Population in vulnerability, inter-sector cooperation and citizenship: interconnecting knowledge and actions

This article presents a critical report regarding the “1^st Meeting Occupational Health and Psychosocial Contexts: populations in vulnerability, inter-sector cooperation, and citizenship”, held in August 2012 by the Occupational Therapy course of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto – University of São Paulo. This event aimed to discuss the multiple causes and the complexity involved in the phenomenon of the increasing population undergoing homeless conditions in the general country conjuncture and in the municipal context; initiate an analysis and social characterization of this population; and devise strategies to create public policies for social inclusion, reduction of inequalities, and eradication of poverty in the city of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, in an interface between the dimensions of action, resources, and responsibilities of many sectors of the public administration in the city (health, education, culture, housing, transportation, and environment, among others) and civil society organizations. The event has generated a document with proposals for strategies aimed at providing homeless people with assistance, which was delivered to the City Hall, the City Council, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and representatives of social movements. It may be concluded that the meeting has promoted an important interconnection to provide means to the creation of inter-sector cooperation forums and trigger actions aimed at assisting the population in social vulnerability.

Social Vulnerability; Public Policies; Inter-Sector Cooperation; Citizenship; Social Occupational Therapy