"La merendola: Conversation, Mate and Art". Occupational Therapy and community mental health: the right to come together in the face of today's neoliberal individualism

Abstract

The following work aims to describe a community mental health experience carried out by the Occupational Therapy (OT) residency at the Dr. Domingo J. Taraborelli Subzonal Specialized Hospital in Neuropsychiatry (HSEN) in the city of Necochea during 2024. "La merendola: Conversation, Mate and Art" aimed to facilitate a space for socio-community participation for young people and adults with mental illness in the area, with art and the snack as the central axes of the activity. This proposal arises from understanding the encounter as a right and as a promoter of occupational justice in the face of the individualistic and neoliberal context of our country. Throughout this writing, we propose to reflect on our role as occupational therapists working in the public health sector, in general, and in mental health, in particular, appealing to theoretical categories that emerge from the critical and situated positioning of occupational therapies in the South.