Training And Training Issues

McFarlane continues to train in multi-family family psychoeducation (FPE) but training has been implemented to a greater extent in Europe than in the US. In the European Commission Study of twenty-four mental health services in six European countries, mental health professionals were trained in the Falloon model to determine whether FPE could be provided in routine clinical settings by regular staff. In follow-up, the trainees reported significant improvement both in clinical results and in relationships with patients and their families. As expected, the most frequent difficulties were work overload, conflicting responsibilities, and inadequate time. The most continuous training program today is Meriden, the West Midlands Family Programme in the UK, which has trained over 2,300 therapists since 1998, including family work with early psychosis and liaison with child and adolescent programs. World Federation for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders (WFSAD), an international mental health advocacy organization, collaborated with FPE researchers in proposing fifteen principles for working with families. These are relevant to the training of both clinicians and administrators as essentials of all patient care.