Support Groups and Helplines in São Paulo

Contact details for the local branches of English-speaking support groups and meetings for AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), drugs aid, cancer support meetings, AIDS and more...

Below find information on the various support organisations and help lines in São Paulo. While some have English-speaking staff and volunteers, there is no guarantee that English will be spoken.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholics Anonymous

There are meetings in English in São Paulo.

• To find an AA meeting and contact details: Click here

Al-Anon

Al-Anon is an organisation for friends and family members of alcoholics. Regular Al-Anon meetings are held in the state of São Paulo (in Portuguese).

Drug Abuse

The Brazilian Association Narcotics Anonymous (Narcóticos Anônimos) provides addicts with both support groups and recovery programmes in the São Paulo region. There are no meetings in English in São Paulo (as of February 2009).

• Narcotics Anonymous (in Portuguese)
  At: Rua Martiniano de Carvalho 156, Bela Vista, 01321-000 São Paulo
  
• To find a meeting in São Paulo: Click here and select Lista de Grupos in the left hand menu

HIV/AIDS

The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo is a large government-funded public hospital in São Paulo where the HIV fast test can be taken.

• Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (in Portuguese)
  At: Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 255, Cerqueira César, 05403-000
  Tel: (11) 3069 6000

Cancer Support

• Instituto Brasileiro de Controle do Câncer
  At: Hospital Professor João Sampaio Góes Junior, Avenida Alcântara Machado 2576, Mooca, 03101-003 São Paulo

Mental Health

Many walk-in public health clinics (Pronto Socorro) in Brazil have 24-hour emergency psychiatric services, which include support and counselling.

• For a list in São Paulo: Click here

FENIX is a mental health support group in Sao Paulo.

• FENIX (in Portuguese)
  At: Av. Liberdade 701, cjt 84, 8th Floor 
  Tel: (11) 3208 1225 / (11) 3209 8579 / 0800 109 636
  email
• To find a local group: Click here

Elderly Support

Associação Brasileira de Alzheimer, Doenças Similares e Idosos de Alta Dependência/ABRAZ is an association providing help and support to those suffering from Alzheimers, other similar illnesses and to those who are highly dependent on support from others.

• ABRAZ (in Portuguese)
  At: Rua Frei Caneca 915, CJ3, 01307-003 São Paulo
  Tel: 0800 55 1906 (Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00)
  

Women's Support

Amigas do Parto (Childbirth Friends) is an association based in São Paulo promoting natural childbirth and providing information about childbirth in Brazil, including doctor, midwife, doula, childbirth educator and hospital referrals.

• Amigas do Parto
  Tel: (11) 3758 9974 / (11) 3727 1735
  e-mail
  

The Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher is a support group for women who have been victims of violence. They have a number of offices throughout the São Paulo region.

• Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher
  Tel: (11) 3976 2908
• To find a local office: Click here

The Sao Paulo’s Women’s Union (União de Mulheres) is a São Paulo based non-government organisation defending women's rights and promoting justice and social equality for women.

• Sao Paulo’s Women’s Union (in Portuguese)
  

Victim Support

To report any sort of crime or for those that have been victim of a crime in São Paulo there is a dedicated phone number (Disque Denúncia).

• Tel: 181 (24-hours a day)

Newcomers Groups

The São Paulo International Newcomers Group is a multicultural social organisation providing information and support to newcomers in São Paulo. They organise regular events and activities and help new arrivals to integrate into the community.

• São Paulo International Newcomers Group