Admission in Mental Health: Working with Changes in Primary Health Care

Abstract

The psychiatric reform movement highlights the need to transform mental health care practices. Primary health care (PHC) was designed as a public policy strategy that seeks to promote changes in the predominant model of care. The objective of this article is to describe the implementation of the admission process for those who suffer from psychiatric distress in a PHC unit, in the municipality of Porto Alegre/RS. A team of healthcare providers will participate in this process. The implementation stages of the admission process are presented and analyzed as well as the effects of this action in the work carried out by the team of healthcare providers. Admission is discussed as a component of healthcare. The results of this experience highlight the need to incorporate the entire team of health care providers in the admission process and creation of a collective space designated for professional exchange amongst team members to discuss complex cases. In conclusion, the needs of the PHC teams pertaining to the mental health admission process will support the reorganization of the work pertaining to mental health care, which is centered on the patient. This will enable the creation of new methods of operation and intervention by the team, allowing for shared responsibility across the different aspects of both physical and psychological care.

User Embracement; Primary Health Care; Mental Health