Aspects of the whole care for people in street followed by health and social assistance services: A look at and for occupational therapy

Abstract

Introduction: The population that lives (survive) on the streets is often characterized by the rupture of social ties and the use of drugs, necessitating health care and social assistance. Objective: To identify and analyze the perceptions of the occupational therapist professionals and the users about the performance and specificity of the occupational therapy with the street people assisted by the community-based drug treatment service (CAPS-ad III) and the Embracement Unit (EU). Method: This is an exploratory and qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 3 occupational therapists and 5 users of a CAPS-ad III from the Federal District and the Embracement Unit (EU) referenced by this CAPS-ad III; the data were analyzed using analysis content. Results: The data were organized into three thematic categories: (1) drug use, homelessness and treatment in CAPS-ad III; (2) the daily routine of Occupational Therapy; (3) Occupational Therapy and Social Integration. Conclusion: The Occupational Therapy acts with the population in a street situation with a look at the daily life and performance of Activity of Daily Living (ADL), working in the perspective of Harm Reduction as a way to seek a higher quality of life of users. It is necessary to take care spaces and social assistance to the user context, to take actions extrapolating the physical space of CAPS-ad and placing the user as an active participant in this process.