The Pere Mata Foundation has detected a change in the profile of the users who attend the special work center in Reus. 19% of the people attended have diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and most of them come to the center with men who are between 25 and 30 years old on average.
This is due to the fact that they are diagnosed when they are young and are already referred directly to the services of the foundation that has been adapted to the users. Before, the profile was that of a man between 35 and 40 years old. On the other hand, the Pere Mata Foundation has begun to work with part of the staff of the special work center on their retirement to guarantee dignified aging. The company has promoted a pilot project to financially supplement his pension.
In 2018, 8% of the users of the Pere Mata Foundation were diagnosed with ASD, a figure, therefore, that has increased eleven points. In addition, years before most users suffered from schizophrenia, while now they are diagnosed with ASD and rather come to the center. “When they have difficulties entering the labor market, they are referred to our services”, indicated the coordinator of labor insertion of the Pere Mata Foundation, Consol Franch.
For the most part, from Pere Mata they accompany men, 70% of the total, and from the foundation they work so that women also come to the center, according to the space psychologist, Rocío Martín, has assured. In addition, the foundation has acquired a new machine that automates industrial assembly processes and has made it possible to hire fourteen people with severe mental disorders.
The special work center of the Pere Mata Foundation has an aging workforce, most of the workers are over 50 years of age. For this reason, the entity has begun to approach retirement with a pilot program financed by the Department of Business and Labor of the Generalitat, since employees are reaching retirement age and are faced with a problem: they still do not have enough years listed. “It is a complex process,” said Martín. In this way, they receive a part of the pension and the other continue working.
In 2023, eight people have been part of the project, and they estimate that in the coming years at least five people per year will retire. Linked to this process, the psychologist has stressed that users must look for “new routines” to occupy moments of leisure and entertainment. “You have to ask yourself what they want to do now that they have a third of their lives uncovered,” said Martín. The center also works on this new paradigm with users.
