Collaboration and the community mental health team

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Abstract
Community mental health teams provide a forum where the difficulties and opportunities relating to effective collaboration in community care are particularly evident. Effective and long-term collaborative relationships with service users are the cornerstone of good quality provision. This requires effective targeting, the provision of relevant services, appropriate team composition, adequate resources and measures to maintain morale among staff. A positive sense of belonging to the team and clarity about its role are likely to be central to its long-term viability. Clarity over accountability and responsibility within teams, effective relationships with primary care and the need for collaborative commissioning, strategy development, and training initiatives are also required.