The routine of the street outreach office team: weaving networks for health promotion

Abstract

Objective  to understand the powers and limits for promoting the health of homeless people in the daily life of the Outreach office team.

Method  a holistic-qualitative multiple case study, based on Comprehensive Sociology of Everyday Life, conducted with two key informants and 20 outreach office team professionals from two Southern Brazilian Capitals. We used the technique of thematic content analysis.

Results  the powers for health promotion of homeless people come from the articulation of the intrasectoral and intersectoral network by the Outreach office team, in addition to bonding and harm reduction. The limits faced to develop health promotion actions are faced in the specificity and characteristics of this public, in the outsourcing of social assistance, in management, in politics.

Conclusions and implications for practice  health promotion is still a challenge for the team to be overcome before demands of injuries, treatment of illness and biomedical logic. Intrasectoral and intersectoral strategies can be established to achieve network actions and effectively promote health, contemplating fundamental rights to the lives of homeless people, even in a daily life with unfavorable conditions of living and living.

Keywords:  Homeless Persons; Health Promotion; Intersectoral Collaboration; Delivery of Health Care; Nursing