Outdoor Psychiatry provides a comprehensive outline of the essentials of work in community mental health care. Written in an accessible and engaging style, it provides an indespensible blueprint for the profession in the twenty first century. It summarises the history of community care; its why, when, what and who; the skills required to work with psychiatric patients; the practical 'rules of the game' in terms of the care programme approach, the mental health act and treatments (psychological, social and physical, including medications). This provocative and ground-breaking book will encourage debate and challenge community mental health workers to provide a modern and practical approach to the holistic care of the patient.