Frequently asked questions

Instituto Se Mudando offers something essential to people experiencing homelessness: immediate access to dignified housing. But we do not stop there. We cover the cost of the rent and follow up with each person every week. We provide personalised, person-led support to help with their reintegration into the community, the rebuilding of family ties, and their return to the labour market. In this way we aim to provide the conditions and services people need to keep their home independently.

Founded in 2018 at UFSCar-São Carlos, our Institute has evolved considerably. In 2021 we launched the Opening Doors programme, inspired by the Housing First methodology: an effective, internationally proven approach that offers a more humane, more effective and less costly solution than the strategies traditionally used in Brazil.

We are here to break down barriers and transform lives. We fight every day to bring people off the street and open the way to a better future.

Instituto Se Mudando is a private non-profit association, duly registered under Brazilian company number (CNPJ) 55.103.698/0001-62. Its purpose is to promote the reintegration of people experiencing homelessness into society, dedicating itself exclusively to support activities.

The Opening Doors programme document shows how we adapt and apply the Housing First methodology to the Brazilian reality in São Carlos. Its purpose is to serve as a guide that makes it easier to implement similar programmes across the country. We are available to talk and exchange experiences on the subject. Enjoy the read!

Our most up-to-date programme documentation is available in this document (in Portuguese).

Harm reduction is a public health approach that aims to minimise the negative effects associated with substance use, without necessarily requiring complete abstinence as a condition for receiving support. It recognises that, while substance use can carry risks, those risks can be reduced and the quality of life of people who use substances can be improved. Its principles include:

• Accepting reality: recognising that substance use is a reality for many people and that complete abstinence may not be immediately achievable.
• Focus on health and safety: the emphasis is on reducing the risks associated with substance use, such as preventing infectious disease, overdose and other harms.
• Support and information: offering information and resources so people can make better-informed decisions about substance use and adopt safer practices.
• No judgement: the approach supports people in a non-punitive way, creating an environment where they feel safe to seek help and guidance.
• Empowerment: encouraging the development of skills and strategies so people can better manage their substance use and its consequences.

Harm reduction does not replace the pursuit of abstinence for those who want it and can achieve it, but it offers a path to better health and quality of life for everyone, whatever their level of substance use.

In line with the methodology we adopt, there is no prioritisation based on “housing readiness”. This means more complex cases are not excluded, including those involving substance use, no source of income, or any other factor. The only requirements are that the person is experiencing homelessness or has a street history with a high risk of returning to it, and that they agree to take part in the programme, understanding its terms of commitment.

There are also internal criteria for opening a new case, such as having professionals available to follow the case and enough cash to sustain it. In practice, selection is guided mainly by what the Institute can learn from applying the methodology and by the urgency of the person’s situation.

In general, the people we support are referred by public services that partner with the Institute and are in constant contact with this population, such as Centro POP, CAPS AD and CREAS. As the project has become better known among people experiencing homelessness, referrals have also started to come from the people we already support.

We keep a waiting list of direct requests for help and referrals received. However, the Institute prioritises referrals from public services able to collaborate directly with the project, as is the case with CAPS AD, whose professionals act as case workers for one of the people supported by the programme.

Fifteen people have been supported by the programme so far, and 9 of them are still with us. Of the other six who have been through the programme, one person chose to go to a rehabilitation clinic because of the difficulty of dealing with harmful alcohol use while living alone. Another returned to the care of their family in a different city. The remaining four chose to go back to the street after their relationships ended, at which point they realised they did not want to live alone in a home.

Case management is a continuous process. We use the following tools as the basis for following up each case:

• Eco-map: tracks how the person’s support network evolves.
• Vulnerability chart: monitors the evolution of risk and protective factors related to keeping the home.
• Goals table: helps set targets and deadlines so the people we support reach what they consider essential to keeping their home.

To learn more about this process, read our article on the subject: Case Management.

Yes. In fact, every person who has been through the programme so far has faced issues related to substance use. Although we have not yet supported particularly complex cases, especially regarding mental health, that would not be grounds for refusing to support someone.

It is worth stressing that the programme adopts a harm reduction approach, which is fundamental to applying the methodology. The work therefore involves helping people understand and put in place strategies to reduce substance use, and promoting responsibility for its consequences, rather than focusing on the guilt caused by relapses and lapses.

The Housing First methodology does not work to a rigid timeline. For cases that fall under Rapid Re-Housing, aimed at people in a less “chronic” homelessness situation, it is possible to set a target of roughly 9 months. For cases supported under the Housing First approach, however, the duration cannot be predicted precisely.

Instituto Se Mudando does have a case closure policy, applied when we understand that the person is close to achieving autonomy. At that stage we implement a gradual exit, which includes progressively reducing financial support and holding conversations focused on preparing for life after the programme.

Instituto Se Mudando needs financial support to guarantee the continuity and effectiveness of its social reintegration work. That support is essential to cover operating costs, which include housing expenses, other financial assistance, and home visits.

Financial support also funds innovation and the expansion of the Institute’s initiatives, allowing us to reach and benefit more people experiencing homelessness and so drive social transformation and better living conditions for the people we support. At present we depend entirely on donations, from individuals and companies alike.

In practice, the people who follow up on cases work as volunteers or are employed by one of the public services we partner with. We only provide financial help with transport to the home of the person being visited. In other words, our monthly spend goes overwhelmingly to direct support for the people in the programme.

That support involves an average cost of R$700.00 to R$800.00 in rent, a food allowance of R$150.00 when the local social service does not provide a food parcel that month, and, depending on the person, help with medication not covered by the public health system, adding up to an average of around R$1,000.00 per person per month.

You can donate through this link: donorbox.org/instituto-se-mudando

Any donation helps us keep the programme running, especially recurring donations, however small. Thank you in advance for your support and for trusting our work.

To become a volunteer, whether in our internal teams or supporting one of the people in the programme, sign up through the Atados platform or get in touch with us on Instagram.

Once we receive your application, we will schedule an interview to understand your profile and talk about your skills and interests. Instituto Se Mudando then runs a training session for new volunteers covering the Housing First methodology, the Institute’s activities, its policies and procedures, and the role the volunteer will take on.

The selection process aims to ensure that volunteers are aligned with the Institute’s mission and values and are prepared to contribute effectively. Volunteering is an opportunity to collaborate directly and indirectly with our social reintegration work and to have a positive impact on the lives of the people we support.

Companies can support us in three main ways:

• Recurring corporate donation. This helps most, because it lets us plan how many cases we can keep open through the year.
• Sponsoring a specific case. Supporting one person costs on average R$1,000.00 per month, covering rent, a food allowance and medication not provided by the public health system.
• Non-financial support. Professional services, products, space, or training for the people we support and for our team.

Get in touch to talk about any of them.

Yes. The Opening Doors programme works alongside the public services of São Carlos, mainly Centro POP, CAPS AD and CREAS. They refer most of the people we support, and in some cases their professionals act as case workers together with our team.

Our long-term goal is to sign a Social Impact Bond, an instrument in which private investors fund the operation and the State pays for results achieved. We would be among the first in Brazil to apply it in this field.