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Support team and collective elaboration of the Mental Healthcare work within the Family Health Program: space of discussion and care

The great demand for psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care and the need to optimise human resources in Mental Health have led to the development of new practices of care and technical support to professionals of health services with Family Health Program. A Primary Care Service in the city of São Paulo introduced Matrix Support, a practice that provides help in identifying, caring for and proposing new solutions for the mental health problems together with the Family Health workers. This study aims to report the experience of this work process, having the principles of the Health System and techno-scientific concepts more humanized as ethic north, directed not only to the patient's integral care but also their social insertion. It is a qualitative study that used the participant observation to collect data and analyse the situation. According to the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform, this initiative searches for a complementary and integral vision of Mental Healthcare. The experience showed that matrix support is effective in reaching the necessary (re)organization of health services in order to receive people and offer a Mental Health care of quality. This practice of integrated work between Family Health and Traditional Primary Care teams contributed to a shared construction of healthcare.

Mental Health; Mental Health Services; Matrix Support; Health's Network


Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Associação Paulista de Saúde Pública. Av. dr. Arnaldo, 715, Prédio da Biblioteca, 2º andar sala 2, 01246-904 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel./Fax: +55 11 3061-7880 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: saudesoc@usp.br