A book that provides a map of this brave new world should be valuable both for the experienced practitioner and the tyro. I cannot think of anyone better placed to write such a book than Tom Burns, now Professor of Social Psychiatry at Oxford, who has for many years been at the forefront of innovations in service delivery. In Community Mental Health Teams he has supplemented his considerable personal experience and knowledge of the literature with direct observation of mental health teams both in the UK and North America. The structure of the book is simple and the writing is clear. Chapters describing the four functional teams provide the core of the book: Burns underlines the commonalities between these teams as well as describing their differences. It provides all the information that an examination candidate should know, but like all good books this text raises more questions for the perceptive reader that it answers.

Psychiatric Bulletin

The book is informative and readable and it will be a valuable addition to a professional library. It is certainly a book that I will refer to for both practical tips on running teams and when I need to negotiate service developments with managers and policy makers.

Psychological Medicine, 35

. . . this comprehensive book is an excellent introduction to the history and aims of CMHTs, and the challenges they face.

Mental Health Today