The study used a qualitative, evaluative, and participant methodology based on Gadamer's hermeneutics and the constructivist paradigm. The aim was to analyze the arrangement called "patient care teams" for treatment of psychotic patients in the context of Community Mental Health Services (CMHS). Data were collected in two cycles of 18 focus groups including health professionals, users, and family members at six CMHS III, including eight in-depth interviews with users of these services and two workshops aimed at developing a guide to evaluate CMHS practices. The arrangement's functions were described, emphasizing that the referral teams serve as clinical management levels, fostering follow-up of patients' unique needs in the field, through interdisciplinary work. This requires sustaining an ethical stance based on respect for otherness and clinical case work-up.
Patient Care Team; Mental Health Services; Clinical Governance