This chapter provides guidance on the recruitment, training and retention of a crisis resolution team (CRT) – on what does and does not work, and what clinicians need to know. These processes are of considerable importance, since the qualities and abilities of team members are the most significant components required to attain the results that CRTs have been shown capable of achieving. What follows is based on the authors' experience with more than 15 teams over 25 years, as well as on discussions with many people involved with these services.

Establishing a new crisis team

The first few months in the life of a new CRT are critical. This is the period during which clinicians are experimenting with new modes of working, trying new things and taking risks. With appropriate training and support, the new procedures required to ensure the success of CRTs can be firmly established, to the benefit of both staff and patients.

It is important to be clear about what CRTs are. They are sometimes described as a ‘ward on wheels’ or ‘ward in the community’ or, alternatively, as an extension of the work done by community mental health teams (CMHTs). While CRTs contain elements of both inpatient and traditional community services (Chapter 5), neither of these characterisations is accurate. Furthermore, assuming that they are can give rise to difficulties in the recruitment and training of staff and lead to expectations that are incompatible with effective service delivery.