Adolescent ́s Social Entrepreneurship in Mental Health of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires. Their evaluation as a tool for transformation

Abstract

This article presents a summary of the results and discussions of the author’s tesis as part of her PhD in Community Mental Health program at the National University of Lanús. The purpose of this research is to conceptually and methodologically develop an assessment and monitoring model for the Adolescent’s Social Entrepreneurships in Mental Health of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires using a qualitative design. This purpose answers to the need to promote evaluation practices which manage to assess the organization and the operation of the entrepreneurships, as well as its relevance in terms of promoting community mental health and socio- educational and employment inclusion. The research achieves two important results: the development of the assessment model and the specific assessment of the entrepreneurships. The findings include the community dimension of care, the temporary nature of the entrepreneurships, the heterogeneity of the groups, and the continuity of care. The research emphasizes the advantages of internal, continuous, and participatory evaluation. It also highlights the importance of counting with indicators. The micropolitics of the work in health and the community occupational therapy approach enrich the analysis and contribute knowledge to the discipline.