The MDPH is a new public service created by the 2005 Disability Act and the central government merger of three separate government agencies and their staff concerned with disability support services, benefits, and independent living. In France, there are 101 such decentralised, jointly-governed "departmental centres for people with disabilities" (MDPH), one for each county/département. The MDPH serves as a one-stop shop for all requests relating to individual disability issues. MDPH centres assess needs and eligibility for low-income assistance, personal assistance payments, housing adaptation and technical assistance, specialised care, employment, and education. Regardless of an improved integrated approach, examples show that needs assessments can still be segmented and dominated by a medical approach. The health sector must be fully involved in this process.

Aims: To ensure a consistent, integrated approach to assessing and providing services, benefits, employment, and assistance to disabled people; to collaborate in the implementation of a national programme to improve the coherence of needs and eligibility assessment for all disabled people and people with mental health problems.