The Secondary Family: The Result of Strong Community Partnering.

Support for individualism can leave marginalised people feeling even more isolated and hopeless. Families often attempt to help but can soon become emotionally depleted. The 'secondary family', created when community agencies partner with one another, can offer hope for stabilisation, if not recovery, for individuals living with mental illness. This article describes a Canadian programme where crisis services are working with police to de-escalate psychiatric crisis. Shared goals bring crisis staff and police together to provide compassion, support and follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]