Services for Families of People With Mental Illness

Clearly all of the issues and disagreements about interventions with families of people with serious mental illness could not be resolved in one meeting. What did become evident was the depth of the schisms that separate various models. Differences in supporting theory and practice between models, which may seem minimal to the casual observer, actually are grounded in the goal and target of the service.

We suggest that a need remains to create a comprehensive system that serves the individual needs of the consumer. The current models each have a role. Dogmatic claims that any particular model is best for all families should be viewed as suspect. The first step in creating such a system is to determine which sets of needs are met by each model. Such knowledge would help providers offer services that meet specific needs in their communities and allow them to educate families about the services. Once families know what outcome they can expect, they can choose the service most appropriate for them. More informed consumer choices might increase the appropriate utilization of services and improve specific service outcomes.