Practices of psychologists in a department of health mental integrated in the urban community Towards a definition of the roles of the "Community psychologist"

During the last 20 years, the psychiatric care organisation has undergone important shifts by transfer of devices and professionals front hospital to the city. At the same time, the position/status of People living with mental health problems changed from the patients alienated by their pathology to the position of citizens actors of their health. The daily practice of mental health professionals has to adapt to these evolution, shifting, from a relatively institutional role to a community role. In order to illustrate this evolution, this article presents the daily practice of clinical psychologists working in a mental health service completely integrated in the city founding member of a European network of good practices in community mental health. Their activity is divided between clinical work, research-action, mental health promotion and networking. These examples are Used to question the emergence of a new profession: Community psychologist. (C) 2008 Societe francaise de psychologie. Publie par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.