OBJECTIVE: To analyze forms of articulation that the Centers for Psychosocial Care (CAPS) established with the Primary Health Care Services. METHODS: A descriptive, qualitative study conducted using document review of 23 Therapeutic Projects of the CAPS type I and II, of 23 cities in the southern region of Brazil (PR, SC and RS). RESULTS: It was observed that the structure of articulation occurs basically through the supervision and training of teams, and a reference and counter-reference system, often masked under the logic of the referrals. However, these actions are more suggestive, referred to in documents as objectives, than they are properly translated into actions and concrete operational logic of those in daily practice services. CONCLUSION: In fact, attention to the complexity of the demand for mental health is dependent on a gradual construction of joint responsibility guided by the various services that comprise the network of care.
Health care reform; Mental health services; Primary health care; Public policies; Unified Health System
