Crisis Resolution/Home Treatment (CRHT) teams have become an increasingly prominent part of UK psychiatry following their inclusion in the National Health Service (NHS) Plan in 2000. Not only are they now almost ubiquitous in their geographical distribution but the central function of these teams within NHS psychiatric services means that whatever role a practitioner may have, interaction with the CRHT is almost inevitable. CRHTs are commonly the ‘gatekeepers’ of entry to psychiatric services and as such interface with multiple other agencies. For these reasons CRHT has increased enormously in influence and now impacts on a very large number of patients and staff in the UK. CRHT treatment models have been developed elsewhere in the world, for example Australia, for considerably longer periods and have a growing international profile. The literature on CRHT is unfortunately rather modest for such a vital component of modern services and is significantly smaller than that for some other functional teams, for example those for first-episode psychosis. This book is therefore a welcome addition and provides an excellent synthesis of the academic evidence base for CRHTs tempered by a good deal of hands-on clinical experience.

The book is split in to five sections covering introduction, the evidence base, practice, variations on the model and finally a ‘how to do it guide’ to setting up and managing a CRHT. Depressingly the evidence base (such as it is) has largely been collected after the model had been rolled out nationwide in the UK – one wonders when the government will bring the rigor applied to the assessment of new drugs to changes in health-care structure which potentially have equally large impacts on health. The practice section is refreshing in dealing with common clinical situations such as coercion which are frequently encountered but seldom discussed. The section dealing with variations on the model provides some of the most interesting reading, including a description of an innovative service in Trieste where they appear to have almost completely eradicated compulsory admission, a rather stark contrast to the situation in the UK despite the advent of CRHT. The remaining sections contain many good pieces of practical advice which will be useful for anyone about to start working in CRHT and are likely to strike a chord with those with previous experience.

This book follows the current fashion for multiple authorship and as such the editors have assembled a comprehensive international team of academics, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses and (crucially) service users. All have extensive experience of CRHT and a clear effort has been made to look at the functioning of these teams in a diverse range of environments and with a variety of variations on the theme of the model. For this reason the book is highly likely to contain information relevant to nearly all CRHT teams regardless of structure or location. Home treatment models from all over the world (e.g. Australia, Italy, Holland, USA) are described and although the editors are based in the UK the book has international application. The authors are clearly from a background which is generally positive towards the concept of home treatment, indeed some (e.g. John Hoult) can be considered pioneers of the model. However, an effort has been made to identify and candidly discuss drawbacks with home treatment, for example decreased continuity of care, and ways of ameliorating these. It is clearly and largely succinctly written in a straightforward style and hence is suitable for a wide audience.

One inevitable drawback of publishing in book form is that it becomes ‘out of date’ almost immediately after the lag phase between writing and publishing. For example, the economic impact of CRHT teams is not addressed in a great deal of detail, although an evidence base on this is emerging and it is likely to be a major driver for governmental enthusiasm for such teams. Child and adolescent psychiatry is not discussed, although I imagine many consultant child psychiatrists in the UK might feel they have been effectively offering a home treatment service to their clients for many years. Moreover, although the service users' voice is heard there is no chapter written by carers, a group which is essential for the success of home treatment and may be significantly influenced by the replacement of in-patient care with home treatment. However, these relatively minor quibbles do not significantly detract from the overall high quality of this book. It provides a readily accessible and comprehensive introduction to CRHT with plenty of practical advice. For these reasons the increasing numbers of health-care workers from all professional backgrounds who are now dealing with this new way of working are likely to both enjoy and benefit from reading this book.