[The exercise of partnership: an exploratory analysis throughout the development of a crisis intervention service in...

This article analyzes the concept, the implementation process and the objective of a crisis intervention center in the Haut-Richelieu area. It examines the driving and resisting forces to the practice of partnership as established by the Quebec government in its official policy for mental health. The authors describe the practice of partnership during the different phases of the project's implementation by showing the impact of this approach on the risks involved or on the potential for misdirection. In addition, the authors identify some of the weaknesses related to this approach. Following this description of how the project has progressed, the authors discuss the constraints and success factors of this type of partnership in order to compare the logic and obligations of this approach with an approach originating from the common desire and collective will to meet familiar needs.