Introduction: The activities of rehabilitation and social reintegration related to work placement have been an important component in the rehabilitation practices of the Psychiatry Unit n. 20 (UOP 20) of the Spedali Civili Hospital of Brescia because of a deeply rooted culture of industrial work among the inhabitants of the served area.
Methods: Through the analysis of the individualized tools and the routines adopted to satisfy the needs for rehabilitation and risocialization, with reference to the axis "work", of people followed by the UOP 20, the methods of definition and realization of the paths of Socialization in Real Environment (SAR) have been developed.
Results: A research conducted over a period of six years highlighted the therapeutic significance of SAR rehabilitation pathways. We found a general improvement in the quality of life of patients followed and the possibility of access to real work market for some of them through the empowerment of individuals and communities and the constant and long-lasting commitment of service and local communities to the integration and implementation of resources (both of patients and of life contexts).
Discussion: Local experience is compared with the broader landscape of the interventions on employment in people with psychiatric disorders to highlight similarities and differences in order to facilitate the building of a common language and to promote the continuous improvement of rehabilitative practices and interventions.