A review of the Assertive Outreach Strengths Approach textbook

February 2004 saw the publication of a textbook written by myself and Peter Ryan, with a foreword by Professor Charlie Rapp. It is primarily aimed at developing assertive outreach, but its focus on a strengths approach is applicable to all parts of the mental health system.

Why not check it out at Amazon (or read an excellent user review from Amazon below) and Elsevier Health or click on the image for more information.

4.0 out of 5 stars 'A funky approach to mental health care' by "beauchampbooks"

"In 2000, two Swedish business gurus wrote a book called Funky Business. The concept was that the corporate world had become a more interesting place in which people could be creative, risk-taking entrepreneurs. Assertive Outreach (subtitled A strengths approach to policy and practice) could be the Funky Business of mental health care; it could almost have been called Funky Mental Health Care! This is not to suggest that it lacks seriousness or depth. The design of the book does suggest a... funkier approach, but the book is a sincere and important contribution to changing policy and practice."

"Paradoxically, in some ways, it is not particularly about assertive outreach. It is really about a strengths approach which could (and arguably should) influence mental health care generally. The Strengths Model of Case Management (developed in the USA by Charles Rapp since the early 1980s) is the organising principle of the book and, indeed, Rapp contributes a foreword which describes it as "a clarion call for policy and practice to be intelligent and coherent, and anchored by the well-being of the people we serve."

"Assertive Outreach is a breath of fresh air for nurses bogged down in the mire of risk-averse, box-ticking, mechanistic organisations. It provides a perfectly clear and comprehensive account of the history, the evidence base and the present day practice of what, in the UK, is called assertive outreach and what the differences are between this and the related concept of case management. It was a delight to see a whole chapter devoted to risk-taking (instead of risk management). Throughout, the reductionism of care coordination is put in its place with the emphasis being on creative collaboration, with excellent sections on true team-working and an argument for, not just evidence-based practice, but practice-based evidence - all necessarily funky."



A Strengths Approach - Principles and Frequent Reactions

A Strength Approach has been adapted from the original ‘Personal Strengths Model of Case Management’ developed by Professor Charlie Rapp and colleagues at Kansas University in the early 1980’s. I was part of the original UK case management initiative that Professor Charlie Rapp and Wally Kisthardt presented their ideas to in 1991.

This approach has underpinned all of my work as a practitioner, supervisor, writer, trainer, and developer of other teams from 1991 onwards, and is the core philosophy of Practice Based Evidence.

PDF: Principles and Frequent Reactions