title: Evaluating the introduction of joint crisis plans into routine clinical practice in four community mental health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to evaluate the implementation of joint crisis planning into routine clinical practice in community mental health services in Western Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four community mental health services, two metropolitan and two country based, were invited to participate in a 1-year pilot program to field test a crisis planning tool and the implementation process with a view to then rolling it out across Western Australia. Training and extensive support was offered to staff at the four sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumers experienced the process as both empowering and therapeutic. Despite acknowledgement of the value of interagency collaboration in the planning process, almost all plans were completed by consumers with their case managers. The most conspicuous finding was the marked difference in the number of completed plans at each site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports previous research findings that joint crisis planning enhances the therapeutic relationship and empowers consumers. Organisational readiness was a major factor in the differential uptake of crisis plans between sites. Our study highlights the critical importance of addressing the context and culture of each individual service in which a new intervention is being introduced as part of the implementation process.
authors.affiliation: Director, Western Australian Centre for Mental Health Policy Research, Graylands Hospital, Mount Claremont, WA, and; Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia theresa.williams@health.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Theresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Medical Director, Western Australian Centre for Mental Health Policy Research, Graylands Hospital, Mount Claremont, WA, and; Clinical Associate Professor, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Former Research Officer, Western Australian Centre for Mental Health Policy Research, Graylands Hospital, Mount Claremont, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Anita M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lumbus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014904:Western Australia
keywords: consumer empowerment; implementation; joint crisis planning; organisational readiness