Sheppard presents a comparative analysis of the work of mental health social workers and community psychiatric nurses. Both professions lay claim, to a considerable degree, to the same "territory", and, in view of developments in community care, the examination of the relative merits of the claims of these professions to this territory is important. The analysis described in the book involved not only the comparison of two professions, but also a detailed examination of the theoretical foundations of both professions and an empirically researched examination of practice. The findings potentially have far-reaching implications for policy and practice in the mental health field, and they address issues which are likely to remain significant for the foreseeable future.