Deinstitutionalisation has become central to social work, as it changes the lives of service users, its multidisciplinary work, its organisation, methods and the epistemologicalposition. Recognition of service users’ strengths and potential for recovery in its new meaning became possible only with deinstitutionalisation. This radical change has implications also to the interactions and power relations between social workers and service users, their family members, other professions and the general public. We explore the deinstitutionalisation in different settings. We learn from the experiences of people who have experienced institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation, and how to prevent mini institutionalisation and transinstitutionalisation in the community.