It is designed as a handbook for practitioners and prospective
practitioners, providing a coherent framework for practice, an overview of
the most recent evidence about effective practices and guidelines to inform
practice decisions.

It is a handbook for practitioners from a range of professions as well as
non-professional workers engaged in psychosocial rehabilitation. The
principal authors have backgrounds in Psychology, Occupational Therapy and
Nursing and the handbook also includes contributions from Social Work and
Medicine. We address some of the benefits and challenges of work that
typically occurs in a multidisciplinary environment.

The handbook adopts a recovery framework, not just as a philosophical
position but also as an approach to practice that promotes positive,
constructive and collaborative work. We are especially interested in that
part of the recovery process in which the practitioner can play a
constructive role.

The handbook espouses evidence based practice. This does not imply
mindless implemtation of a set of interventions considered to be evidence
based but, rather, practice based on careful consideration of the evidence
and its relevance to the needs of a specific person or situation. We
attempt to provide a balanced perspective on the evidence, pointing to
weaknesses as well as strengths in the evidence base for widely used
interventions.

While orginating in Australia, this is an international handbook. The
principal authors have all had substantial experience working in or
researching mental health services in Europe, North America and Asia as
well in Australia. We appreciate that local funding arrangements and
policies influence the ways services are provided. Furthermore, cultural
varitions impact on style of interpersonal communication. However, we are
confident that the principles and practices set out in this handbook will
be applicable throughout the developed world.