At the CMP (Medical and Psychological Centre) in the working-class neighbourhood of Lille Sud–Wazemmes, Ahmed, a psychiatric nurse, fights every day for a form of mental health care based on human connection and open to the wider community.
As part of a multidisciplinary team, he supports people suffering from mental health issues as they gradually find their place in society and rediscover a sense of purpose in their lives. Whether at the CMP or in patients’ homes, he monitors treatments, checks vital signs and looks after fragile balances. But above all, he listens to his patients, gives them a voice again and supports them in their small steps: taking the metro, taking part in a cultural activity, having a coffee on a terrace. Ahmed seeks the spark that will lead each person towards greater independence.
He takes his time – as much time as it takes. Going against the grain.
Thirty-eight years of community-based public psychiatry, and Ahmed hasn’t given up on a thing.
