Based on the analysis of the evolution of Brazilian social policies after 1985, the present study examined the professional insertion process of psychologists into the field of social welfare. Public health and social assistance, which are the areas where the insertion of psychologists was more expressive and systematic in the last 25 years, were examined. The suitability of traditional models of professional practice in those new fields, issues regarding the academic training needed for working in those new areas, and the limits imposed by social policies for professional practice are discussed.
Psychology; social policies; public health; social assistance