The work of occupational therapists in the Unified Social Assistance System (Brazilian Welfare System - SUAS): perceptions of professionals in the field

Abstract

The Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) is structured through a network of social assistance services that provide two levels of social protection: basic protection and special protection, at medium and high complexity. Occupational therapists work at both levels. Based on semistructured interviews conducted with 12 occupational therapists participating in a Community of Practice in Occupational Therapy within SUAS, this study sought to identify and discuss their perceptions of their work, focusing on their actions. The analysis of the interviews identified a set of perceptions discussed around the following thematic axes: a) Welcoming practices, qualified listening, and horizontal dialogue: otherness as a guide; b) Transformative doing: challenges and potentialities of activity use by occupational therapists in social assistance; c) Network articulation in SUAS work; d) Fragilities and needs perceived by the therapists. The diversity of professional insertion among participants in the system revealed that, from their perspectives, the work includes transversal elements across different services and levels of protection in social assistance, as well as elements that are more specific to occupational therapy, considering the particularities of the populations assisted and the institutional objectives. The study also identified the relevance of creating and maintaining spaces for debate and professional development for occupational therapists working in SUAS, such as Communities of Practice, which support articulation among professionals.