Extramural care practices developed outside Alcohol and drugs Psychosocial Care Centers: citizen occupation

This article investigates the extramural practices developed by health professionals working in Alcohol and Drugs Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPSad) in the Federal District, Brazil. We conducted a qualitative exploratory descriptive study with data collected using semi-structured interviews and sociodemographic and occupational questionnaires administered to 48 professionals working in seven CAPSad located in the Federal District. We adopted the content analysis method proposed by Bardin and NVivo. The findings show that the professionals developed innovative and successful extramural practices, including: “street shops”, “community gardens”, “running clubs”, sports, income generating activities, and political participation through art, leisure and culture. However, systematic extramural care actions remain scarce and tend to be temporary. It is vital that health worker are trained and have the conditions necessary to develop extramural activities.

Keywords
Mental health; Interdisciplinary practices; Sociocultural territory; Intersectoral collaboration; Community networks