Novos sentidos para a atuação do psicólogo no Programa Saúde da Família New meanings for the psychologist practice in the Family Health Program

This paper aims to analyze some of the definitions associated with the psychologist's practi- ce at the Family Health Program (FHP). To do so, it was developed a qualitative research using the con- tent analysis method to work with the data collected from a semi-structured interview with 07 volunteer psychologists, from July to August of 2006, who work in specifics FHP in Santa Maria, central region of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Some themes were selected and classified into two major categories: (1) identification/practice and education model of the psychologist; (2) new directions for the psychology practice in the FHP. According to the interviews, there is still the predominance of the clinical model in the psychology practice, with the support of the academic model of education, which results in some difficulties and adaptations. It is proposed, there- fore, to discuss new directions for the psychology practice in primary health care as well as to indicate some suggestions for a possible change in the pre- dominant model of health attention and in psycho- logy practice.