Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the views of psychologists who worked at Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS) associated with the Comprehensive Family Care Program (PAIF) on their work with the aforementioned program. Overall, eight psychologists who worked at CRAS units in small municipalities in Minas Gerais for at least one year participated in this research. The instrument used was a semi-structured interview script, and the data were analyzed under the content analysis (thematic) method. Thematic categories were analyzed based on the specific literature. Results indicate that the psychologists generally felt unprepared to work at CRAS since their degree in Psychology provided inadequate knowledge to deal with Social Assistance issues. This study discusses the (psycho)therapeutic nature of their practice and the need for ongoing training for their proper performance. This study highlights the need for further research that addresses the links between education in Psychology and Social Assistance and the impacts of said unpreparedness on the performance of those professionals. Such research might provide more professional/personal satisfaction and, in turn, improve the quality of the offered service.
Keywords:
Psychologist’s Professional Performance; Social Assistance Reference Centers; Psychology; Social Psychology