Overindebtedness Program: “A Light at the End of the Tunnel for who is Lost”

Abstract

This paper describes the experience of an extension project performed in a Court of Justice with over-indebted consumers from 2015 to 2017. Meanwhile, the creation of the Over-indebted Prevention and Treatment Program and the Judicial center of conflict resolution - overindebted has led to 1,142 participants undergoing treatment operations and 1,296 people in prevention operations total (as of 05/07/2017), of which 163 were specifically attended by the extension program. The results revealed three actionable aspects: students, citizens and social technology. For students, the most impact occurred in the development of psychosocial care skills, in qualitative and quantitative research, in group training and presentation, in learning of content related to economic psychology (a neglected field in Brazil), and in the process of learning different intervention techniques. The impact on over-indebted citizens was to receive care regarding different matters related to both relapse prevention and treatment. Citizens who seek care in the Judiciary system usually do not receive psychosocial support. Lastly, social technology impacted the development of reproducible, low-budget intervention plans for treatment of over-indebtedness. Operationally, thematic groups associated with coping strategies, appreciative inquiry and self-referrals were planned and tested at different levels for reaction and behavior. All groups were created based on the demands of individual psychosocial support. Therefore, we believe that the extension program has fulfilled its purpose.

Keywords:
Case Study; Economic Psychology; Indebtedness