The Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) is one of the most widely used needs assessment and treatment outcome tools [459] and has evidence to support its use among people with mental health conditions [460–462]. It has also been validated for use in Australian populations [463], and can be used in clinical practice without staff training.
The CAN assesses need in 22 domains, including accommodation, food, self-care, capacity to look after the home, daytime activities, physical health, psychotic symptoms, mental health and treatment, psychological distress, risk to self and others, AOD use, social relationships, child care, education, transport, budgeting, and benefits [459, 464]. Several versions of the CAN exist, including:
- Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule (CANSAS): For use in clinical work. The CANSAS allows the perspective of staff, clients and carers to be separately recorded. However, due to discrepancies in clinician and client assessments of need, a client rated short-form measure has been developed and evaluated (CANSAS-P).
- CANSAS-P: A two-page version for clients to complete. Evaluation of the CANSAS-P found it was able to better identify the needs of clients, particularly unmet needs [459].
- CAN-Clinical (CAN-C): Detailed 22-page assessment, measuring the need rating, help received, and action plan for each domain.
- CAN-Research (CAN-R): Detailed 22-page assessment, measuring the need rating, help received and satisfaction for each domain [459].
The CANSAS-P has been recommended as the preferred needs assessment measure for client completion [459], and is available in Appendix J. Further information about each version can be obtained through the CAN webpage: https://www.researchintorecovery.com/measures/can/.