A estratégia militar brasileira e o Exército: uma análise da política declaratória de defesa

A Estratégia Nacional de Defesa (END) foi o documento de Defesa Nacional que mais repercutiu nas Forças Armadas e, também, na sociedade brasileira. A END formula diretrizes estratégicas para alcançar os objetivos nacionais de defesa, que estão inseridos na Política Nacional de Defesa (PND). A PND é o documento de mais alto nível do Estado brasileiro para o planejamento de defesa. Para atingir os objetivos definidos na END, o comandante do Exército Brasileiro expediu suas diretrizes, seguidas de um planejamento denominado “Estratégia Braço Forte” (EBF). Posteriormente, por meio do Estado-Maior do Exército (EME), foi produzido um documento intitulado “Processo de Transformação do Exército Brasileiro” (PTEB) cujo teor é fruto de resultados de estudos, diagnósticos, formulações e concepções surgidas no EME ao longo dos trabalhos relativos à END e à elaboração da EBF. Em complemento às medidas de gestão para os assuntos de defesa, o Governo Federal disponibilizou, em julho de 2012, o Livro Branco de Defesa Nacional (LBDN), entregando-o ao Congresso Nacional para apreciação. Vários documentos sobre o tema defesa foram formulados a partir da END. Estes documentos estão enquadrados no nível estratégico, definindo quem é o responsável por seu planejamento e por sua condução. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo realizar a análise da Estratégia Nacional de Defesa e apresentar os documentos decorrentes afetos à Defesa Nacional, atinentes ao Exército Brasileiro que podem ser relacionados ao nível estratégico. Para tanto, fez-se uma discussão do conceito de estratégia e níveis estratégicos e realizou-se uma análise da END, considerando críticas existentes sobre este documento. Em seguida, o Livro Branco de Defesa Nacional foi apresentado e uma comparação com a END foi realizada. Em continuação, apresenta-se os dois documentos do Exército elaborados como conseqüência da END: a “Estratégia Braço Forte” e o “Processo de Transformação do Exército Brasileiro”. Por fim, apresenta-se os níveis estratégicos dos documentos mencionados e a coerência dos níveis estratégicos propostos por Luttwak.

A implementação da estratégia nacional de defesa, 2008-2013

O debate sobre defesa no Brasil ainda fica aquém de sua importância estratégica para o país. Entretanto, nos anos recentes, a questão passou a ganhar maior relevância e assuntos relacionados ao tema começam a ganhar mais destaque, inclusive na mídia (compra dos caças Gripen, por exemplo). A institucionalização da Defesa no Brasil teve importantes marcos desde a criação do Ministério da Defesa (MD) em 1999, passando pela elaboração da Política Nacional de Defesa (PND) em 2005, da Estratégia Nacional de Defesa (END) em 2008 e, finalmente, do Livro Branco de Defesa Nacional (LBDN) em 2012. As relações civis militares são pautadas por visões muitas vezes distintas sobre a Defesa, é preciso que haja uma maior convergência nesse entendimento. Entretanto, ainda há um longo caminho a ser percorrido para que a sociedade compreenda e tenha um maior envolvimento com tema tão relevante de interesse nacional. O presente estudo objetiva analisar o grau de implementação das diretrizes da Estratégia Nacional de Defesa (END) e avaliar os motivos que impactaram nas ações propostas para sua efetivação.

Polarização política nas redes

O último fim de semana forneceu mais demonstrações da atual polarização política do Brasil e da importância que as redes sociais têm como espaço público de discussão e ativismo. A publicação da lista de inquéritos que a Procuradoria Geral da República encaminhou ao Supremo Tribunal Federal na sexta-feira e o pronunciamento da Presidente Dilma Rousseff no domingo foram estopins para que o diálogo virtual sobre política nacional retomasse a vitalidade pela qual tem se notabilizado desde as eleições presidenciais

Arranjos produtivos locais (APLs) no estado do Espírito Santo: política pública, processo decisório e percepção de atores

O estudo de aglomerações produtivas aponta o Estado como protagonista no apoio à cooperação interinstitucional em função do aumento da competitividade de empresas dos mais diversos setores, favorecendo o desenvolvimento regional por meio de políticas públicas. Esta pesquisa objetivou analisar o desenho dos Arranjos Produtivos Locais (APLs) no estado do Espírito Santo (ES) como instrumentos de política pública para o desenvolvimento local, segundo a percepção de atores estratégicos sobre processos decisórios presentes na implementação da Política Nacional de Apoio a APLs, a partir da análise dos APLs de Agroturismo, Metalmecânico e de Rochas Ornamentais. O caso do Cluster Quesero de Villa María complementa as análises, evidenciando semelhanças e diferenças entre aglomerações produtivas apoiadas por políticas públicas no Brasil e na Argentina. O estudo utilizou como base teórica o processo decisório e grupos de veto em políticas públicas, a abordagem incremental e de governança multinível, e o referencial sobre APLs. A pesquisa, de natureza qualitativa, utilizou entrevistas para captar as percepções de atores relevantes à implementação das políticas no ES e em Villa María acerca dos processos decisórios, seus membros e relações; fontes de dados bibliográficos e documentais também foram utilizadas, e as informações passaram por Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados indicam características incrementais em toda a cadeia decisória, formada por vários processos de decisão diferentes. Foram identificados poucos efeitos da Política Nacional em sua implementação no ES, além de uma decadência do uso da abordagem de APLs no estado. As aglomerações produtivas foram organizadas mediante iniciativas top-down; mas duas desenvolveram características bottom-up, dada a apropriação de seus membros quanto às propostas em desenvolvimento. As aglomerações foram analisadas conforme características como: Atuação da Governança; Heterogeneidade do Grupo Decisor; Fluxo de Organização do APL; Relação com Governos; Existência de Canais de Participação de Grupos de Trabalhadores e da Comunidade Local. São identificadas relações assimétricas entre os atores em processos decisórios, nos casos brasileiros e no argentino, derivadas de assimetrias quanto a informações, acesso à participação e poder decisório por parte de grupos relacionados ao seu desenvolvimento. Grupos empresariais, governamentais e de instituições de apoio são protagonistas nesses processos decisórios, enquanto representações sociais e trabalhistas, mesmo relevantes aos APLs, não participam dos mesmos. A inclusão de diferentes atores com interesses diversos nos processos decisórios, por um lado, pode gerar conflitos e morosidade decisória; em contrapartida, tende a gerar decisões, mudanças e ações mais integradas às realidades locais, segundo variados pontos de vista, e, portanto, mais efetivas e inteligentes. Além disso, o desenvolvimento local, mediante incentivo a APLs, poderá ser alcançado na medida em que esses atores sejam incluídos nas tomadas de decisão, pois o consideraria sob sua perspectiva de associação entre dinamismo econômico e melhoria da qualidade de vida da população, tendo em vista sua sustentabilidade.

Implementação da política de assistência social em Mossoró/RN : uma avaliação a partir dos centros de referência da assistência social

The current National Policy for Social Assistance (PNAS) is the instrument that regulates the organization and procedures of social-welfare actions. Developed and approved in 2004 since the Unified Social Assistance System (ITS) was crated in 2003, it reaffirms the democratic principles of the Social Assistance Organic Law (LOAS) focusing on the universalization of social rights and equality of rights when accessing the social-welfare system. In the SUAS point of view, the PNAS highlights the information, monitoring and evaluation fields for being the best way to assure the regulation, organization and control by the Federal Government paying attention to the principles of decentralization and participation. This political-institutional rearrangement occurs through the pact among all the three federal entities. The pact deals with the implementation of the task. It says that it has to be shared between the federal autonomous entities, established by dividing responsibilities. To the cities, considered as the smallest territorial unit of the federation and closer to the population, was given the primary responsibility, which is to feed and maintain the database of SUAS NETWORK and identify families living in situations of social vulnerability. In addition to these responsibilities, the cities that have full autonomy in the management of their actions, have the responsibility to organize the basic social protection and the special social protection, that using the Center of Social Assistance Reference (CRAS) and the Center of Specialized Social Assistance Reference (CREAS), are responsible for the provision of programs, projects and services that strengthen the family and community; that promote people who are able to enjoy the benefits of the Continuing benefit of Provisions (BPC) and transfer of incomes; that hold the infringed rights on its territory; that maximize the protective role of families and strengthen its users organization. In Mossoró/RN, city classified as autonomous in the social assistance management, has five units of CRAS that, for being public utilities, are considered the main units of basic social protection, since they are responsible for the connection between the other institutions that compose the network of local social protection. Also known as Family House, the CRAS, among other programs and services, offers the Integral Attention to Families Program (PAIF), Juvenile ProJovem Program, socio-educational coexistence services programs, as well as sending people to other public policies and social-welfare services network, provides information, among others. In this large field, social workers are highlighted as keys to implement the policy of social assistance within the city, followed by psychologists and educators. They should be effective public employees, as a solution to ensure that the provision of the services are to be continued, provided to the population living around the units. However, what we can find here is inattention to the standard rules of social assistance, which not only undermines the quality of programs and services, but also the consolidation of policy on welfare as public policy of social rights

A política de humanização e a estratégia saúde da família: visões e vivências

This study approaches the topic of humanization in health that involves the set of policies implemented by the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Its aims are directed towards a reflection on the guiding theoretical and organizing axes of the National Humanization Policy (NHP) and their repercussions on municipal health policy of Natal, Brazil; an analysis of the results of the policy at the local level; knowledge of the views and experiences of the humanization agents in the daily work process and identification of the main challenges of the policy. The empirical field of investigation was the Family Health Strategy (FHS) of the city of Natal. The assumption of the study is that the FHS has produced local experiences with potentialities that must not be wasted, in which there are difficulties and discrepancies between the real and proposed model. The contradictions and challenges in the social and political context of Brazil in the early XXI century and their consequences in the field of health reflect anti-utilitarian aspects anchored strongly in the theoretical concepts of Boaventura de Sousa Santos about the sociology of privations and emergencies as well as of the work of translating. The predominantly qualitative approach collects some complementary quantitative data. The study procedures used were the following: bibliographic research; documental research; interviews; and direct observation. Interpretation of the information obtained was based on documental analysis and on the symbolic cartography of the social representations. Cartographic evidence suggests that practices still take place under dehumanizing conditions that compromise the quality of care given. However, there is a movement aimed at changing the work process that has been strengthening the link and widening the measures developed, incorporating new directions in diversity, integrality and solidarity. The map drawn shows a reality manifested by explicit intentions in a political agenda, by concrete solutions marked by an assortment of difficulties and expressed in the words of the agents and by latent clues identified in successful local experiences, posing many challenges for the consolidation of the proposed changes

A política pública de segurança em Mossoró-RN: uma avaliação de processo da implantação da guarda civil (2009-2013)

The subject of public safety is part of the academic and popular discussions, due to several factors that act in society culminating in an increasing criminality. The importance of the evaluation of public policies in this context consists in a possible control tool, monitoring and necessary adjustments to the government to make the necessary changes. Given this reality, it is thought the research problem: how Mossoró (RN) city has implemented his public security policy? In general guideline of the research, we work with the following hypothesis: the own formulation of the National Policy of Public Safety there are elements that hinder the implementation of a public policy of municipal security in Mossoró. The objective of this research is to evaluate the existing security public policy in the city of Mossoró, by the elements that facilitate and/or hamper its implementation, through the actions of municipal government in the activities of the Mossoro Civil Guard (GCM). For this, a review of the implementation process was conducted, specifically its subprocesses of selection, training, and logistical or operational. Was used bibliographical research, documental primary and secondary, and field research, with conducting of interviews. It was found that with a staff of 197 guards, and with five years of creation, the actions developed by this institution refer to an early implementation of the municipal security policy. The guard has the basic pattern selection, part of function relocation and part of public tender. The formation occurs in an introductory way, however, not complete and specific, for the function performance. Its operability is limited by the number of existing effective and by the physical structure that has not matching the demand yet, which touches on the municipal budgetary reality of direct resource intended to safety. It was found the absence of a municipal plan of public security with principles, guidelines and goals that could direct the actions of the guard. It is concluded that despite of the implementation of the GCM Mossoró have not achieved, within the parameters of efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness have played their actions, projects and programs, it could trigger a process of opening for construction of a municipal security policy. As well as break with the paradigm of municipal actions just meant for surveillance of public property, interaction affirmative for the prevention of violence and crime

Desenvolvimento e assistência social : uma avaliação da efetividade da política de assistência social nos municípios de Assú e Mossoró (2004 -2008)

This thesis, whose title is DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE: AN EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION IN SOCIAL ASSISTENCE POLICY IN THE CITIES OF ASSÚ AND MOSSORÓ/RN (2004/2008), has as main aim to evaluate effectiveness in Social Assistance Policy in the cities of Assu and Mossoró/RN, from 2004 to 2008, identifying its impacts and effects in life of its users. The methodological process for the research was composed by: a) Literature review on this theme, development of public policies; social public policies, public policy evaluation and Social Assistance Policy in Brazil; b) Documental research from Municipal Management of Social Development and Municipal Counsels of Social Assistance in the cities of Assu and Mossoró/RN about the object of this study and empirical field; c) Field Research constituted by the realization of Focal Groups with Social Assistance users and semistructured interviews with municipal managers from Assú and Mossoró. It was also taken into account participant observations in events and activities related to Social Assistance previously mentioned, considering field management and also the response to users demands. Articulating the themes of Development and Public Social Policy in Social Assistance was the theoretical purpose for this thesis. To achieve this purpose, it was performed two theoretical displacements related, at the same time, to the notion of development and to the concept of Social Assistance, which means to comprehend development as social change and improvement in users life quality, expressed in the expansion of their capacities and liberties (SEN, 1993, 2000), and the Social Assistance as an element for development. Such displacements provide a view of Public policy and Social Policies and evaluate National Policy of Social Assistance achieved in those cities. As product, this thesis presents a methodological purpose for effectiveness evaluation in Public Policy, taking into account expansion of capacities and liberties, concluding that Social Assistance Policy in Assú and Mossoró/RN, even in lesser extent had its impact and caused effective results in the life of their users and provided an expansion of their capacities and liberties, improving life quality and empowered agent condition for those subjects. The results show that this Policy has been proved to be effective, and consequently, it was considered, in this thesis, to be also an element and an allied for development

Política de atenção à saúde do idoso em Mossoró/RN: potencialidades e possibilidades para promoção do envelhecimento saudável no estado do Rio Grande do Norte

It discusses the Health Care of the Elderly in the town of Mossoró, traversing the paths that discussed the history of health care, which has been altered by the new (con) formation and required adjustments of society which led the development and implementation of the National Health Care for the Elderly with the backdrop of the guiding principles of the Health System - SUS. The goals outlined were: To map the implementation of the policy of health care for the elderly in Mossoró considering whether this is based on the principles and guidelines of the NHS and National Health Policy of the Elderly; Check if health promotion is seen as a strategy that favors the elderly mossoroenses the possibility of healthy aging; identify the discourse of the elderly about the aging process and the strategies you use to take care of your needs. Applies as a methodological strategy BOAS, complemented by interviews with twenty (20) elderly residents of Mossoró with a view to understand the objective elements, and the political and subjective traits that express a regularity which marks the area of health care mossoroense elderly. The data were tabulated and the BOAS divided into nine sections for analysis. The speeches were transcribed seized and subjected to a thorough reading that allowed the visualization of issues that have been examined with theoretical and methodological support to the model proposed by Boaventura de Souza Santos (2006) designated this cosmopolitan reason being supported by three meta-sociological procedures, namely, the sociology of absences, the sociology of translation work and emergencies. It appears as a result the exclusion and discrimination of the elderly in different social settings, a condition that prevents them from being aware of their importance as citizens deserving of decent treatment and respect for the family, society and the government, when addressing health the elderly said the need to propose alternative models of care that has the paradigm of health promotion. We conclude that in these areas, meetings are held, to draw lines that were heterogeneous because they were built by the dissimilarities that engender incessantly and show that although we have advanced regarding the attention of the elderly in Mossoró there is still a long way to go in order to meet the needs revealed by the elderly. It is suggested that the practice of trial-creation-differentiation, while highlighting the historical and procedural dimension, deconstructions and negotiations with collective effects. A democratic paradigm and analytical creeps: the constitution are moments of Health Care for the Elderly shaping a new landscape in the town of Mossoró.

Política de assistência social no Brasil: uma análise a partir das tipologias de políticas públicas

The study of public policy typologies is still a knowledge field which lacks more embracing and applicable studies to different sectors. On that perspective, this work, Social Assistance Policy in Brazil: an analysis from the typologies on public policy, pursues to add the relevant literature to social assistance what focus on the public policy ratings. Moreover, it concerns about a study on the the national policy of social assistance implemented by the Brazilian government from the theoretical referrence of the public policy typologies. For that reason, the referential framework of the public policies as well as the analisys of its fundamentals/principles that are indispensable for achieving a bigger goal, that is to tipify the social assistance policy based on the different public policy typologies and characterize it through the main elements which are intrinsec to the social political and economic reality of Brazil. Thus, the issue suggested for the work is: what is the profile and the political trajectory of the social assistance implemented by the Brazilian Government? How it presents, above all, the features of a distributive, focused and lawful policy, the work has been done througho the following hypothesis: the social assistance policy in Brazil has been of universal, assistance, and focusing aspects. For each of those features granted to the social assistance policy, there is a gathering of changes according to the social, political and economic moment of the country and that stands out due to the different institutions within every cyclical period. The work showed that besides the social policy has gone through meaningful changes during the last decades, even though the adoption of the Organic Law of Social Assistance and its rules, some of the mentioned characteristics still remain, as long as the State s primacy goes on being the economic policies over the dubbed social policies. Notwithstanding, the social assistance will build up itself from the materialization of the growing of the social rights related to the State, but also assuming an important role on the amplified reproducing process regarding the capitalist social relations

Historiando a política de formação de professores em serviço da UFRN

Les préoccupations gérées par les changements de l éducation nationale poussés par les réformes mises en places par le gouvernement de Fernando Henrique Cardoso, notamment la politique nationale de formation de professeurs, et le besoin de connaître comment ces réformes ont été incorporées par l Université Fédérale de Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, constituent les questions centrales développées par cette thèse. Cette étude propose à montrer, à partir d une approche socio-historique, la façon comment la législation éducationnelle brésilienne sur la formation de professeurs pour l éducation basique expresse la politique de l État brésilien et, en même temps, comment le PROBÁSICA signifie une réponse de l UFRN à cette politique. En ce sens, cette recherche, selon sa perspective exploratoire, descriptive et analytique a privilégié plusieurs techniques et procédés de collectes des données conforme au modèle de la recherche participative, à savoir : enquête semi- structurée, observations directes, contacts formels et informels; enregistrement des opinions de professeurs, coordinateurs pédagogiques et étudiants; repérage, systématisation et analyses de plusieurs documents. L analyse des données, qui a été faite d une façon fondamentalement qualitative, a révélé que le PROBÁSICA a sa genèse à l intérieur de l UFRN et représente, en même temps, une réponse de cette université à la demande de la catégorie et la politique de formation de professeurs. Nous espérons que cette étude suscite d autres recherches qui développent des discussions sur les relations entre l État brésilien, ses politiques éducationnelles et les pratiques pédagogiques de formation de professeurs

O Probásica e a formação de professores no Pólo de Parnamirim: política de formação profissional no Rio Grande do Norte?

This work studies the thematic of the politics of formation of teachers in the Program of Professional Qualification for Basic Education (PROBÁSICA) developed in the City of Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte. It has as its main objective to identify and to analyze the contribution of this politics of initial formation for the professional formation of teachers. To install the work, we will use the procedures of bibliographical research, documentary analysis, comment, structuralized interview, questionnaire-script and virtual research. In the analysis of the data, we trace a general view on PROBÁSICA while initial formation along with the continued formation, pedagogical research, collaborative research and the exercise of the teaching profession, identifying the possibilities and limits of the Program in the direction to reach the objective considered in this work. From the inquiry, we construct the institutional land scope of the program in question, also focusing, the organizational aspects of its functioning. We have to take care about the results, we evidence that PROBÁSICA is making the possible to access of the teachers in the educational service to the University, what the main aspect that consists, trying to prove eminent weak points in its systematic due to give to the organizational structure of this educational politics that does not count with curricular, institutional and financial the necessary conditions for the success of the professional formation of the teachers. The research will try to understand that the operationalization of the politics of formation in Parnamirim will be belong with it the main idea of the Educational Reformation in years of 1990, articulated to the neoliberal interests, that the responsibility for the problems of the public system of education attributed to the teachers, and that are not answered completely through the purpose of the professional formation, and ti seems that it does not define one global national politics that deals with seriousness to the questions the initial formation, permanent formation, pedagogical research, , career and conditions of work for the teachers

PLANFOR: política compensatória para a inclusão na informalidade?

Study about the national politics on the professional education, under responsibility of the brazilian Work Department in 1990 years. Purposes to apprehend the results of the actions of the professional education in a basic level, offered by the National Plan of the worker qualification ( PLANFOR ), as well as the effects on the assisted exits, starting from the experience appreciated on the Plan of Qualification developed in the state of Maranhão between 1996 to 2000. It adopts a theoretical-methodological conception by an ontological nature, if being worth of categories as the one of totality and of mediation that together, makes possible the apprehension of a dialectical movement that happens among the analysis object, the professional education politics in a basic level, performed by PLANFOR and your context, the underdevelop and heterogeneous Brazilian capitalism and the consequent job market generalized precarious and informal, making possible that the reality investigated become to understood rationally. This paper uses the indirect documentation technique, instruments of the bibliographical research and documental research. This study is based on those that aren´t part of PLANFOR, qualified by professional education courses in basic level,they didn't get to be inserts at the formal job market, just occupying precarious occupations in the informal job market. Aims to presents and discusses the productive process and your restructuring globally in progress. It focuses at the impacts on the workers, the precariousness of the work that appears like a new phenomenon calls new informality. Talks about the particularity process of productive restructuring assumed in Brazil highlights, showing that the informality, was always a structural phenomenon in the country. Discusses about the professional qualification in the contemporary capitalism, specifying some of your theses. Shows in a historical view the process of appearance of the employment notions and competence, and the influence that it exercised on the reforms of the basic and professional education, as well as the implications of both in the politics of professional education in the country. Rescues the process of creation of PLANFOR, your official formulations and your organized bases, starting from the second half of the 1990 decade. Shows yet the continuos changes in the job market of Maranhão state, for after, starting from the reports expresses at the Plans of Qualification from the state, elaborated by the Group of Evaluation and Studies of the Poverty and the Politics addressed to the poverty from the Master degree Program in Public Politics, from the Federal University of Maranhão, analyzing the acting of PLANFOR in the State, your probable deficiencies, as results the changes verified in the conditions of occupation and the gains of the exits from the professional education courses in basic level

Valorização do servidor no Programa Nacional de Humanização: estudo em um hospital universitário

It is at the work environment where value of the health professional is realized, according to the National Humanization Policy (PNH) from a Pediatric Hospital connected to an institution of higher education. Among the guiding principles of PNH it is highlighted the commitment to the democratization of labor relations and enhancement of health professionals, stimulating the continuing education process. For this research, a qualitative approach was chosen, using a semistructured interview as a tool to collect data. In a perspective of identifying the appreciation and humanization into interpersonal relations between workers, information from the theory of communicative action of Habermas was analyzed, considering cultural values goes beyond the practice in action, where the prospects of moral arguments in the universal truisms of life pervade original cultural moral, cognitive and expressive, imbued on ethics. This reasearch had the collaboration 29 employees with a regular contract labor to a teaching hospital in Natal, Brazil. The data was obtained through interviews which all participants signed a consent term. After data analysis the results shows the existance of a satisfaction of all workers on performing duties. The workers perceive its role valorization through kudos received as a consequence of a work done, others believe that it occurs when the institution or the group itself is concerned to enhance the work. Thus, in general, they feel valued. Regarding the interpersonal relationship, the most highlighted point was the fact that in the employees versus general directors item, respondents indicated the existence of a distance between these two categories, which can affect a participatory management. Therefore, the results of this study showed the necessity to develop actions that provide a healthy work environment. The joint guidelines of the PNH and the Employee Health Care Policy, represent some directions with some similarities in their purpose to the theory of communicative action, where there is a mutual respect, tolerance and coexistence of differences, considering the constructive conflict among health workers within the perspective of communication and interaction among individuals

Papéis e funções dos profissionais dos serviços e política de saúde mental em Natal (RN)

A assistência psiquiátrica e as políticas de atenção à saúde mental passaram por diversas transformações, marcadas ora por avanços, ora por retrocessos centrados no estigma, desinteresse e preconceito que ainda permeiam a sociedade e o senso comum. Este estudo objetivou analisar o processo de reforma psiquiátrica e a política de saúde mental do Município de Natal/RN a partir dos papéis e funções dos profissionais de nível superior dos serviços substitutivos em saúde mental. Trata-se de uma pesquisa analítica, transversal, com dados quantitativos e qualitativos, realizada nos sete serviços substitutivos de saúde mental de Natal, entre os meses de março a agosto de 2013, após aprovação do estudo pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Parecer nº 217.808, CAAE: 10650612.8.1001.5537, em 01 de março de 2013. A amostra por conveniência compôs-se por 65 profissionais de nível superior das equipes de saúde mental. Utilizou-se um questionário com questões fechadas e semiabertas sobre o perfil socioeconômico, as políticas, as práticas e a formação em saúde mental. Tabularam-se e submeteram-se as respostas das questões fechadas do questionário no programa estatístico SPSS versão 20.0, analisando-os por meio de estatística descritiva, com a formulação de gráficos e tabelas. Para verificar o nível de significância, adotando-se p-valor<0,05, optou-se pela aplicação dos testes qui-quadrado e exato de Fisher. Submeteram-se os dados das questões semiabertas ao software ALCESTE e à luz da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. O perfil dos participantes caracterizou-se por maioria do sexo feminino (79%), faixa etária de 36 a 55 anos (52%), média de 42 anos, carga horária de 40 horas semanais (62%), tempo de conclusão da graduação de 6 a 15 anos (57%), trabalhavam na área de saúde mental há menos de 10 anos (72%) e na instituição pesquisada há 5 anos ou menos (52%). Da amostra estudada, 86% atendiam grupos de usuários, 97% realizavam atendimento individual, 94% observavam o comportamento do paciente, 92% realizavam atendimento familiar, utilizando, principalmente, a abordagem cognitiva (28%). Os dados qualitativos originaram cinco categorias: Formação acadêmica e atuação em saúde mental; Ausência de capacitação e supervisão em saúde mental; Dificuldades da prática profissional nos serviços substitutivos de saúde mental; Trabalho em equipe: entre acertos e conflitos; Política Nacional de Saúde Mental: uma realidade ainda distante. Detectou-se adequabilidade dos papéis e funções dos profissionais quanto ao tempo de trabalho na saúde mental e na instituição pesquisada; no atendimento e atividades individuais; na promoção de ações visando à autonomia do paciente; no atendimento em grupo de pacientes; e, em parte, à família/familiar dos portadores de transtorno mental, havendo inadequação quanto ao atendimento aos grupos de familiares (52.3%), à formação especializada em saúde mental (69.2%; p=0,02) e às dificuldades de trabalho nos serviços (87.7%). Evidenciou-se adequação nos papéis e nas funções d esenvolvidas pelos profissionais nos serviços substitutivos em saúde mental de Natal, embora convivendo em seu cotidiano com inúmeras dificuldades encontradas no desenvolvimento de suas práticas profissiona is frente às condições de trabalho