Transferring employment reintegration services from a psychiatric setting to the community : impacts on clientele and community organizations.

The research-action which results are presented here, states a change in the current way of thinking employment reintegration of people with severe mental illness. The study's objective was to follow a group of people with severe mental illness tranferred from the Centre hospitalier Robert-Giffard to two community organizations of the Québec City region, Croissance-Travail and the Pavois. The authors examine the impacts of this tranfer on former patients as well as on community organizations. It appears that change is positive on the whole for the people even if they have experienced some loss. A greater impact has been experienced by community goups. The arrival of a more difficult clientele, institutionalized over a longer period of time, less educated and older compelled them to adapt their programs and redefine some of their practices.