Riera Major is the intensive therapeutic centre run by Fundación Salud y Comunidad (FSC) in Viladrau (Osona), within the Montseny Natural Park. It offers two-phase treatment for people dependent on alcohol, cocaine or other substances: around four months’ residential stay in a rural setting, followed by three months of intensive outpatient treatment in Barcelona.
What is intensive addiction treatment?
Intensive treatment concentrates many hours of therapy and close supervision into a relatively short period. Instead of one session a week, the person devotes most of their time to recovery, often in a residential setting and away from the environment in which they used.
This format makes sense when the addiction has not yet completely taken over the person’s life, when there is family support, or when, after long-term treatment, a relapse occurs that requires containment but not repeating the whole process. It is an alternative to long stays, which can be more disruptive to studies, work or family life.
Who is Riera Major for?
- People dependent on alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, psychotropic medication or other drugs who have not made many previous attempts at treatment and can benefit from time away from their surroundings.
- People who have family support.
- People who have recently completed long-term treatment in a therapeutic community (more than 5 months), have relapsed and need the containment of a residential service without repeating the full programme.
- People who have only been using for a short time, for whom a long stay would mean too great a break from their studies or family.
Riera Major: how the two-phase treatment works
Phase one: around four months’ residential stay in the Montseny
For approximately four months, the person lives at the centre. Stepping away from their usual habits and social circle helps them focus on treatment. During this stage, physical detoxification is completed where indicated, work is done on awareness of the problem and motivation to change, and the person learns strategies to avoid using again once they leave the centre.
The programme includes:
- One individual psychotherapy session a week.
- 3 to 4 hours of group psychotherapy a day, split into two sessions, on social skills, relapse prevention, group cohesion, introspection or cognitive stimulation.
- Medical and psychiatric follow-up.
- Weekly group therapy for family members, at the centre.
- Occupational workshops (vegetable growing, gardening, DIY, maintenance and household chores) and cultural and educational workshops (computing, debate, magazine-making and crafts).
- Sports and leisure activities, individual and group.
Phase two: three months of intensive outpatient treatment in Barcelona
The second phase takes place in Barcelona, at FSC’s SAP (Psychosocial Care Service). The person can continue living at home or stay in an FSC therapeutic flat, and attends the SAP every day for their therapy. The aim is to apply in real life what was worked on during the residential stay and, together with the family, to deal with everyday problems in order to consolidate abstinence in the person’s own environment.
Each week includes two group therapy sessions, one individual session, family therapy, a psychiatric appointment and urine tests.
Working with families
One of Riera Major’s distinctive features is the involvement of the family from the outset. From the second fortnight of the stay, family members can keep in touch with the person, take part in the weekly group therapy held at the centre and have interviews with the therapists. This continuity paves the way for the second phase, in which the family is also part of the treatment. If you are a family member, the family support programme can also help you.
Facilities and centre details
- Location: Viladrau (Osona), in the Montseny Natural Park, a setting that makes it easier to step away from home for a while.
- Places: 25 people, men and women.
- Open since: 2007.
- Team: psychiatrist, psychologists, social workers, educators and support workers.
- Facilities: double rooms with en-suite bathroom, swimming pool, gym, volleyball court, dining room, common rooms, laundry and professional offices.
- Accreditation: social and healthcare centre accredited by the Generalitat de Catalunya (the Catalan government) and a member of the association that brings together professional therapeutic communities and reintegration flats for people with drug dependence in Catalonia.
- Health registration: number H17798414 in the Generalitat’s register of healthcare centres.
If you would like to compare Riera Major with other residential or day services, see treatment centres.
When to ask for help
If substance use is starting to affect your studies, your work or your family and you feel you need to step away from your surroundings for a while to stop it, intensive treatment may be an option. If there is dependence on alcohol or tranquillisers, do not stop suddenly without medical supervision: detoxification must be planned with professionals.
To have your situation assessed, start with the free first appointment in Barcelona: call +34 93 424 04 00. In a medical emergency, call 112, the European emergency number.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Riera Major?
In Viladrau (Osona), in the heart of the Montseny Natural Park. The second phase of treatment takes place in Barcelona, at FSC’s SAP.
How long does treatment at Riera Major last?
It has two phases: a residential stay of approximately four months, followed by a further three months of intensive outpatient treatment in Barcelona.
Can the family visit the person during their stay?
Yes. From the second fortnight of the stay, the family can be in contact with the person, attend the weekly group therapy at the centre and have interviews with the therapists.
Is detoxification carried out at Riera Major?
In the first phase, the person is helped to complete physical detoxification where indicated, with medical and psychiatric follow-up. If detoxification is needed before admission, the team will assess the most suitable service.
How does it differ from a long stay in a therapeutic community?
Riera Major concentrates residential treatment into around four months and then continues it in Barcelona. It is designed for people with few previous attempts at treatment or a short history of use, for whom a long stay would be too disruptive, and for relapses after recent long-term treatment.