Care programming in mental health: targeting, needs and costs

<p>Care programming was introduced as a national system of care for all people in contact with psychiatric services from April, 1991. It requires full assessment of the individual, a nominated key worker, explicit care planning, including the measurement of unmet need, and regular reviews. This paper is based on the results of a one-year study, funded by the Department of Health, of the implementation of care programming in three contrasting health districts. It looks specifically at three questions: which client groups were included on the care programme approach, what unmet needs were identified, and how much care programming appears to cost, both at the service level, and for individual service users. We analyse findings from interviews with 60 mental health workers and 60 service users to present a portrait of care programming. Although primarily descriptive, this information can be used to guide the development of care programming and other mental health services, as well as to assist in the formulation of care packages, the allocation of budgets in mental health and, eventually, the evaluation of the effectiveness of care programming.