Pedro Pan

For Pedro, taking care of his mental health involves having meaningful conversations with his wife, who is also a psychiatrist, managing his blood sugar levels, playing soccer, and spending time with friends. Pedro is a psychiatrist, holding a master’s, doctorate, and post-doc from the Department of Psychiatry at the São Paulo State School of Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP). He is also the first PhD to graduate from the Tripartite Graduate Program in Developmental Psychiatry at UNIFESP/USP/UFRGS universities. During his doctorate, he worked as a researcher at the Mood Brain & Development Unit (MBDU) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, USA. He is the vice-coordinator of the Conexão Project at the National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD), author of more than 90 articles indexed in Pubmed/Medline, co-author of the chapter “Transtornos do humor – depressão e transtorno bipolar” (Mood disorders – depression and bipolar disorder) of the book “Saúde Mental na Escola: O que os Educadores Devem Saber” (Artmed). He currently conducts research focused on the neural mechanisms associated with adolescent depression.

Olga Paz

Olga Paz is a geographer (USP) and bilingual educator with experience in early childhood education, middle school, high school, and the production of educational materials. She was an educator at Comunidade de Aprendizagens ncora and ncora Project using active methodologies and an educational plan inspired by Escola da Ponte, Portugal. She is a mother and has been undergoing psychoanalyst training since 2020.

Luciana Silva

Luciana Maria da Silva has over 10 years of experience in the administrative and financial areas of companies, institutes, and government agencies. In recent years, she has deepened her knowledge of the specificities of the third sector, leading audit processes, project accountability, receipt of national and international donations, and supporting fundraising actions, among others.

Nayra Baptistelli

She has over 15 years of experience in creating, coordinating, and managing projects related to corporate communication, institutional marketing, digital products, relationship, marketing strategies, incentive, and fundraising campaigns, internal marketing, social and sports marketing, event organization, marketing research, and team and project management. Working in the third sector for 4 years with various activities related to Communication and Project Coordination. Specializing in Communications, Marketing, and Service Marketing, with an academic background in Business Administration.

Maíra Brandão

A mother, native of Pernambuco, and journalist specializing in Digital Journalism. In addition to her experience as a communicator, working on areas such as radio, internet, press office, relationship, production, and management, she has a strong inclination towards anything related to communications, culture, cities, education, and technology. She has sought to learn and practice the facilitation of social processes and feels that her self-realization lies in places of dialogue and exchange, with openness to understanding different perspectives and realities, which offer the imminent possibility of learning from others.

Luci Zeferino

Luci Zeferino dos Santos Silva studied at the School of Philosophy and Letters of Fundação Santo André, graduated with a full degree in Social Sciences, with majors in social studies. She has taken several courses in executive administration in business management. For many years, she worked in the educational and business areas. In the educational area, as a teacher and coordinator in public and private schools and companies in the training/teaching sector. She also worked in the administrative management of companies, serving as a secretary in the human resources and sales departments. For the past 12 years, she has assisted in the management and coordination at Unifesp, specifically the Linc (Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences), providing support to the faculty and students of the Laboratory. Currently, she serves as an assistant to the President of the Ame Sua Mente Institute and in the management of administrative affairs.

Henrique Akiba

A psychologist graduated from USP and PhD in experimental psychology from the same institution, post-doc in mental health prevention from EPM-UNIFESP, Henrique is a professor of psychology, national scientific coordinator of the Arte de Viver Association, CRO, and full professor at the Brazilian Institute of Neuromarketing and Neuroeconomics. At the Ame sua Mente Institute, Henrique is a member of the training and content production team and is responsible for the technology front.

Gustavo Mechereffe Estanislau

Psychiatrist specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (UFRGS). PhD student in Psychiatry at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). Organizer of the book “Saúde Mental na Escola: O que os Educadores Devem Saber”, published in 2015 by Artmed. Speaker, consultant in educational institutions, and clinical psychiatrist. He worked as a clinical researcher in the Program for Recognition and Intervention in At-Risk Mental States (PRISMA) at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and as a member of the Study Group on Technological Addictions (GEAD) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Gustavo is a researcher and associate member of the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

Grace Luciana Pereira

Psychologist and pedagogue specializing in General Administration, Victimization of Children and Adolescents, Counseling, School Supervision and Direction, with over 27 years of experience in the continuing education of Education professionals in various municipalities and states of Brazil such as Ceará, Piauí, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Caruaru, Mogi das Cruzes, Guarulhos, Goiás, Teresina, Taubaté, Assis, and more. Trainer at Elos Educational. Trainer at Sincroniza Educação.

For 8 years, she was part of the Government Team of the Department of Education of São Bernardo do Campo, responsible for the Division of Teaching Enhancement, which included Comprehensive education, Information Technology, and School libraries. Public Manager nominated for best management practices by CBTD in 2016.

Content producer for the Porta Curtas website and the Brazilian Ministry of Education.

Experienced in producing materials and face-to-face and online training with an emphasis on teaching practices. Scholar of games and gamification in Education. Facilitator at the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

Denise Elias

With 20 years of experience in technology companies and banking institutions, Denise holds a degree in Public Relations, a degree in History, and postgraduate studies in Communication Theory from Faculdade Cásper Líbero. Six years ago, she discovered that her daughter had dyslexia and has immersed herself in studies on learning disorders. She completed teacher training and an internship in the public school system of the City and State of São Paulo. At the Institute, Denise supports the management of social programs.

Daniela Carvalho

She holds a Master of Science from the Graduate Program in Social Change and Political Participation (ProMuSPP | EACH USP) and a Bachelor of Environmental Management from the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of the University of São Paulo (EACH USP). Her journey includes leading training in mental health, environment, and third sector, as well as providing technical and theoretical support. At the Institute, she works as a Research Assistant and Facilitator, contributing to mental health projects in schools.

Clarice Madruga

A psychologist, Post-doc, and PhD in Psychiatry and Medical Psychology from the São Paulo State School of Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP) and King’s College London, with a Master’s in Substance Misuse from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, and a Master’s in Neuroscience from UFRGS.

Clarice is a researcher and affiliate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UNIFESP and an expert consultant to the Ame Sua Mente Institute. Author of various scientific articles and reviewer for major national and international scientific journals in the fields of mental health and substance use disorders. She works in the field of epidemiology and prevention of drug use in adolescence.

Claudia Tazitu

A professional with over 20 years of business experience at technology and information technology companies, Claudia transitioned her career to the third sector to be more aligned with her “ikigai” (purpose in life) and because she believes that education is the path to reducing social inequality. A graduate in Business Administration from FEA-USP and Law from FMU, she joined the Institute in June 2021 as part of the Bússola Project Team. A Gemini, Claudia loves learning about new subjects and discovering different places. Reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends are her favorite leisure activities.

Claudia Donega

A professional with over 20 years of experience in program and project management, she graduated in Psychology and works in the development of processes, architecture, and organizational performance for education, especially in the third sector. Claudia has solid experience in identifying and supporting the implementation of initiatives for public policies with project feasibility studies, systematization of processes in civil society arenas and sectoral domains. She has participated in nationwide initiatives to promote positive impacts, observing their causes and legacies for both individuals and society. Claudia is the social program manager at the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

Carlos Costardi

A psychiatrist from EPM-UNIFESP, he collaborates with the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences of the institution assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in various countries and researching the relationships between digital technologies and mental health. He is a consultant to the Ame Sua Mente Institute as the content leader of the Bússola project.

Carolina de Meneses Gaya

A psychologist with a PhD in Mental Health from the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) and a Post-Doctoral degree in Psychiatry and Medical Psychology from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), she specializes in Public Health and Psychoanalysis from the University of Franca. Senior researcher at the Alcohol and Drugs Research Unit (UNIAD) of UNIFESP, Collaborator of the National Survey of Alcohol and Drugs (LENAD) and the Survey of Scenes of Use in Capitals (LECUCA). Author of several scientific articles and book chapters related to health promotion and substance abuse. Responsible for validating screening instruments for misuse and dependence on psychoactive substances. She works as a clinical psychologist in private practice and as a specialist in the training team and is an associate member of the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

André Lopes

A graduate in Administration (ESPM) and History (USP), with a Postgraduate degree in Public Leadership (CLP), Social Innovation (Amani Institute), Extension in Learning Communities (UFSCAR), he is currently pursuing a Postgraduate degree at Waldorf High School. He has experience as a High School Teacher and at Fundação CASA in the State of São Paulo. He is a coordinator of educational projects in the third sector working with teacher training in the states of Pará, Bahia, São Paulo, Espírito Santo, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Today, André works as a teacher trainer in Self-Awareness and as a facilitator in Mental Health at the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

André Gola

Gola is an artist and CCO of the agency Lew’Lara\TBWA. As an advertiser, he has already been recognized with several awards at national and international festivals, including 78 Lions at the Cannes Lions Festival. Since 2013, he has brought the character “Suadinho” to life on blank pages, social media, stickers (with over 1.4 billion views on GIPHY), collaborations with products and brands, and urban interventions in different locations around the world.

Ana Carolina D’Agostini

A psychologist and pedagogue graduated from PUC-SP, specialist in Psychology in Women’s Health Care from UNIFESP, with a master’s in Psychology of Education from Columbia University. She worked as a hospital psychologist at Hospital São Paulo, as a teacher of early childhood education and EJA (Youth and Adult Education), coordinator of community action projects and educational coordinator responsible for guiding families and high school students at Escola Móbile, in São Paulo. She also worked as a columnist for the Nova Escola Association and as a consultant to the Teacher Mental Health project. Author of the textbook “Se Liga na Vida” (Editora Moderna, PNLD 2021) and editorial manager at the Semente Program, Ana Carolina is a trainer and training coordinator at the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

Amanda L. Aquino Silva

Amanda is a Psychologist (UNESP) with extensive experience in the field of Education as a educational coordinator, manager of distance learning courses, educational quality analyst, and bilingual curriculum designer. She has worked in the third sector with populations in situations of social vulnerability and children and adolescents victims of violence. With solid experience in the production and editing of educational materials, she is a clinical psychologist, mother, and managerial information analyst at the Ame Sua Mente Institute.

Alessandra Paz

A graduate in Law from USP-SP and journalism from Faculdade Cásper Líbero, with a specialization in Branding from ESPM, she has extensive experience in corporate communication, crisis management, and reputation building. She worked for ten years at Península Participações managing the institutional communication area and the Península Institute. During that period, she was also responsible for the communication strategy of businessman Abilio Diniz, founder of Península Participações. She transitioned to the third sector in 2020 and has been working as Institutional Relations Manager at the Institute since May 2021.

Andréa S. Regina

An ESG specialist, she has worked in recent years as a Corporate Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion executive for Latin America for multinational financial sector companies. She graduated in Education from the University of São Paulo (USP), specializing in Industrial Marketing and Retail Marketing from FGV and FIA-USP. After completing the course in Social Responsibility and Third Sector at CEATS-USP, she has redirected her career towards social and environmental impact for almost 20 years. With an MBA in Administration from FGV and a specialization in Health Promotion from the USP School of Medicine, she assumed the executive direction of the Ame Sua Mente Institute in 2021.

Rodrigo Bressan

A psychiatrist with a PhD from King’s College London, Rodrigo is a professor at UNIFESP and King’s College London, and the author of several books, including “Saúde Mental na Escola: O que os Educadores Devem Saber”. He has been awarded the Medal of Legislative Merit (the highest honor from the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies) for his work in mental health education in public schools and all his efforts to combat the stigma associated with the issue. As the research coordinator at the National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry and coordinator of the project ‘Conexão – mentes do futuro’, he has hundreds of scientific publications in the field of childhood and adolescence.

Leticia Albernaz Guimarães Lyle

Leticia is the co-founder of Camino Education and principal of Camino School. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and teacher training for the 21st century, responsible for adapting the Compasso Socioemotional Program, and is the coordinator of the Graduate Program in Comprehensive Teacher Development at Instituto Singularidades. She previously served as the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Teacher Training at SOMOS Educação and as the President of Instituto Somos, where she developed strategies for large-scale projects supporting partner institutions and schools in their transformation challenges with quality. Leticia holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Cristiana Pipponzi

Cristiana Pipponzi (Kika) is a board member of Raia Drogasil, Banco Santander Brasil, and Fundo Positive Venture. For over ten years, she has also been active in non-profit boards. A graduate in Business Administration from FEA-USP, she completed an MBA at INSEAD in France. She has participated in several executive courses, such as “Directors Consortium Program” at Stanford, “Governing for Non-Profit Excellence” at Harvard Business School, and Advanced Strategy for Directors at INSEAD. She serves as a board member at the Vaga Lume Association, SempreFEA Association, and Ame Sua Mente Institute, of which she is also a co-founder.

Marco Kheirallah

A graduate in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, with a career in the financial market, he was a partner at Banco Matrix and Banco Pactual, as well as the founder of SIP Capital. In recent years, he has focused on fostering and investing in entrepreneurs and startups in the finance, education, and healthcare sectors. Since 2022, he has been a founding partner of Lumina Capital and has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute.

Cintia Gonçalves

Cintia acredita que saúde mental é uma questão de manter a mente quieta (nem que seja só às vezes…), a espinha ereta e o coração tranquilo. Comunicadora Social pela PUC/RS e consultora, Cintia desenvolve estratégias de construção de marcas, negócios e conteúdos. Cintia foi sócia e CSO da AlmapBBDO, agência na qual atuou por 19 anos liderando projetos e desenvolvendo metodologias de pesquisa para marcas do mercado nacional e internacional.

Lara D’Ávila

O expertise de Lara D’Avila em criação de conteúdo e colaboração com marcas começou muito antes de ser aquilo que chamam de “influenciadora digital”. Formada em Marketing e Publicidade, Lara atuou como planejamento para marcas como Nike, Mr. Cat e Globosat, Fasano. Como Relações Públicas, trabalhou para Arezzo e Pernod Ricard. Atualmente, usa seus canais nas redes sociais como plataforma de conteúdo. Feminista em formação, aprendiz de tantas coisas, seu grande desejo é inspirar as mulheres a cuidarem da sua saúde mental. E a crescerem juntas.

O Projeto Cuca Legal foi uma iniciativa ligada ao Departamento de Psiquiatria da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) que visava à promoção da saúde mental e à prevenção de transtornos mentais em ambientes de ensino por meio do desenvolvimento de programas de intervenção baseados em evidências científicas.

O projeto contava com uma uma equipe de especialistas das áreas da neurociência, psicologia, psiquiatria e educação com grande experiência no campo da saúde mental. A qualificação profissional, além da diversidade, da extensão das intervenções realizadas e do caráter criativo, responsável e humano das condutas, foram diferenciais nos 12 anos de vida do projeto.

Idealizado pelo Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Bressan, em 2006, e coordenado por Adriana Fóz até 2017, o Cuca Legal passou a ser uma referência na área, fundamentado na premissa de que a disseminação adequada de informações sobre saúde mental é fundamental para o desenvolvimento de fatores protetores que levam ao bem-estar e à redução dos fatores de risco associados ao surgimento e complicações dos transtornos mentais.

Mas o que “disseminação adequada” significa?
A disseminação de informações adequada sobre saúde mental é aquela que ocorre em ações:
1 – Que priorizem a saúde como uma condição muito mais prevalente que a doença;
2 – Com o enfoque no empoderamento dos educadores, e não na sobrecarga ou na terceirização de tarefas;
3 – Que levem em consideração o fortalecimento da rede multidisciplinar, em detrimento da medicalização, por meio do desenvolvimento de uma visão preventiva e esclarecida dos recursos disponíveis e comprovadamente eficazes;
4 – Baseadas em evidências científicas, sempre que existam dados disponíveis;
5 – Customizadas caso a caso, de acordo com as necessidades, recursos e outras circunstâncias específicas da instituição solicitante;
6 – Cientes do impacto do estigma, buscamos a humanização da saúde mental e das suas subjetividades, com a finalidade de reduzir a “cultura do rótulo” e os equívocos de conduta decorrentes desse paradigma.

Com convicção desses parâmetros, boa parte do processo de formulação de nossas atividades é dedicada à tradução de conteúdos de alta complexidade para uma linguagem acessível e pertinente à prática dos educadores assim como ao desenvolvimento de métodos que otimizem a apreensão do conhecimento abordado.

Em 2012, o Cuca Legal firmou parceria com o grupo canadense Teen Mental Health (www.teenmentalhealth.org), referência mundial no cenário de intervenções em disseminação de conhecimentos em saúde mental, com projetos no Canadá, Estados Unidos, Portugal e em países do continente africano e asiático. Dessa aliança, surgiram duas capacitações pioneiras em saúde mental para educadores junto à Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo, nos anos de 2013, 2014 e 2015, que alcançaram mais de 700 educadores. Ainda em parceria com a Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo, em 2015, o Cuca Legal desenvolveu um projeto que atingiu professores de 17 escolas do estado com enfoque na promoção de Competências Socioemocionais.

Além das iniciativas junto à Secretaria da Educação de São Paulo, o Cuca Legal atuou em diversos cenários, desenvolvendo ações customizadas de acordo com o conteúdo público (educadores, pais e alunos), número de encontros e recursos disponíveis.
Ainda em 2015, um marco para a história do Cuca Legal foi o lançamento do livro “Saúde Mental na Escola: o que os educadores devem saber”, organizado pelos psiquiatras Gustavo M. Estanislau e Rodrigo A. Bressan, com a coautoria de pesquisadores renomados no Brasil e no mundo nas respectivas áreas abordadas na obra, e, finalmente, com a revisão de educadores visando a um resultado final cientificamente apurado, mas ainda assim de linguagem acessível .

Atualmente, “Saúde Mental na Escola: o que os educadores devem saber” tem sido muitas vezes citado como um “livro de cabeceira” por educadores no Brasil inteiro, que reconhecem a importância do assunto nas salas de aula.