SOCIAL ASSISTANCE: FUNCTIONS, TYPES, ESTABLISHMENTS IN MEXICO - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The social assistance refers to a series of actions that aim to alleviate a situation of need. It is usually implemented by public or private organizations and is aimed at vulnerable people or communities. Measures within this area are largely supervised and funded by the State.

Relations with individuals or communities are carried out through specialized care programs or centers. The duration of the assistance processes is linked to the condition and type of needs that a selected group may have.

Education is one of the sectors served by social assistance

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The aid is granted through formalities, monetary benefits or specific attention. The cases can be related to problems of nutrition, housing, health, discrimination, education, addiction and other unfavorable circumstances.

Social assistance can be fruitful and seen as an act of long-term profitability when work allows circumstances to improve in the future. For example, it can be not only a program focused on alleviating situations of poverty, but to support growth and improvement of skills. With this, those involved can thus increase their capacities for autonomy and an improvement in the quality of life.

Functions of social assistance

The function of social assistance is to attend to individuals or groups in society in a state of crisis, risk or vulnerability. The social sectors served are those that are at a considerable disadvantage and do not have the means to solve their situation.

The objective is to integrate them socially and guide them towards a productive life by increasing or promoting the growth of people's mental, physical and even patrimonial capacities.

Among some of the groups most served are children, the elderly and the disabled. Among the most important factors is helping to create the right conditions to meet basic needs and achieve an increase in equal opportunities.

Social assistance is not only a strategy to solve specific problems but to generate long-term solutions for people.

Generally, social workers are the professionals best qualified to become involved in social assistance and intervene in programs. One of the activities of a social worker within social assistance is to create a link between a vulnerable group or individual and support services. They are also guides for self-management, depending on the cases and the possibilities of the people in question.

Types of social assistance

According to the type of social segment, needs and programs, social assistance can manifest itself in different forms. Resources vary according to specific situations. Some of the actions that are usually applied to implement aid are:

- Intervene to improve family life, provide special protection or prevent cases of marginalization in groups related to childhood, youth and the family.

- Attend to problems related to the elderly and the disabled

- Promote social reintegration for groups affected by addictions such as alcoholism or drug addiction. This includes the possibilities of prevention and rehabilitation.

- Work on the prevention of crime and the reintegration of ex-prisoners.

- Support women in cases such as domestic violence or discrimination

- Help disadvantaged groups such as immigrants, beggars and ethnic minorities.

For the creation of a social program, a prior study and design is necessary that is closely related to the needs of the chosen social segment. The creation and evaluation of any project is usually in the hands of professionals in social work.

Social Assistance in Mexico

In Mexico, there are three institutions recognized as capable of carrying out social work: Church, State and private institutions. The church is associated with acts related to charity; the State is the main protagonist of what is known as social assistance; while private institutions enter the framework of philanthropy.

In the case of the State, the implementation of social assistance is an obligation described in the law, which differentiates it from other institutions. It should be noted that the State also fulfills the function of governing both the attendance of public and private entities.

Some of the social assistance services that are provided in Mexico by different institutions are:

- Food and nutritional support

- Economical support

- Support and legal advice

- Attention to drug dependence and alcoholism

- Family development, improvement and integration

- Support for teenage mothers

- Prevention, rehabilitation, therapies and habilitation for disability

- Special education

The social sector of the elderly is one of those that requires the most attention

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Within the social programs there are also educational, economic and protection supports for indigenous sectors, migrants, fathers or mothers of families, boys, girls, young people, the elderly and students.

The "good practices"

In Mexico, some criteria have also been established to determine as “good” some social assistance practice. In general, the response that the assistance generates on the vulnerability of the sector and the changes it may generate is evaluated. Then, the possibilities of replicating the actions taken and generating an intervention model are taken into account.

Data and evidence collection are necessary to demonstrate efficiency. The documents that must be obtained during a social assistance should contain details of the entire process: the actions that were carried out, the problems that arose, the resources invested, the lessons learned and the analysis of data obtained.

Good practices should suggest a systematic action that can be sustained over time and is flexible. Beyond obtaining satisfactory results by the institution, the social repercussion in terms of significance and the changes that have been generated in a sector of the population is relevant.

Establishments for social assistance in Mexico

There are various types of establishments mainly aimed at providing aid and social support. These places are under the supervision of the State, which governs the regulations and oversees internal procedures. Some of the best-known social assistance centers are:

- Houses-homes

- Orphanages

- Nurseries for minors

- Outpatient rehabilitation centers

- Hostels

- Assistance schools for minors

References

1. Calvo J (2017). Social Assistance in Mexico. Legal Encyclopedia. Recovered from mexico.leyderecho.org
2. Blázquez E (2017) Social assistance in Mexico. A look from the SNDIF. Autonomous University of Manizales. Amphora, vol. 24, no. 43. Recovered from redalyc.org
3. Rodríguez J. Social assistance: concept and assistance centers. Recovered from Libros-revistas-derecho.vlex.es
4. National Cancer Institute. Social assistant. Cancer Dictionary. Recovered from cancer.gov
5. Howell F (2001). Social Assistance - Theoretical Background. Social Protection in the Asia and Pacific, ed. I. Recovered from gsdrc.org
6. National Directory of Social Assistance Institutions - DNIAS. Better practices. Recovered from dnias.dif.gob.mx
7. National Directory of Social Assistance Institutions - DNIAS. Institutions of social assistance. Recovered from dnias.dif.gob.mx