Teaching collaboration between pharmacotherapist and psychotherapist

Objective: Collaborative treatment, in which psychotherapy provided by one clinician is integrated with pharmacotherapy provided by another clinician, has been explored from various angles. This article addresses the teaching of collaborative pharmacotherapy to psychiatric residents. Method: The author's observations derive from a selective review of the literature and from conclusions drawn from practicing and teaching collaborative therapy in a psychiatric residency program. Results: Limited formal attention has been given to defining the skills psychiatrists should acquire in order to collaborate effectively. The author describes the rationale for providing collaborative treatment, identifies the skill set that facilitates collaborative treatment, and outlines an approach to teaching and assessing these skills. Conclusion: The practice of collaborative treatment is an important psychiatric role. The core skills of collaborative treatment should be explicitly taught and residents' competency in these skills should be evaluated in psychiatric training programs.