Promoção da saúde mental de crianças e adolescentes: uma ação da terapia ocupacional com educadores sociais

Abstract

Based on the literature that dialogues and contributes to spaces for promoting children's mental health and that recognizes the power of intersectoral actions to promote mental health in the educational context, as well as the possibilities of occupational therapy in this scenario, the present work reports an experience mental health promotion of children and adolescents with a team of social educators, linked to an after school project in a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo. The report described is a clipping of the university extension activity entitled "Promotion of children's mental health in focus: offering theoretical-practical support with teams that assist children and adolescents in different sectors", offered throughout 2019 by the advisor of this work, and linked to LaFollia - Occupational Therapy and Mental Health Research Laboratory of the Occupational Therapy Department of the Federal University of São Carlos. The organization and systematization of the action carried out was based on the notes of the authors' field diaries and the image records that were produced over the period (February to December 2019). There were 9 monthly meetings, lasting 4 hours per meeting, with 15 members of the team, composed of social educators and pedagogical coordinators of the projects. The initial demand came from the pedagogical coordination of the focus institution to the coordinator of the university extension project, which referred to the request for support from the team of educators in order to equip them to deal with some daily situations related to the mental health of children and teenagers. In the meetings, using dynamics, questions to trigger reflections and strategies for participatory actions with social educators, the group was able to reflect and deal with issues related to their pedagogical practices, self-care, listening, welcoming students and among the team, and handling in situations of violence in the school environment. Social educators pointed out a clear change in the handling of delicate and everyday situations in the institution and with their students, such as the use of more collective strategies with students and prioritizing spaces for listening and welcoming. The educators also noted the need to have more spaces for reflection on daily practices and exchanges between the team, as well as more training opportunities for handling delicate situations with the students. In line with the literature, the action performed and reported here reaffirms the power of the occupational therapist in the school context, and its contributions to the promotion of children's mental health in this scenario.