Assertive Outreach in Mental Health A Manual for Practitioners

Assertive Outreach is the treatment of choice for the severely mentally ill in the community. It involves taking services to the patients rather than requiring them to attend hospitals and clinics. The model is one of a high staff-to-patient ratio offering comprehensive health and social care. Assertive Outreach is a targetted and refined application of the existing practice of community mental health teams- an evolution of community policy rather than a revolutionary change. Research evidence and outcome data suggests it results in reduced hospitalizations, promotes effective engagement with difficult patients and improves patient wellbeing. As a policy, it has been implemented successfully in Australia, the USA and Europe, and it is now adopted nationally in the UK. This book will equip all members of the multidisplinary Assertive Outreach team with a clear understanding of the essential processes and interventions involved. Tom Burns and Mike Firn are pioneers in this field and have been running an Assertive Outreach team for seven years. They have been awarded Beacon status by the UK Department of Health to reflect their excellence, and are heavily involved in teaching others setting out on the same path.