Psychosocial intervention workshops with community health workers: refl ections and dialogued interventions

Abstract

Objective: to promote a discussion among the community health workers (ACS) of a small city in the Region of Vertentes in the state of Minas Gerais, about their own work process. Methods: using qualitative research methods, we carried out Psychosocial Intervention Workshops (PIW) with 11community health workers during nine meetings. We conducted content analysis, comparing the established practice with the guidelines and legal regulations of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS), based on the following categories: a) discrepancy between what is determined by the MS and the practice of the ACS; b) dilemmas faced by the ACS; c) quality of the bond established between the ACS and the users; and d) relationships between the ACS and other team members. In this paper, we present only the data related to the creation of bonds with the community and with the team, because it is an important psychosocial factor for primary care workers. Results: based on the analyses, it was possible to raise some issues about the work of the ACS: the sense of devaluation within the team; the gap between theory and practice; the impossibility of putting into practice the determinations of the MS; the need for a partnership between the community and the ACS; and misinformation about the work itself. Conclusion: it was possible to realize that the major changes that occurred in the work of the ACS was related to a greater detailing of attributions determined by the MS, the emphasis in the context of their actions and increased bureaucratization that may be interfering with or modifying their practice.