This Guide is designed to help family members and others playing a family-like role (i) Receive information from mental health care professionals; and (ii) Give information to mental health care professionals. Information-sharing is important for continuity of patient care, as well as for the recovery and ongoing support of the ill person's health and well-being. This Guide is for families who: Are involved in caring for a person with a severe mental illness. • Require information from clinicians (e.g. psychiatrist, physician, nurse, social worker, hospital or community mental health staff, residential facility staff, etc.) • Wish to provide clinicians with information that would be helpful for the person's care (referred to as collateral information).