<p>The National Service Framework for Mental Health (DoH 1999a) and NHS Plan (DoH 2000) initiatives called for a total of 220 assertive outreach teams to be operational in the UK by April 2003. Assertive outreach is considered to be one of the best-researched models of community mental healthcare, providing a clinically effective approach for people who have severe and enduring mental disorders (Marshall and Lockwood 2001). The model is expected to become a central part of NHS community healthcare provision. The three strategic objectives for assertive outreach are to:</p>