Training to enhance partnerships between mental health professionals and family caregivers: a comparative study

A training program for mental health staff was collaboratively developed and delivered by family caregivers and professionals. It addressed calls for less blaming attitudes toward families and increased contact between professionals and families. Two levels of training were compared. Twenty-seven staff members completed a 30-hour extended 12-week program. Eighty-two percent of all eligible staff from area teams attended a brief program involving three or six hours of training. Self-ratings of competence and attitudes toward families improved only for staff receiving extended training. Contacts with families increased for those in the extended program but not for all types of teams, suggesting that length of training and service type may limit the impact of training.