POWER INVENTORY, ACTION WORKSHOP: STRATEGIES IN MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of an extension activity linked to teaching in the field of mental health, proposing new techniques of assessment and intervention for people suffering from mental illness. We approached 15 patients from the Mental Health Department who commonly attend the Psychosocial Care Center IV in the city of Santos, and prepared an assessment based on daily activities, called the “Power Inventory”, as well as a mode of intervention, called the “Action Workshop”. The project was conducted over a period of twelve months, with weekly 3-hourly meetings at the Therapeutic Activities and Resources Laboratory of the Occupational Therapy course. Our primary goal was to contribute to the Mental Health Network of the city of Santos, which belongs to the Brazilian federal health service (Serviço Único de Saúde – SUS), proposing a new form of assessment (the "Power Inventory”) designed to understand the daily lives of the users of the network. We also offered a group intervention technique (the "Action Workshop”). Four students from the Occupational Therapy course participated in the work, together with one of the lecturers, who acted as coordinator. The results of the project were positive in that new forms of assessment and therapeutic intervention were successfully proposed for use with the target population. The activity also made a valuable contribution to the professional development of the students.