The Living life Program strategy for training of community health agents as social educators to give community attention in mental health

Abstract

The Living Life Program which established in the state of Maranhão - Brazil 2001-2003, had three key areas: the excluded as clients, the training of the professionals involved as action strategy, and ethics which was orientated on the premise that every human being is born to be free, healthy, educated and happy as guidelines. Through the mental health training program, it was intended that the community health agents should gain the required knowledge to do three tasks: to identify suffering people mental problems, acknowledge this suffering in the patient's home and thirdly, to send the patient for specialist care in the region when necessary. This should be done to avoid non-therapeutic interventions, such as that often provided by the police. The comprehension that Program studies pertinent questions relating to mental health, is necessary to consider what human resources are required, so as to redirect the model for providing care, remembering that success can only be achieved in psychiatric care if at every point of care there is acceptance, treatment and social inclusion.