Peace Factories Expand Care Network with Occupational Therapy Services
Joint action between government and university promotes citizenship, mental health, and professional training
The Peace Factories in the neighborhoods of Benguí and Jurunas/Condor, in Belém, have expanded the care network for communities by offering Occupational Therapy services. The service aims to promote health and quality of life, while also supporting users in achieving autonomy in daily activities, new sources of income, academic and professional performance, as well as social participation.
The services provided at the Peace Factories are the result of an agreement between the State University of Pará (Uepa) and the Secretariat for Citizenship Articulation (Seac). According to Sabrina Queiroz, coordinator of the Occupational Therapy Course at Uepa, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 and was the first of its kind created in the North of the country, the partnership represents a strategic and transformative opportunity for both institutions, addressing the need to provide training with social, educational, and community relevance to the students of the course.
Promotion of mental health and citizenship - The service strengthens intersectoral actions in areas of high social vulnerability and expands the reach of Occupational Therapy actions among populations with demands related to mental health, disabilities, aging, child development, productive inclusion, among others.
At the Peace Factory Pe. Bruno Sechi, in the Benguí neighborhood, the service has already ensured more than 580 appointments since October 2024, when it began. In the complex, the project includes the work of two groups: Income Generation, which aims to empower people through techniques that can be applied for the production and sale of products, and the Young Titans group, which focuses on prevention and care in mental health for adults and the elderly.
At the Peace Factory Jurunas/Condor, the project has already ensured more than 670 appointments. There, the teams work in Occupational Therapy classes in the Community Context, which serves the elderly, adolescents, and adolescents with disabilities, in addition to practicing Occupational Therapy in childhood and adolescence, which serves children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Two years ago, electronics technician Maurício Martins suffered a stroke, which impaired the movement of his hands. Through the services provided at the state citizenship complex in the Benguí neighborhood, he found a new way to develop.
“The service is improving my life in a great way. Here we learn many things. The course is very beneficial because it engages both the body and the mind. This is the first service I am doing here at the Factory, and I am being very well attended,” Maurício said.
Professor Luana Gomes, responsible for the services, reports that since the beginning of the services at the Factory, it has already been possible to observe progress in the participants.
“Our goal is to promote mental health for these people. We have observed an improvement in social participation, autonomy, and better engagement in the community, in addition to a sense of belonging. The people served have reported fewer occurrences of isolation, signs of depression, and anxiety. Involvement in activities has improved these psycho-emotional aspects,” she explained.
Academic development - All practices carried out are developed under faculty supervision and in coordination with the local services of each UsiPaz, allowing students to develop clinical, community, and ethical competencies fundamental to professional training.
Student Biara Santana, a sixth-semester Occupational Therapy student, spoke about the importance of the activity for students. “The most important part is that here we can, weekly, talk about mental health, a topic that is still taboo for many people. This is our main focus. Here we seek to carry out activities that can generate quality of life and even income for these people,” she explained.
Service - Occupational Therapy services take place weekly. At the Peace Factory in the Benguí neighborhood, activities occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 AM to 11 AM. At the Jurunas/Condor unit, the Community Context Occupational Therapy Internship takes place from Monday to Thursday, from 2 PM to 5 PM, and the Practice in Occupational Therapy II (childhood and adolescence) is held on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8 AM to 11 AM. To participate, just show up at the Factories on the days of each activity and register for free.
