[The importance of integration support in the care of severely mentally ill people].

Background: People with severe mental disorders often need multiprofessional treatment and support, even between acute phases of illness. During the integration support they repeatedly switch between inpatient acute care and outpatient community psychiatric care.

Objective: What is integration support? What tasks in the care of severely mentally ill people are fulfilled by integration assistance? How can cooperation between acute psychiatry and integration support be successful?

Material and method: Selective literature search.

Results: The integration support according to the Social Security Code IX (SGB IX) serves to support social participation. This need is often present in the group of severely mentally ill people. Integration support services can be used flexibly and needs oriented. The cross-sectoral, person-centered treatment of this patient group requires close coordination between clinics, outpatient therapists and integration support, for example by case conferences and case management.

Conclusion: Clinics, outpatient practitioners and providers of integration support should closely cooperate with each other to provide social inclusion for severe mentally ill patients.