A Collaborative Nurse-Physician Practice Model for Helping Persons With Serious Mental Illness

The medical services unit has filled a significant gap in the services provided to persons with serious mental illness at the Mental Health Center of Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin. The efficacy of the program has not been formally evaluated. However, clinical experience suggests that some clients with serious mental illness may benefit from a program that facilitates normalization by minimizing contact with the mental health care system. In addition, this model maximizes efficient use of professional skills and facilitates job satisfaction through collegial collaboration. This program could be implemented in other community mental health centers as a means of helping some clients with serious mental illness live more fulfilling lives in the community.