[Psychosocial intervention in civil security in Québec.].

Ten years after its creation, psychosocial intervention in civil security in Québec has established solid bases thanks to its integrated approach, its training program, its various tools and its experimentation. Thus, when disaster strikes, psychosocial services are delivered by local community centres (CLSC) in collaboration with local partners. This type of intervention supports the process of rehabilitation according to the premiss that the majority of people are able to deal with a stressful situation. A psychoeducational approach is adopted and a message of normalization of reactions is sent. In Québec, personnel in charge of psychosocial intervention faced three important disasters : the Saguenay floods in 1996, the bus accident in Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive in 1997 and the 1998 ice storm. These disasters highlighted important elements on a psychosocial level (verbalization, return to normal life, quality of municipal services, intrusion, evaluation) as well as the development of a culture of civil security in Québec. Taking into account its realizations, the psychosocial aspect of civil security of Québec arouses interest in Québec as well as abroad.