Stepped care models have the potential to provide a much needed framework for the development of comprehensive mental health systems. However, definitions of stepped care lack consistency, resulting in varying interpretations reflected in its implementation. To help foster greater alignment in research and practice, we propose a set of principles for stepped care which can provide guidance on how to bridge multiple mental health services together, reduce fragmentation, and respond to the full breadth of mental health needs along a continuum of care in diverse settings. We hope that articulating these principles will spur mental health stakeholders to translate them into actionable standards.

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