Table of Contents -- Preface -- Executive summary -- Aims and target audience -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Quality improvement: from policy alignment to review of mechanisms -- Step 1. Align policy for quality improvement -- Step 2. Design a standards document -- Step 3. Establish accreditation procedures -- Step 4. Monitor the mental health service by using the quality mechanisms -- Step 5. Integrate quality improvement into the ongoing management and delivery of services -- Step 6. Consider systematic reform for the improvement of services -- Step 7. Review the quality mechanisms -- 3. Barriers and solutions -- 4. Recommendations and conclusions -- Annex 1. Glossary of terms -- Annex 2. Clinical guidelines that may be used as references for countries' mental health service development -- Annex 3. Country example: accreditation of therapeutic communities in Chile -- References.