A política de saúde mental como espaço sócio-ocupacional do assistente social: contribuições e desafios da atuação profissional nos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial - CAPS

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis reflects on Mental Health Policy as a socio-occupational field for social workers. Its primary objective is to study the trajectory and transformations within Mental Health Policy in Brazil, highlighting the critical role of social workers as professionals who facilitate rights, especially considering that the policy’s users have long been marginalized by society, particularly under the asylum-based "treatment" models. The research seeks to understand the contributions and challenges facing Social Work amid the reorganization of the mental health care model and the structuring of Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) in Brazil. The methodology used was a literature review, based on authors such as Arbex (2013), Ribeiro (1999), Paes (2017), Sampaio and Bispo Junior (2021), Appel (2017), Rocha (2021), Barros and Bernardo (2017), among others, who discuss this topic, as well as documentary analyses of data provided by government agencies, including ministerial ordinances, resolutions, and technical notes. This research highlights the significant debates regarding the care models offered to individuals with mental disorders prior to the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform, as well as the advancements achieved through the consolidation of Mental Health Policy. In this regard, the study recognizes the necessity of professional intervention from a critical perspective, addressing the social issues that affect the daily lives of policy users and their families. The findings underscore the essential role of social workers in this field, as they actively facilitate rights and strive to ensure unity between social and subjective aspects, despite the numerous challenges the profession faces in the neoliberal context developed over recent years in the country.