We are living an emblematic moment for the public policies for Mental Health in Brazil. This is due to the fact that the legal apparatus and the new models for medical care, which do not follow the hospital centered logic and traditional psychiatry, have already been implemented, although their legitimation and theoretical-methodological consistency still need to be consolidated by the collective praxis. In this context, this article aims at reflecting about the practices adopted in the new health care devices, particularly in the Psychosocial Care Center - Alcohol and Drugs, as well as its relation with the prerogatives of the policies held by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. In this article we present a descriptive exploratory study based on the analysis of data from 1122 medical records from CAPSad in Blumenau-SC between 2005 and 2007, which contributed to define a profile of the users of this service. Univariate statistical analyses as well as bivariate analyses have been used. Based on the description of this data, we have included discussions comparing the data gathered and the propositions of the Psychiatric Reform.
center for psychosocial care; alcohol and drugs; mental health; brazilian psychiatric reform
