237 // Luciana Nogueira Fioroni 1 ABSTRACT: The care model of the Family Health Strategy based on the role of the Community Health Agent (CHA) challenges to refect on the working conditions and the health of this worker. The various sources of attrition and suffering at work and the lack of support methods in everyday life are highlighted. Considering this fragility, the work of 8 community health agents from the Focal Group Technique was investigated, seeking to know and analyze the sources and types of overloads arising from the work activity, the working conditions, the employment relationship, the training and the attributions of this worker in the Family Health Strategy. The corpus of analysis consisted of the transcription of six focal group sessions. The Results produced seven sense nuclei, organized from four thematic axes: Vitamins (motivations to exercise their professional role), Thorns (diffculties to perform work), Fruits (observed and valued results from work) and Tools (instruments used). The relevance of stability was emphasized; the greater recognition of the use of light technologies (affective bonding) than the technical success of the work, which is linked to a secondary action of the CHA, subordinated to the medical procedure; the double bond with the community (resident and reference professional) stresses the identity of the CHA. The identifcation of the sources of suffering made it possible to locally problematize the effects on the mental health of the worker and the quality of the work performed. The potential of the Focus Group as a strategy for research and intervention in basic care is confrmed. Keywords: Health of the worker; Focus groups; Community health agents RESUMO : O modelo de cuidado da Estratégia de Saúde da Família pautado no papel do Agente Comunitário de Saúde (ACS) desafa a refetir sobre as condições de trabalho e sobre a saúde desse trabalhador. Destacam-se as diversas fontes de desgaste e sofrimento no trabalho e a insufciência 1 Departamento de Psicologia - Universidade Federal de São Carlos. UFSCar. Brasil Approaches to vicissitudes and overcoming of the work of the Community Health Agent. Aproximações às vicissitudes e superações do trabalho do Agente Comunitário de Saúde. Enfoques a los problemas y la superación del trabajo del Agente Comunitario de Salud. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18569/tempus.v11i4.2441 ISSN 1982-8829 Tempus, actas de saúde colet, Brasília, 11(4), 237-254,dez, 2017. Epub Ago/2018