The ability of staff trained in family interventions to implement the approach in routine clinical practice

Abstract

Background : Despite the proliferation of training programmes for Family Interventions (FI) in psychosis, there are many reported difficulties in the implementation of these approaches in routine clinical settings. Aim : To examine the effectiveness of a team-based multi-professional training programme in FI for psychosis. Method : Fifteen therapists who had completed a 1-year Family Intervention training course (FIRST) designed to establish local FI services completed questionnaires used in previous studies and participated in focus groups. Results : All FIRST trained staff continued to work with families following completion of training and most (80%) reported little difficulty in implementing the approach. Organisational issues such as availability of time and integration with caseload or other responsibilities at work were identified as the main cause of difficulty in working with families, whilst the key enabling factors were related to the structure of the FI service - co-working, supervision, multi-disciplinary teams and its flexible approach. Conclusions : FIRST trained staff experienced fewer difficulties in implementing FI in routine clinical practice than has been reported in previous studies.

• Family Interventions
• Psychosis
• Staff Training Effectiveness
• Routine Clinical Settings Implementation