Institutional psychology in social assistance

Bleger and his contributions

Abstract

The field of social assistance is a promising area for psychologists to work in. The tools and theoretical foundations of this field are under constant self-assessment in order to improve ethical practice in the community. The aim of this study is to reflect on the experience of a one-year extracurricular internship in Basic Social Protection, assessing the practice of psychologists and the challenges of going beyond the role of social technician. The research uses José Bleger’s institutional psychology, normative documents from the Ministry of Social Development and CREPOP’s technical references to carry out a conceptual analysis. This analysis aims to introduce, reflect on and support the training of psychology students to work in the area of social assistance, explaining the possibility of including institutional psychology in this field. The study works with Bleger’s concept of “psycho-hygiene”, applied to the work of social workers and institutional psychologists. It concludes that the work of these professionals can contribute to preventing situations of illness within institutions. Bleger’s work remains relevant and coherent in the ethical training of psychology professionals.