Community-based care of individuals with schizophrenia. Combining psychosocial and pharmacologic therapies

The treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with schizophrenia has undergone rapid change during the past decade. We now accept that individuals with this illness are able to regain a modest degree of social and occupational functioning if optimal care is provided. To design and implement such care, we believe that the treatment setting and system, as well as the content of the treatment, are key to success. Treatment systems should ensure that care is provided continuously and without interruption across service settings and should employ a comprehensive array of interventions. The comprehensive array of interventions should be arranged in a user friendly format so that patients and their families can access care that is appropriate to their contemporary needs. This set of available services includes pharmacotherapy linked with psychosocial interventions including clinical case management, social skills training, vocational rehabilitation, and family support and treatment.