the region by promoting projects that have a positive impact on both students and the community where they are carried out.
