APA Dictionary of Psychology

provision over a period of time of continuous, comprehensive, and integrated care that involves health, mental health, and social services—in the home, a health care setting, or the community—at the appropriate level of intensity. The wide range and levels of available services in a continuum of care allow for adjustments to be made in treatment when the patient or client improves (e.g., during successful drug use treatment) or worsens (e.g., as the health of a patient with a terminal illness declines).