This research programme endeavours to develop, implement and evaluate an effective method of offering psychosocial support to vulnerable children. Vulnerability is defined by trained community members as including children who are experiencing especially difficult lives. The forms of difficulties experienced by the children has usually been a consequence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, extreme poverty combined with other psychosocial risk factors, child abuse (especially child sexual abuse) and violence. This community based programme incorporates four phases of intervention, only two of which were the focus of summative evaluation. However, due to the integrated nature of the programme it was necessary to implement and document the various phases of the intervention programme: (i) community selection and mobilisation; (ii) the 5-day Sensitisation Programme (SP) sensitises adult community volunteers to the psychosocial needs of vulnerable children; (iii) the 15-session Structured Group Therapy Programme (SGTP) enables children to work through past adversities and to build resilience within small groups of peers in a programme where community volunteers served as apprentice facilitators under the supervision, guidance and ethical responsibility of qualified psychologists; (iv) community based initiatives to offer on-going of PSS activities to vulnerable children in each of the partnering communities. Nine partnering communities were selected, three township, periurban and rural communities. This programme was not effective in the informal settlements as it was not possible for these communities to place children as a priority. A qualitative summative evaluation of the SP took place using post workshop evaluation questionnaires, focus group discussions conducted by an independent researcher and an audit of the community based initiatives that developed as a result of participation in the SP. The SGTP was summatively evaluated using a 4-way Factorial design with one within-subject and three between-subject conditions: to investigate the age of the subjects, the geographic regions and gender variables. The 741 children formed five experimental and control conditions to conduct various combinations of the above-mentioned phases programmes and to adequately control for the many confounding variables. Pre- and post intervention assessments were conducted by trained community research assistants. The dependent variable measures were the Culture Free Self Esteem Inventory (Battle, 1992), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (Biere & Elliot, 1997), the Reynolds Depression Scale for Children (Reynolds, 1989), the Social Support Scale (Beale Spencer, Cole, Jones, and Phillips Swanson, 1997) and the Connor's Parent Questionnaire Connors, 1998). Multivariate analysis evaluated the effectiveness of the various experimental and control conditions. The results indicate that the SGTP, run in combination with the SP, is an effective intervention strategy in that it alleviates symptoms of self-reported depression and other psychosocial manifestations of distress as well as decreased the number and severity of symptoms reported by primary caregivers, and leads to increased access to perceived social support. The SP and the SGTP conducted independently of each other have limited benefits and as such can be considered to be partially effective. The children who had formed part of the non-vulnerable control group felt left out of the programme and report an increase in symptomatology and decreased access to social support. While this community-based programme can be considered to be an effective method of therapeutic intervention and of offering psychosocial support to vulnerable children, further research is needed to consider the cost-effectiveness, the sustainability and ways in which those children who do not participate can still can benefit. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This study looks at two community mental health facilities. The one setting is that of a state aided organisation, while the other is a non-government organisation (NGO). These two settings are contrasted in terms of how they conceptualise the concept 'community', their physical settings and facilities, and the activities and processes at each setting. The differences in the day-to-day operational processes, and activities according to their respective philosophies - psychiatric medical model and ecological model - are explored and captured from the participants through utilising qualitative data gathering methods such as interviews, observations and the personal experiences of the researcher. The information obtained from each participant in both settings reflect how they think, feel and behave towards their work. This information contributes to an understanding of how community mental health clinics operate. Finally the recommendations are of how work could be done differently, making them both more community orientated. / M. A.(Clinical Psychology)

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Anthony Jurich / Ann Murray / Despite the intensified research efforts into the field of Infant Mental Health and Marriage and Family Therapy, a truly systemically designed program has not been developed. This formative evaluation study illuminates the design phase, its developmental process, and the professional staff member’s experience of this newly implemented “Options” program. I focused specifically on Crawford County Community Mental Health Center’s innovative systemic approach to issues related to infant mental health. In this body of work, I describe the process of creating this innovative approach, identified how the program originators made decisions about their approach and how the approach is being operationalized on a daily basis by interviewing the clinicians, who are providing the services and the administrators who created and oversee the program. I utilized a qualitative approach in the design, transcription categorization, and data analysis. This formative evaluation used the “flashback approach” to tell the story of the evaluation findings, this included an Executive Summary. This study’s exploration yielded a clearer understanding of the developmental process of the infant mental health program and its initial implementation. The results of this evaluation revealed that there are a number of core program components (three levels of focus: child and family, program, and community and catchment area) that were organized and clearly disseminated throughout the staff. The interviews revealed that the program has encountered problematic issues including; policy and procedural agreements and mandates, staff turnover, program ownership and funding limitations. It grew increasingly clear that the value of the program’s positive impact on families outweighed the perceived hassle of establishing and implementing the program. This evaluation produced a number of program recommendations for program perpetuation and potential improvements. The program recommendations addressed the challenges facing the “Options Program” are explained. The future research implications of this formative evaluation are enumerated.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of leisure counseling provided in Texas Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers. Data was gathered from responses to a survey sent to Texas Community MHMR Centers. There was a ninety-three per cent response rate. The results indicated leisure counseling was not being provided, although some minor components of leisure counseling were being conducted at individual centers. Recommendations were made for expansion of recreation programs, the institution of counseling sessions dealing with leisure related topics on a regular basis, the use of leisure interests.:assessment instruments, and the development of a systematic recreation information referral system.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi descrever e analisar a produção do cuidado através das atividades de arte e cultura nos CAPS que atendem adultos no município de São Paulo, conforme informado pela observação dessas atividades e breves relatos de profissionais envolvidos nesse cuidado. Trata-se de investigação empreendida a partir de parte da base de dados da pesquisa Avaliação dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial do Município de São Paulo, desenvolvida em 21 CAPS que atendem adultos entre 2007 e 2008. Foram analisados os relatos de observação etnográfica das 126 atividades de arte e cultura que integraram aquela pesquisa. O método empregado foi análise de conteúdo, com referenciais da reabilitação psicossocial; da arte e da cultura; e de meios terapêuticos em Terapia Ocupacional (enquadres, atividades e vínculos). A interpretação dos resultados deu visibilidade a três tendências de cuidado. A primeira foi caracterizada por atividades realizadas exclusivamente dentro do CAPS e voltadas à ampliação de competências pessoais, com vínculos relacionados a interações dentro dos grupos; temas referentes às dificuldades e desafios dos participantes; e produções culturais circunscritas ao ambiente dos serviços. O foco do cuidado foi o processo grupal e as atividades tiveram função predominantemente expressiva. A segunda tendência caracterizou-se por uma perspectiva clínica desenvolvida na interface da arte e da saúde, com desdobramentos em direção ao território. Predominaram as parcerias com espaços culturais, a diversidade de abordagens, a sustentação de experiências criativas e a ampliação dos repertórios culturais dos participantes. A ampliação das relações com os espaços da cidade, a autoria e as produções artísticas e intervenções culturais em âmbito mais amplo do que o CAPS caracterizaram essa tendência, em que arte, cultura e cuidado estiveram relacionados à produção de vida. Uma terceira e minoritária tendência esteve relacionada a dificuldades na condução das atividades; repertórios limitados; desconsideração de necessidades, desejos ou projetos dos participantes; e ausência de oportunidades de experiência estética e cultural. No seu conjunto, as atividades tiveram pouca visibilidade para gestores, com escassez de discussão no âmbito das equipes multiprofissionais e um aproveitamento tímido na articulação de redes de apoio social aos sujeitos da atenção, percepções essas que sugerem uma possível fragmentação do cuidado, tanto em relação ao projeto terapêutico do CAPS quanto aos projetos individuais. Seu pleno desenvolvimento, na perspectiva da reabilitação psicossocial, parece depender: do acesso dos profissionais a bens culturais, processos criativos e recursos de avaliação; da sua visibilidade, para gestores e equipes, enquanto trabalho implicado na instauração de formas de convívio com a diferença; e da consideração de todos os atores envolvidos como produtores de fatos de cultura / The research\'s main goal was to describe and analyse the mental health care through artistic and cultural activities in 21 Psychosocial Health Care Community Services (CAPS) at the city of São Paulo. These facilities are targeted to the treatment of adult people undergoing serious mental ilness. This research was developed using part of the data base of the Avaliação dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial do Município de São Paulo research, carried out from 2007 to 2008. The ethnographic observation reports related to all 126 artistic and cultural activities and a brief report of the health providers about it were analysed through content analysis. The theoretical framework included the concepts of psychosocial rehabilitation, art and culture and occupational therapy perspectives. It was possible to identify three main trends of mental health care. The first, more common trend, consisted of activities conduced strictly inside the CAPS\'s facilities, aiming to improve personal capacities, to stimulate the self knowledge, to establish bonds among the patients, to share life\'s adversities; the focus of this procedures were the patients group process. The second trend included activities outside the facilities, in public spaces and cultural facilities; aiming artistic and cultural creative experiences and social reinsertion; this trend stood out by using both health and art professionals, with different approaches. The third and smaller trend had difficulties to conduce their activities, lacking of cultural repertory, disregarding of patient\'s needs, desires or projects and lack of aesthetic and cultural experiences. The art and culture activities, in general, had low visibility to managers and healthcare teams and were barely considered in the social support network strength. The results suggest a fragmentation of the care provided, both in institutional terms as in individual therapeutic project. To develop a more comprehensive care with the whole development of art and culture activities would depend on: providers have greater access to creative and cultural experiences and evaluation resources; managers and providers teams to acknowledge these activities; the acceptance of the differences; and everybody start to be considered as facts of culture producers.

Durante séculos as pessoas com transtornos mentais sofreram pela exclusão social e espacial. No Brasil, apenas a partir da Reforma Psiquiátrica se iniciaram propostas de inclusão social do doente mental, que passa a ser tratado em serviços substitutivos aos hospitais psiquiátricos. Hoje em dia, o principal equipamento com a missão de articular a atenção em saúde mental na comunidade é o Centro de Atenção Psicossocial CAPS. Com o recente aumento de numero de CAPS no território brasileiro, as práticas de inclusão social têm se desenvolvido e as pessoas com transtornos mentais têm enfrentado o desafio de buscar formas de interação na comunidade em que vivem. Este trabalho investiga os avanços na inclusão social do usuário atendido em CAPS. A finalidade deste estudo foi identificar ações que possibilitem a inclusão social do usuário e colaborar com diretrizes para as políticas públicas de saúde mental. Para atingir esta finalidade os objetivos específicos foram: analisar a concepção de inclusão social expressa na representação social dos usuários de CAPS e pessoas da rede social dos usuários, identificar o cotidiano e a rede social de suporte dos usuários e analisar as estratégias existentes nos CAPS que auxiliam na construção do cotidiano e da inclusão social do usuário. Como referencial teórico de suporte para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, foi utilizada a teoria sobre cotidiano de Ágnes Heller, que considera que as transformações sociais muitas vezes começam no nível microscópico. Nesta investigação optou-se por utilizar como referência as seguintes categorias analíticas: exclusão/inclusão social, Reabilitação Psicossocial e Representações Sociais. O estudo foi realizado em um CAPS da cidade de São Paulo e os sujeitos desta investigação foram pessoas com transtorno psíquico, usuários do CAPS e pessoas de sua rede sua social. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas, e para a apuração dos dados foi utilizada a análise do discurso. A partir desta análise foram identificadas as seguintes categorias empíricas: processo de exclusão/inclusão social, redes sociais e cuidado em saúde mental. Como resultados foram encontradas dificuldades no processo de inclusão social como: a existência de concepções alinhadas ao modelo manicomial, estigma e preconceito, desvantagens de recursos materiais, dificuldade em exercer a cidadania, isolamento social, pouco contato social fora do CAPS, poucas oportunidades no contexto e falta de uma rede de atenção à saúde e rede intersetorial articulada. Os avanços encontrados no processo de inclusão social foram: concepções sobre inclusão social de que todos devem estar integrados na comunidade, experienciais de participação em espaços da cidade, aumento da rede social do usuário, contato com pessoas fora do CAPS, inclusão em grupos religiosos, apoio de associações e ONGs e o CAPS enquanto espaço de acolhimento, inclusão, pertencimento e cuidado à saúde. Percebe-se que o CAPS tem favorecido a inclusão social dos usuários, criando acessos e opções, projetando um novo paradigma em saúde mental no Brasil. Porém, mais do que avanços nas práticas em saúde mental esta pesquisa encontra diversos desafios a serem solucionados. Estes desafios não são postos apenas para o CAPS, mas para a sociedade. / For centuries, people with mental health issues suffered social and spatial exclusion. In Brazil, it was only after the psychiatric reform that the proposal of inclusion of the mental patients started with treatment in public services that substituted psychiatric hospitals. Currently the main service with the purpose of articulating mental health attention in the community is the Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS). With the recent increase in the number of CAPS in the Brazilian territory, the practice of social inclusion has developed and people with mental health problems have faced the challenge of finding new ways to interact in the community they live in. This work investigates the advances of social inclusion of CAPS users. The purpose of this study was to indentify actions that allow for the social inclusion of users and to help the design of mental health public policies. To achieve this goal the specific object of the study was: to analyze the conception of social inclusion expressed in the social representation of CAPS users and people in their social networks, to identify the everyday life and their support social networks, and to analyze the strategies existent in CAPS that help building everyday life and the social inclusion of users. As support theoretical reference for the development of the research Agnes Heller´s everyday life theory, that considers that often social transformation starts at the microscopic level, was used. In this research the chosen analytic categories for reference are: social exclusion/inclusion, psychosocial rehabilitation and social representations. The research was conducted in a CAPS in São Paulo city and the subjects were people with mental health problems, CAPS users and their social networks. For data collection semi-structured interviews were conducted and subjected to discourse analysis. Based on this analysis the following empirical categories were identified: social exclusion/inclusion process, social network and mental health care. As results difficulties in the social inclusion process were revealed, such as: the existence of conceptions aligned with the asylum model, stigma and prejudice, lack of material resources, difficulties in the exercise of citizenship, social isolation, lack of social interaction outside CAPS, lack of opportunities in the milieu, lack of support in the health care network and in the articulated multi-sector network. The advances found in the process of social inclusion were: conceptions about social inclusion that everyone should be integrated in the community, experiences of participation in spaces in the city, increase of the social network of users, contact with people outside CAPS, inclusion in religious groups, support of NGOs and the CAPS as a space of welcoming, inclusion, belonging and health care. Thus, the CAPS have favored the social inclusion of users, crating access and options, projecting a new paradigm in mental health in Brazil. Nevertheless, even more than advances in the mental health practices the research finds several challenges to be solved. These challenges are not faced just by the CAPS but by the society.

Introdução: A necessidade de se avaliar a qualidade dos serviços de saúde oferecidos à população, além de constituir-se como consequência do princípio constitucional de eficiência da administração pública, compõe as diretrizes de diversas políticas públicas, razão pela qual este estudo se dirigiu à realização de uma pesquisa avaliativa em um serviço especializado em álcool e outras drogas, com vistas a prover subsídios para o aperfeiçoamento do sistema de saúde. Objetivo: Avaliar a satisfação dos profissionais, usuários e familiares e a percepção de mudanças dos usuários e familiares de um serviço de atenção psicossocial em álcool e outras drogas. Método: Trata-se de um estudo transversal de abordagem qualitativa, que empregou o método da Avaliação de Quarta Geração adaptado por Wetzel. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre os meses de abril a junho de 2017, por meio da aplicação de entrevistas individuais, valendo-se do círculo hermenêutico-dialético e de entrevistas grupais. Concordaram livremente em participar do estudo oito profissionais, 10 usuários e seis familiares do serviço. O projeto foi devidamente aprovado pelos respectivos comitês de ética em pesquisa. Resultados: As construções do grupo de profissionais acerca da satisfação foram tematizadas em três núcleos: clínica, gestão e ensino. Os usuários e os familiares apresentaram construções a respeito da satisfação e da percepção de mudanças que foram tematizadas em um único núcleo: cuidado. Conclusões: Os fatores que convergiram para a promoção da satisfação dos profissionais envolveram alguns aspectos e características da prática assistencial empreendida no serviço. Por outro lado, fatores relacionados à própria prática assistencial, além de outros atinentes à gestão do serviço e à educação permanente, conjugaram-se de modo a desfavorecer a satisfação dos profissionais. Os usuários manifestaram satisfação com o atendimento oferecido pelo serviço, destacando a qualidade do acolhimento. A respeito da percepção de mudanças, os usuários reconheceram que perceberam mudanças positivas em suas vidas como resultado do tratamento recebido no serviço. Acerca da avaliação da satisfação e da percepção de mudança dos familiares, houve consenso em relação à satisfação - considerada positiva, e dissenso em face da percepção de mudanças observadas na vida dos pacientes. / Introduction: The necessity to evaluate the quality of health services offered to the population, besides constituting itself as a consequence of the constitutional principle of the efficiency on public administration, also composes the many public policy guidelines, reason for which this study has been directed towards the realization of an evaluative research in a service specialized in alcohol and other drugs, having in mind to provide subsidies for the improvement of the health system. Objective: Evaluate professionals satisfaction, users and relatives as well as the perception of change from a psychosocial service focused in alcohol and other drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study, having used the Fourth Generation Assessment method, adapted by Wetzel. Data collection took place between April and June 2017, through individual interviews, using the hermeneutic-dialectical circle and group interviews. Eight professionals, 10 users and six family members agreed at their own free will to participate in this study. The project was duly approved by the respective research ethics committees. Results: The constructions of the group of professionals regarding satisfaction were themed in 3 nuclei: clinic, management and teaching. The users and families presented constructions in respect to satisfaction and the perception of changed which were themed in a single nucleus: care. Conclusions: The factors that converged to incentivize the satisfaction of professionals involved some aspects and characteristics of the care practice undertaken in the service. On the other hand, factors related to the care practice itself, in addition to others related to the service management and lifelong education, were combined in a way that made the professionals satisfaction less favorable. The users manifested satisfaction with the service offered, highlighting the receptions welcoming quality. Regarding perceived changes, users have recognized that they have realized positive changes in their lives as a result of the treatment received at the service. In respect to the satisfaction evaluation and perception of change by the relatives, there was a consensus in relation to the satisfaction considered positive, and dissent in face of the perception of changes observed in the life of the patients.

Estudos realizados no campo teórico das redes sociais demonstram que as relações têm impacto significativo na vida das pessoas. Quando associadas à população com transtorno mental, as redes atuam como fator de proteção importante e gerenciador de recursos e suporte social. Entretanto, estudos apontam que as pessoas com transtorno mental apresentam redes sociais empobrecidas e poucas relações significativas. A eclosão do transtorno mental e as rupturas decorrentes de processos de institucionalização contribuem para a dinâmica de redução do número e qualidade de contatos, colocando a pessoa em situação de vulnerabilidade relacional. Neste trabalho, buscou-se caracterizar as redes sociais de 25 usuários do Núcleo de Atenção Psicossocial II (NAPS II), em Santo André, e discutir o papel desse serviço público no fortalecimento das relações sociais e enfrentamento da vulnerabilidade social. A pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo, foi metodologicamente orientada pela postura etnográfica, tendo realizado os seguintes procedimentos: pesquisa bibliográfica, entrevistas por pautas, observação participante e construção de caderno de campo. Foram entrevistados 25 usuários com transtorno mental severo em regime de tratamento intensivo. A coleta de dados foi desenvolvida durante o ano de 2006. Os resultados mostraram que os entrevistados possuem redes sociais empobrecidas, poucas pessoas dispõem de alguma relação significativa e o acesso a recursos materiais e afetivos é escasso. Também demonstraram que os projetos assistenciais desenvolvidos pelo serviço não são capazes de intervirem no âmbito das redes sociais pessoas assistidas e nem de enfrentar o problema de sua vulnerabilidade social. Neste sentido, concluímos que as redes sociais deveriam ser um dos principais alvos das intervenções promovidas pelos serviços de saúde mental e que a investigação sobre os processos de sociabilidade pode contribuir para a elaboração de novas estratégias capazes de complexificar o cuidado da população com transtorno mental, além de oferecer elementos para a construção de novos serviços e políticas públicas no campo da saúde mental. / Studies realized in the theoretical field of social network show that relations have a significant impact over people lives. When associated to people with mental disorders, networks act as a important protection factor and resources and support given. However, studies point that people with psychiatric suffering have impoverished social networks and few significant relations. The outburst of a mental disorder and the breakages caused by institutionalization processes contribute to the dynamics of reduction of quantity and quality of contacts, pushing the person to a situation of relational vulnerability. In this paper, it was tried to characterize the social networks of 25 users of NAPS II, in Santo André, and to discuss the place of the service on strengthening of social relations and on facing up to relational vulnerability. The research used methods from qualitative investigation, oriented by ethnographic posture: bibliographical research, semi-structured interviews, participant observation and field diary. It had been heard 25 users in intensive treatment program and the participant observation process had been taken through 2006. The results showed that the studied group has impoverished social networks, few people have some significant relation and the access to emotional and material resources is scarce. They also showed that the projects of assistance developed by the service have been incapable to intervene in the relational field of assisted people lives and to face the problems caused by the social vulnerability. On this way, we conclude that social networks might be an important target of interventions promoted by substitutive services and that the investigation about the sociability processes can contribute to the elaboration of new strategies able to turn the care of population with mental disorders more complex. Besides that, social networks offer elements to the construction of new services and public policies on mental health field

A partir do redirecionamento do modelo assistencial no Brasil emerge a necessidade de discussão da reinvenção de práticas alinhadas com o cenário de transformações. As práticas agora devem se desenvolver no sentido de superar o isolamento das grades, dos muros e das chaves, do apagamento do sujeito, da supressão de sintomas e das personalidades dos sujeitos em sofrimento psíquico. Diante disso, é que este estudo tem como objetivos avaliar boas práticas em saúde mental na atenção psicossocial no contexto de um município da região Sul do Brasil. Para tanto, organizou-se como uma pesquisa avaliativa construtivista, com enfoque responsivo, a medida que desenvolve um consenso critico entre os grupos de interesse. Está baseada na Avaliação de Quarta Geração, proposta por Guba e Lincoln (2011), que emerge como opção metodológica e se articula com o referencial teórico das \"Boas Práticas em Saúde Mental Comunitária\", proposto por Thornicroft e Tansella (2010). Este é apresentado de modo a identificar boas práticas na saúde mental, com base na articulação de 3 eixos indispensáveis e indissociáveis: a ética, como princípio fundamental que deverá orientar o planejamento, a assistência e a avaliação dos serviços. A evidência deve embasar as intervenções e serviços. E a experiência como uma evidência do que vem sendo produzido nas experiências locais e regionais de organização da rede de serviços. Como resultado do processo as práticas de Acolhimento, Projeto Terapêutico Singular e Transferência de Cuidados emergiram para discussão. O Acolhimento torna-se concreto nas ações da Porta Aberta, e significa escuta qualificada no momento em que a necessidade emerge, além de representar a oferta de atenção de qualidade baseada no processo relacional que fortalece o estabelecimento de vínculos e a construção de projetos de vida. O Projeto Terapêutico Singular apresenta-se como uma boa prática, a medida que é capaz de dar resposta singularizada e individualizada às necessidades do sujeito, de modo a oportunizar como resultado uma pessoa capaz de andar na vida. É definido de forma compartilhada entre equipe, usuário e família, segundo os objetivos terapêuticos para cada sujeito, e utiliza o técnico de referência, as mini equipes, as oficinas terapêuticas, os grupos terapêuticos, as assembleias, enfim, ofertas e propostas que permitem ao sujeito retomar o envolvimento com os espaços da cidade, no caminho da produção de vida. Com relação à Transferência de Cuidados, esta possibilita ao sujeito que vive o processo não só circular em uma rede de serviços, mas, acima de tudo, buscar, com suporte dela, sua emancipação. Para tanto, investe em práticas que estimulem a autonomia dos sujeitos, por meio de instrumentos como o Acompanhamento Terapêutico, Grupo de Apoio à Alta, espaços de decisões e discussões, estímulo à busca e resolução de problemas, atividades de reconhecimento dos espaços da cidade, transporte, cultura e lazer. Além disso, investe nas ações com a Atenção Básica, a partir do Apoio Matricial com processos de formação continuada com as equipes, e mapeamento da situação da saúde mental nos territórios. Ao final deste estudo, é possível concluir que o modelo de atenção psicossocial demonstrou potencialidade de produzir boas práticas na atenção à saúde mental, e que estas tem transformado a vida dos sujeitos em sofrimento psíquico, bem como tem auxiliado no processo de reconquista de espaços sociais / The redirection of the care model in Brazil raises the need to discuss the reinvention of practices in tune with the scenery of changes. The practices must now be developed in order to overcome the isolation of bars, walls and keys, the deletion of the subject, the suppression of symptoms and the personalities of individuals in psychological distress. Given this, the present study aims to evaluate best practices in mental health in psychosocial care in the context of a city in Southern Brazil. To do so, it is organized as a constructivist evaluation research, with a responsive approach, as it develops a critical consensus among stakeholdres. It is based on the Fourth Generation Evaluation, proposed by Guba and Lincoln (2011), which emerges as a methodological option and articulates with the theoretical framework of \"Best Practice in Community Mental Health\" proposed by Thornicroft and Tansella (2010). This one is presented in order to identify best practices in mental health based on the articulation of three indispensable and inseparable pillars: ethics, as a fundamental principle that should guide the planning, assistance and assessment of services; evidence, which must base the interventions and services; and experience, as an evidence of what is being produced in the local and regional experience of organizing network services. As a result of the process, Welcoming practices, Singular Therapeutic Project and Transfer of Care emerged for discussion. The Welcoming becomes concrete in the actions of the Porta Aberta project, and it means qualified hearing at the moment the need arises, besides representing the offer of quality care based on the relationship process that strengthens the bonds and the construction of life projects. The Singular Therapeutic Project is presented as best practice, as it is able to give individualized responses to the needs of the subject in order to create, as a result, a person who is able to walk through life. It is set in a shared manner among staff, user and family, according to the therapeutic goals for each subject, and it uses the reference technician (ou professional), the mini teams, therapeutic workshops, therapeutic groups, assemblies, in other words, any offers and proposals which allow the subject to resume the engagement with the spaces of the city, on the way to production of life. Regarding the Transfer of Care, it enables the person who lives the process not only to have access to a network of services but, above all, to seek their emancipation through its support. To do so, it invests in practices that encourage the subjects\' autonomy, using instruments such as the Therapeutic Monitoring, Patient Discharge Support Group, spaces for decisions and discussions, motivation for searching and solving problems, recognition activities of city areas , transport, culture and leisure. In addition, it invests in actions with the Basic Health Care, based on the matrix support with processes of continuing education with the teams and mapping of the mental health situation in the territories. At the end of this study, the conclusion was that the psychosocial care model showed capability of producing best practices in mental health, and these have changed the lives of individuals in psychological distress, and have helped in the process of conquering social spaces again