Gilbert M. D. Lemmens

Enhancing family involvement in a department of psychiatry, requires more than guidelines or interventions implemented by professional caregivers. This paper describes the development of multi‐party dialogue between inpatients, family caregivers, professional caregivers and family organisations and applied change management strategies evolving to an effective family participation model. Phase 1 considers pre‐existing practices and collaborations. Phase 2 initiates a change management process and multi‐party dialogue. Phase 3 is future work. A shift in culture re‐focuses attention towards family caregivers on all levels of the ‘Family Reflex’, which refers to a multidisciplinary family policy with clear guidelines. Practitioner points Services should go beyond specialised systemic family interventions to create family‐friendly psychiatry. Initiating change management processes should involve a collaboration between stakeholders – in this case, inpatients, family caregivers, professional caregivers and family organisations. We describe change management processes towards a more family‐friendly psychiatric care model. We reflect upon the implications for systemic therapists and mental healthcare services.