Development support program - looking for a model of community care for younger children

Environmental interactions are one of the most important aspects of psychiatric care for children and adolescents with mental disorders. The report presents the experiences of the community therapy team offering community support to early school age children. The presented model of care includes psychological consultations, pedagogical therapy at school and as part of visits to cultural institutions, family therapy, multi-family groups and individual therapy. The team's activities also include consultations for teachers and school educators. In the proposed model, in connection with the reform of psychiatry of children and adolescents, there was a fundamental change related to the change in the formula of psychiatric consultations from obligatory to one resulting from individual indications. The aim of this paper is to present the experiences of cooperation related to community care at school. Among the employees of the schools the team cooperates with, a survey was conducted to evaluate the team's offer addressed to schools. The results of the study indicate a positive assessment of the team's cooperation with the school in terms of accessibility, flexibility and contact with specialists. Community care for children in such a model is beneficial in many respects.