Rio Grande do Norte authorities address psychological service needs

The Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Norte (MPRN) has issued a recommendation to the municipality of Serra de São Bento to regularize student assistance within its public school system. The recommendation calls for the creation of permanent positions and the holding of a public civil service examination to hire psychologists and social workers. This follows findings that the municipality currently relies on only one temporary psychologist and lacks social workers dedicated to education.

Local authorities have 60 days to provide a diagnosis regarding the necessary number of professionals to serve the city's schools. The recommendation also prohibits sharing these professionals' hours with health or social assistance systems (SUS or SUAS) and forbids new temporary hires for these specific roles.

Separately, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) has resumed its Psychological Duty service through the Applied Psychology Service (Sepa/UFRN). This free service is available to both the university community and the general public on Thursdays, operating on a first-come, first-served basis without prior appointment. The service provides punctual support for individuals experiencing distress, though it does not function as long-term psychotherapy or provide formal diagnoses.