What's the best treatment for schizophrenia?

Medication's just the start.....Treatment of schizophrenia should involve support services in the community as well as medication and psychological help. The best treatment for schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses involves a combination of clinical care and support services in the community. Clinical care means the help someone receives from a psychiatrist or other health professional, such as medication and psychological treatments. Support services help people rebuild the skills needed to live as normal a life as possible in the community. What does clinical care mean? Most people receive clinical care from community mental health services. These usually include a local clinic with a team of mental health workers, including psychiatrists and other doctors, psychologists, psychiatric nurses and social workers. In some areas, crisis teams are available around the clock to provide assessment and treatment to people who become seriously affected by their illness. Psychiatrists recommend hospital stays only when someone is very ill, or when there's a risk to their health and safety (or that of others). A stay in hospital is likely to be in the mental health unit attached to a general hospital. Some people may see a private psychiatrist instead (appointments can be claimed under Medicare), or have their mental illness treated by a general practitioner. The Bowral Mental Health Service consists of registered nurses (some with other clinical qualifications), supported by four psychologists, two welfare officers, two administrative staff, and one Aboriginal Health worker. Eleven of these staff are part time workers, ranging from 2 -4 days a week. They are supported by three VMO psychiatrists each working one day a week, and one psychiatric Registrar working two days a week on a 6-month rotation. While there is an extended hours service five days a week (0830 - 2200 hours) there is no "crisis team" operating 24-hours a day. Instead the Bowral Mental Health Service operates collaboratively with the on-call mental health psychiatrists at Campbelltown Hospital and with private psychiatrists, local general practitioners and the Bowral Hospital Emergency Department to provide a 24/7 mental health service to the local community. Once someone has been assessed as needing treatment, they may be allocated a care coordinator at the Bowral Community Health Centre who can ideally provide services including: finding out what the person's needs are and which services can help; working with the person and their family or primary carer to put together a care plan and help it run smoothly; access to psychological treatments; support for the family or other carers; education about the illness and how to deal with symptoms. This information on schizophrenia is from the Sane Australia Guide to Schizophrenia 2005, produced with a grant from Bristol Meyers Squibb Pharmaceuticals. The source is gratefully acknowledged - www.sane.org.