RESUMO
The concept of the équipe MRC (county regional municipality team) has developed as a result of the rapid transformation of mental health services. In most regions of Quebec, there has been a transition from an institutional model, where all services were provided by a single establishment, to a dispersed model where there are a whole range of services provided by a multitude of agencies. In this context, partnership becomes a necessity. The intention of the équipe MRC is thus to provide a structure that brings together under the same aegis all the public-sector and community-based personnel working with clients who suffer from severe and persistent mental health problems. This article seeks to define the concept of the équipe MRC and to assess the state of collaboration among the members of these teams, taking into account the fact that relations between community-based and public-sector agencies have not always been productive.
