Sammanfattning
Collaborative practice in health care is hailed by Zwarenstein, Goldman, and Reeves (2009), and
Hopkin (2010), as an approach that can produce improved health outcomes by preventing
fragmentation in healthcare and strengthening healthcare systems. A great deal of efforts is being
extended by international organizations such as WHO and national health directorates to improve
collaboration in healthcare provision. As a key approach to enhance collaborative practice at the
service level, a model of collaborative practice focusing on collaborative processes is proposed in
this paper. A model of collaborative practice in community mental health care is based on the results
of two case studies and supported by relevant literature. The model has four components - (a) the
frameworks for practice consisting of person-centered practice and recovery orientation; (b) the
structure of collaborative practice that includes intra-system collaboration and collaboration in
service processes; (c) three principles for collaboration as self-understanding, mutual understanding,
and shared decision-making; and (d) the key processes in collaboration identified as open dialogue
and participatory engagement. Collaborative practice in community mental health care depicted in
this model puts service users at the center of service provision and processes with the goal of
addressing service users' needs from their perspectives. The model provides a framework to
develop and test practice guidelines for community mental health care.