Continuing training of professionals of an institutional care service for children and adolescents

An experience report

Abstract

This work is part of a broad project of research, continued training and application of new technologies through a partnership between the Social Assistance Secretariat of a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo and the Professional Master's Degree in Institutional Practices in Mental Health. This is an outline of the training of professionals in the institutional care service for children and teenagers in situations of vulnerability and risk, who require special and comprehensive protection, of high complexity. Professionals who work in this institution need spaces so that they can think about practice and develop resources with the purpose of minimizing illness at work and improving their performance. The objective of this experience report is to reflect on the authors' experience regarding one of the training courses for professionals at that institution. Fifteen professionals participated in a 3-hour meeting, through warm-up dynamics, followed by division into two groups to prepare a drama with the theme “how did you feel when you first arrived to work at the institution” and, after, a discussion with all the professionals. As a result, they reported the importance of the space for sharing experiences, as well as the possibility of learning about the practices of others and reflecting on their professional performance. In this experience, the authors were able to think about the importance of moments of sharing as a resource for elaborating emerging feelings in daily work and, from this, in the joint construction of new possibilities for action. It is concluded that this experience made it possible to begin the development of integrated work, with better quality in the provision of services, essential aspects for the development of work with social responsibility.