This article presents a brief history of the Brazilian psychiatry reform from the 1980's and 1990's to April 2001, when the Mental Health Law was finally signed. The author discusses the basic concepts that characterize the present condition of the reform as opposed to those of previous initiatives. He also presents a general view of the preceding events to the present process; the concepts and values that characterize the Brazilian reform; the first experiments in São Paulo; the legislative initiative with an analysis of the new law; the different public policies in relation to mental health during the period analyzed with a copy of the Ministry of Health Ordinances 224/92 and 106/2000; the present condition of the de-institutionalization process in the country and the restructuring of the assistance system in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro.
psychiatry reform; mental health policies; citizenship and insanity; psychiatry; psychological and Social Care Centers