This book brings together authoritative contributions from leading mental health researchers, educators and practitioners to provide a comprehensive text for community mental health nurses in training and in practice.

Section One: Context 1. The History of Community Mental Health Nursing 2. The Frontline Workforce of Community Mental Health Care 3. The Policy and Legal Context 4. Ethical Issues 5. Social Exclusion, Discrimination and Social Isolation 6. Working in Multidisciplinary Community Teams 7. Meeting Mental Health Needs in Primary Care 8. Collaborating with users of Services 9. Gender Issues 10. Culture and Ethnicity 11. Stress, Burnout and Coping 12. Clinical Supervision and Reflective Practice Section Two: Practice 13. Promotion Mental Health 14. Using Evidence to Inform Practice 15. Assessing Needs in Community Mental Health Care 16. Risk, Decision-Making and Mental Health 17. Preventing Suicide 18. Working with Families I: Systematic Approaches 19. Working with Families II: Psychological Interventions 20. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis 21. Relapse Prevention in Psychosis 22. Case Management and Assertive Outreach 23. Psychopharmacology and Medication Management 24. Creativity and the Therapeutic Use of the Arts 25. Working with Mentally Disordered Offenders 26. Working with People with Co-existing Mental Health and Substance Misuse Problems 27. Working with People Dementia and their Carers 28. Working with People with Mental Health problems and Learning Disabilities 29. Current Approaches to Working with Children and Adolescents Section Three: Education and Research 30. Education and training for Community Mental Health Nurses 31. Developing Courses in Psychosocial Interventions 32. The Contribution of Quantitative approaches to Community Mental Health Nursing Research 33. The Contribution of Qualitative Approaches to Community Mental Health Nursing Research Conclusion

'This impressively comprehensive and informative text, with an eminent list of contributors, which reads like a "Who's Who" of mental health expertise, is both an accessible and invaluable resource for community mental health nurses and others. It will act as a guide for existing practice, and an inspiration to develop and extend it. There is something for everyone: a true celebration of what mental health nurses can achieve, in collaboration with the service users, carers and colleagues with whom they work.' - Rachel Munton, Director of Mental Health Nursing at the Department of Health