[Care for chronic psychotic patients within the French public health system]

This article examines rehabilitation of chronic psychotic patients as elaborated in France in the course of the last 60 years. After an overview of the historical and legislative aspects of the psychosocial rehabilitation movement, the article describes the different aspects that this terminology covers, and describes the various structures that currently exist in France. For ease of discussion, it develops the specificity of rehabilitation care as conceived by the Association Santé mentale in Paris'13ème arrondissement, created in 1958 as a pilot project of France's future sectorisation. Our approach to care has been to favor the establishment of structures that include healthcare settings for less independent patients, to home-based care far from psychiatric care strictly speaking. Between these two poles, we have created both intermediate structures, but also developed a partnership with medical and social structures in order to favor transition of the institution to the city.