Solidarity economy and mental health: experience report of virtual practices

Abstract

The connection between mental health and work has a long trajectory, often involving oppression and restriction of freedom. Seeking a new place of work  for users of the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS), the solidarity economy has been highlighted as a multiple possibility in the fight against the stigma, emphasizing people’s autonomy and emancipation through  solidarity and cooperativism. Thus, this article aims to  bring an interprofessional experience report on a  universitary extension project of Solidarity Economy in  Mental Health. This is a descriptive work, developed based on participant observation and  analyzed in the light of Mikhail Bakhtin and Paulo  Freire. It is concluded that this project is of paramount importance in the construction of  multiple  knowledge, as it includes professionals in the plastic  and performing arts, health, and artisans. Thus, the  training practice of several actors contemplates a  powerful action through art, culture, and work for a  management that aims at social inclusion, critical reflection, and autonomy in the field of mental health.