REFLECTIONS ON THE SUPPORT NETWORK OF USERS OF A MENTAL HEALTH REFERENCE CENTER IN BELO HORIZONTE FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GAM GROUP

Abstract

Introduction: From the Psychiatric Reform movement and with the approval of Federal Law 10,216/2001, a mental health policy based on respect for human rights and treatment in freedom was instituted in Brazil. Mental health researchers and users, through the experience of European countries, seek to incorporate new care strategies. The Autonomous Medication Management strategy, guided by the principles of recovery, proposes to shift the centrality of medical knowledge, providing a space for discussion with users, valuing the experiences, feelings and needs of each individual, through co-responsibility. Method: This is an experience report about a project to implement a GAM group as a care improvement strategy carried out in a Reference Center for Mental Health in Belo Horizonte. The project was designed and developed within the scope of the Integrated Mental Health Residency at Hospital Odilon Behrens and the Psychosocial Care Network of Belo Horizonte, held for nearly a decade in the city. Results: A GAM group was developed over three months, with the participation of, on average, five users in weekly meetings, lasting one hour each. Conclusion: The GAM strategy proved to be a tool capable of summoning workers and users to occupy a collective space that seeks the production of care, although some difficulties have arisen, such as poor adherence. However, the strategy implementation process demonstrated its applicability plausible, even in an emergency device.