Research: Evidence Based Practices Project
The Evidence-Based Practices Project is a term that is discussed a great deal, especially since the Presidents New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health, July 2003.
NH-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center has played an active role in the federally funded project to develop and implement these practices in public mental health settings. Additional funding eas made available by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the project works in collaboration with the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. The overall goal of this project is to promote the implementation of research-based interventions for the care of adult persons with severe mental illnesses (SMI) in routine community-based mental health practice settings (e.g., community mental health centers).
A consensus panel sponsored by the Robert Wood Foundation in November 1998 identified six areas of intervention in which the research evidence strongly supports the effectiveness of one or more approaches. The current areas of evidence-based practices (EBPs) are:
- medications
- teaching illness self-management
- case management based on principles of assertive community treatment
- family psychological education
- supported employment, and
- substance abuse treatment integrated with mental health treatment.
The project is divided into three phases.
Implementation materials and guidelines will be developed during Phase I- completed
A demonstration will occur in several routine mental health settings across the country. There are two in NH- Phase II-in process.
And revision and a national demonstration will be proposed for Phase III.
NAMI NH is involved. Providing input into the development of materials that will support the involvement of the family perspectives in the treatment planning and treatment delivery of services to loved ones. In addition NAMI will be involved in the module that is specifically designed to educate CMHC staff to understand the important role of the family in improving the outcome of treatment services. The Project aims of Phase I are to develop the resource guides and test how they would be implemented in current public mental health sites.
Specific educational training materials will be produced by and for consumers, family members, clinicians, supervisors, and administrators. PRC will collaborated with the University of Maryland (Lehman, Goldman, and Dixon), Duke University (Burns), the University of Texas (Miller, Rush), and HSRI (Leff) to produce these materials over 1-2 years, evaluate the results of implementation and propose a plan for national dissemination.
For additional information on the project contact the NH Dartmouth Psychiatric Reasearch Center at, 603-271-5747.
