Abstract : The creation of Community Multidisciplinary Mental Health Teams represents an important step in the ongoing transformation of mental health care in Portugal. These teams promote the transition from a hospital-based model to an integrated model of community-based care. Within these multidisciplinary teams, social workers play a relevant role in addressing the social determinants of mental health and supporting recovery through psychosocial interventions. Despite these developments, empirical evidence regarding the contribution of social workers within Community Mental Health Teams remains limited. This study was based on document analysis, semi-structured interviews conducted with social workers from the existing Community Mental Health Teams, non-participant observation, and qualitative content analysis using MAXQDA software. Interest in participating in the study was expressed by professionals from the Community Mental Health Teams. Although it was not possible to include all professionals, the study focused on the social workers integrated into these teams and on some team coordinators (health professionals). The findings reflect the importance of social workers across several areas of practice, including community intervention, psychosocial assessment, case management, and mediation between formal and informal support networks. The participating social workers also identified several challenges and weaknesses affecting their professional practice. These included employment insecurity, the lack of specialised training in mental health for professionals, limited material resources that would enable support to a greater number of families, and the lack of professional supervision for social workers integrated into the Community Mental Health Teams. Overall, the study highlights the essential contribution of Social Work to community mental health care in Portugal. It also supports the need for increased investment in Community Mental Health Teams and for the development of public policies that strengthen an integrated model of care centred on people with mental illness and oriented towards recovery.

Keyword : Community mental health, Multidisciplinary team, Psychosocial rehabilitation, Social Work.