In 2012, we find ourselves just passing the 50th anniversary of the Eisenhower Commission Report (1961) and approaching the same anniversary of the Community Mental Health Act (1963). These landmark events launched the community mental health movement. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the President's New Freedom Commission (2003) have continued this work by establishing funding sources and highlighting the importance of recovery and excellence in care. Modern Community Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Approach integrates each of the key concepts contained within the presidential reports and landmark legislation into the context of today's community service delivery system.
This pathfinding textbook promises to revolutionize community mental health training by responding to the realities of modern health care delivery systems, presenting an integrated, interdisciplinary paradigm of care. Extraordinarily broad in coverage, it will open a door of possibilities to those caring for the mentally ill in the community. Recognizing that community-based services must be truly collaborative in order to be effective and efficient, the editors have assembled a cast of contributors from among the brightest lights in community practice. Chapter authors, who are currently doing interdisciplinary work successfully on a daily basis, will collaborate on writing teams to offer their insight into the problems and triumphs that are part of this approach. They will cover not only macro issues such as the economics of behavioral healthcare, reimbursement models, and quality improvement, but the specific skills necessary for competent practice such as treatment planning, clinical documentation, risk management, and partnering with members of a team that may include social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses. Twenty additional chapters will provide detailed roadmaps to practices and programs that have been shown to be effective when delivered in a community setting--such as supported employment, assertive community treatment (ACT) teams, crisis intervention training (CIT), family psychoeducation, and supported housing--and will be grounded in educational benchmarks, healthcare reform opportunities, and cultural competencies.
By definition community mental health practice is never static. As communities change, the profession changes, and in recent years changes in funding have drastically impacted the system of care. We need empirically supported interventions, to include the voice of the consumers and their families, and have a way to educate current and future professionals so that we all truly work together.
