MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NETWORK

PROJECT

In recent years, Redes da Maré has been deepening its understanding of mental health through the development of projects, research, and actions for the more than 140,000 residents of Maré, , including the study "Building Bridges" (2020) and the Maré Mental Health Week (held since 2021).

In its public service efforts, the organization has integrated psychology professionals into various areas of operation, creating spaces for the support of victims of violence and violations, while also broadening the perspective of technical teams regarding the diverse dimensions of residents' needs. This includes initiatives like the Women's House of Maré,, Normal Space, and Maré of Rights..

In collaboration with the Tide Setubal Foundation and the General Coordination of Primary Care - CAP 3.1, the Mental Health Support Network will conduct trainings, practices, and mental health promotionover the course of a year. This will involve workshops, activities, and collaborations with the main goal of expanding mental health practices throughout the territory.

What are these examples?

• MENTAL HEALTH, VIOLENCE, AND CARE STRATEGY

• MENTAL HEALTH AND ANTIRACIST PRACTICES

• MENTAL HEALTH AND DEMEDICALIZATION

• MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION IN FAVELA TERRITORY

Photo 1: The Maré of Rights project provides socio-legal and psychosocial assistance to Maré residents, offering support and guidance on daily issues, access to rights and situations of violence.

Photo 2: The 5th edition of the Maré Drug Forum, held in May 2022. Created by Normal Space in 2016, this initiative aims to strengthen the care and health network for homeless individuals and those who misuse alcohol and drugs in Maré.

The onset of the pandemic in 2020 posed new challenges to governments, institutions and citizens. The impacts were diverse, ranging from the loss of material conditions to the exacerbation of mental health issues.

In this context, Redes da Maré received numerous requests from residents for psychological support and, in response, developed three different strategies. The first was to enable online assistance, via WhatsApp, ensuring continued support and providing guidance during this period. The second involved apartnership with SAS Brasil, a telehealth specialist that not only provided medical care but also psychological support. Lastly, through institutional collaboration, Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) received support to maintain more consistent on-site teams, assisting users who couldn't reach the facilities and expanding their services to others.

Alternative text: Infographic displaying some of the results of the "Health Connection" project, responsible for conducting 15,638 telehealth consultations, with 3,775 of them being psychological services.

READ THE FULL DOCUMENT HERE (PDF)

Alternative text:Infographic presenting data on the impact of armed violence in Maré: 31% of surveyed residents had their mental health affected by violence, and in the drug use scenes, 67% of individuals in homelessness situations were exposed to gunfire (significantly higher than the 44% among the population residing in the Maré favelas).

Source: "Analysis: Mental Health in Maré Favelas" - 2nd Edition, February 2023.

READ THE FULL DOCUMENT HERE (PDF)

However, the situation was already precarious in 2019, with family health teams experiencing salary delays, dismissals, and lack of basic supplies for proper functioning. This reduced Primary Health Care coverage to 50% that year. It was in this context that the pandemic began, without the structural conditions to prevent a worsening of mental health. Additionally, in the Maré Favela Complex, there was only one Family Health Support Center (NASF) team to support the seven health units.

Currently, there are three NASF teams in the region, but Redes da Maré team has been concerned about the lack of investment in mental health and its consequences. There's a shortage of NASF teams, responsible for support, and the Psychosocial Care Centers themselves lack infrastructure to assist residents in precarious situations, without proper conditions, supplies, or the necessary team to carry out mental health policies. It's important to note that the Maré Favela Complex lacks specialized mental health facilities for adults; there are only nearby facilities(CAPSi II Visconde de Sabugosa, CAPS II - Carlos Augusto Magal Psychosocial Care Center, and CAPSad III Miriam Makeba Psychosocial Care Center).

In this regard, the Mental Health Support Network will contribute to the development of strategies that address the ongoing high demand for mental health care, strengthening public facilities such as Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS), CAPS for alcohol and other drug-related issues (CAPS ad), and Specialized Centers for the Homeless (Centro POP), among others.

Photo 01: Mobile testing team at Ciep Ministro Gustavo Capanema, one of the COVID-19 testing locations of Health Connection.

Photo 02: COVID-19 testing center of Health Connection at Galpão Ritma, a partnership between Redes da Maré, SAS Brasil and Dados do Bem.

SEE THE THREE AREAS OF ACTION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NETWORK:

Training (5 months)

Series of meetings and training sessions for health professionals in the units, resulting in a territorial map of health resources in the area that can serve as support and promotion points for mental health. This includes sports, leisure, and service locations.

Provision of mental health practices and promotion (5 months)

Workshops and physical activities will be developed in partnership with health units, with the support of external professionals.

Collaboration meetings with public health facilities (1 month)

Coordination with these players to ensure the continuation of project practices on a permanent basis, based on data that will also be collected by professionals involved during the practices.