Raffaele Barone is the Head Director of the Publich Mental Health Department in Caltagirone, Catania. He is a psychiatrist, psycotherapist and group –analyst. He holds the position of Vicepresident of the COIRAG psychological school.

Raffaele is honorary president of AIRSAM and former Secretary of Italian Group Analysis Laboratory. He is supervisor of Democratic Therapeutical Communities and Public Mental Health. He was Counselor for the Ministry of Health and for the Sicily’s regional government.
He helds the position of President of the Industrial and Social Development Agency for 10 years. Raffaele is also the author and editor of a number of mental health publications. He co-authored “Group Analysis and Therapeutical Communities”, “ Social Inclusion and Work in Mental Halth”, “Community Psychoteraphy”.

He helped to define the laws and started work inclusion projects. has supported the development of experienced users. He started the first apartment groups, social cooperatives and social farms in Sicily.

He was one of the protagonists of the closure of civil and judicial psychiatric hospitals.