Integrating systems-based practice, community psychiatry, and recovery into residency training

Behavioral health services involving multiple systems of care are increasingly being provided in community as well as hospital settings. Residents therefore should be familiar with multiple systems and the role of the psychiatrist in these systems. The authors describe a curriculum incorporating principles of systems-based practice (SBP), community psychiatry, and recovery.

This curriculum was designed to include lectures, clinical rotations, specialized written/oral presentations, and supervision focused on SBP and recovery principles. Residents also participate in home and site visits for further immersion into the multiple systems that their patients have to navigate.

The essential elements of this curriculum are the 1) consistent review and emphasis on the four researched-based SBP roles of the psychiatrist; 2) recovery principles of person-centered care and shared decision-making; 3) requirement that residents interact with patients in community and home settings; 4) integration of didactic courses and clinical rotations; and 5) focus on the supervisor/supervisee relationship.