Assertive outreach in the context of the care programme approach

Assertive outreach, originally developed in the United States, has been adopted in the UK and is endorsed and financially supported by the government. Yet the role of care co-ordinator required by the care programme approach, which is the key policy underpinning mental health services in England, poses difficulties for assertive outreach. This article looks at the two systems and argues that, although both are advocated by the government, they appear to be founded on different principles. It considers whether the two approaches can work together and, if so, how success can be measure