Family Centered Care in Adult Mental Health: Developing a Collaborative Interagency Practice

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on family burden and the benefits of family involvement when an adult family member experiences a mental illness. A family centered care model is proposed as a best practices approach for supporting both the identified patient and the family. The experiences of Ross Memorial Hospital in developing an interagency model for family centered care are described. A case example illustrates this best practices approach with a family coping with major depressive disorder in an adult family member.