“Team-based care” is the heart of a joint statement by 11 mental health organizations, convened and organized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), expressing key principles for interprofessional care of people with serious mental illness (SMI). The principles are not official policy of the APA or any of the other 10 organizations; they represent a vision for optimal team-based care of the seriously mentally ill.
The collaboration that resulted in the statement of principles was led by immediate past APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., and APA Secretary Sandra DeJong, M.D. The 10 other groups working with APA were: American Mental Health Counselors Association; Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; American Psychiatric Nurses Association; College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists; National Association of Peer Supporters; National Alliance on Mental Illness; American Psychological Association; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Academy of Physician Assistants; and the National Association of Social Workers.