I have captured and reinterpreted the profession of social work, the unsatisfactory state of care for people with mental health issues in social care institutions and a moment in time during our student years through the graphic novel The Red Door, an interesting psychological thriller with horror influences that will attract the public and motivate it to identify with the residents of such institutions and become familiar with some key concepts and approaches of social work, which are committed to eliminating stigma, improving the inclusiveness of people with mental health issues in society and individualizing care in the community. The purpose of the written work, i.e. the master's thesis, is to summarize and supplement the graphic novel, to reflect on it and place it in the broader context of social work and deinstitutionalization as a movement. In the text, I highlight the events that shaped my education as a social worker, the events that shaped my view on deinstitutionalization, total institutions and mental health. It is an invitation to readers behind the scenes of our practices in total institutions in Serbia and Slovenia, our activist actions and work camps, and a call to co-create a better future for people with mental health issues. A future without total institutions.
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