ABSTRACT
The objective was to understand the conceptions and process of discharging children and adolescents in Child Psychosocial Care Centers from the perspective of occupational therapists working in these locations. Qualitative, descriptive and exploratory field research was carried out with 15 occupational therapists who work at Child Psychosocial Care Centers in the city of São Paulo. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview and analyzed using the Collective Subject Discourse technique. Critical reflection on the concept of discharge in child and adolescent mental health, planning for discharge and the articulation of these services with the intra and intersectoral network throughout the follow-up are determinants for the discharge process of children and adolescents who experience psychological distress happen in an implicated, co-responsible and safe way. The study advances by addressing the issue of discharge in the context of child and adolescent mental health care, revealing challenges and perspectives for the improvement of actions and public policies and strengthening the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform.
Keywords:
Mental Health; Child Health; Adolescent Health; Patient Discharge; Mental Health Services.