Dissemination of innovations is widely considered the sine qua non for system improvement. At least two dozen states are rolling-out evidence-based mental health practices targeted at children and families using trainings, consultations, webinars, and learning collaboratives to improve quality and outcomes. In New York State (NYS) a group of researchers, policy-makers, providers and family support specialists have worked in partnership since 2002 to redesign and evaluate the children’s mental health system. Five system strategies driven by empirically-based practices and organized within a state-supported infrastructure have been used in the child and family service system with over 2,000 providers: (a) business practices; (b) use of health information technologies in quality improvement; (c) specific clinical interventions targeted at common childhood disorders; (d) parent activation; and (e) quality indicator development. The NYS system has provided a laboratory for naturalistic experiments. We describe these initiatives, key findings and challenges, lessons learned for scaling, and implications for creating evidence-based implementation policies in state systems.

Objective: This study prospectively examined the naturalistic adoption of clinical and business evidence-informed trainings by all outpatient mental health clinics licensed to treat children, adolescents, and their families in New York State. Methods: Using September 2011-August 2013 attendance data from the New York State-funded Clinic Technical Assistance Center, this study classified the adoption behavior of 346 clinics in four ways: by number, type, intensity, and an adopter group category characterizing clinics by the highest training intensity in which they participated. Descriptive statistics on these adoption classifications were examined. Results: Among the 268 adopting clinics, a median of five out of 33 trainings were adopted; business and clinical trainings were about equally accessed (82% vs. 78%). Hour-long webinars were most popular (96% participation) compared to 6-18 month-long learning collaboratives (34% participation). Among adopters of business and clinical learning collaboratives, 73-100% sampled a webinar first before they committed to the learning collaboratives, though consistent participation in learning collaborative sessions over time was a challenge. Adopter groups captured meaningful adopter profiles: 41% were low-adopters that selected fewer trainings and only participated in webinars; 34% were high-/super-adopters that accessed more trainings and participated in learning collaboratives. Conclusions: More nuanced definitions of adoption behavior can improve the understanding of clinic adoption of trainings and hence promote the development of efficient roll-out strategies by state systems.

Wellness Self-Management (WSM) is a recovery-oriented, curriculum-based, and educationally focused practice designed to assist adults with serious mental health problems to make informed decisions and take action to manage symptoms effectively and improve their quality of life. WSM is an adaptation of the Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) model, a nationally recognized best practice for adults with serious mental health problems. WSM uses comprehensive personal workbooks for group facilitators and consumers and employs a structured and easy-to-implement group facilitation framework. Currently, more than 100 adult mental health agencies are implementing WSM, representing a broad array of program types, clinical conditions, and cultural populations. The authors describe the development, key features, delivery, adoption and sustaining of WSM

Objective Characteristics associated with participation in training in evidence-informed business and clinical practices by 346 outpatient mental health clinics licensed to treat youths in New York State were examined. Methods Clinic characteristics extracted from state administrative data were used as proxies for variables that have been linked with adoption of innovation (extraorganizational factors, agency factors, clinic provider-level profiles, and clinic client-level profiles). Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent effects of theoretical variables on the clinics’ participation in state-supported business and clinical trainings between September 2011 and August 2013 and on the intensity of participation (low or high). Interaction effects between clinic characteristics and outcomes were explored. Results Clinic characteristics were predictive of any participation in trainings but were less useful in predicting intensity of participation. Clinics affiliated with larger (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=.65, p<.01), more efficient agencies (AOR=.62, p<.05) and clinics that outsourced more clinical services (AOR=.60, p<.001) had lower odds of participating in any business-practice trainings. Participation in business trainings was associated with interaction effects between agency affiliation (hospital or community) and clinical staff capacity. Clinics with more full-time-equivalent clinical staff (AOR=1.52, p<.01) and a higher proportion of clients under age 18 (AOR=1.90, p<.001) had higher odds of participating in any clinical trainings. Participating clinics with larger proportions of youth clients had greater odds of being high adopters of clinical trainings (odds ratio=1.54, p<.01). Conclusions Clinic characteristics associated with uptake of business and clinical training could be used to target state technical assistance efforts.

Previous studies conducted in Maryland of the Family-to-Family (FTF) education program of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that FTF reduced subjective burden and distress and improved empowerment, mental health knowledge, self-care, and family functioning, establishing it as an evidence-based practice. In the study reported here, the FTF program of NAMI-NYC Metro was evaluated. Participants (N=83) completed assessments at baseline and at completion of FTF. Participants had improved family empowerment, family functioning, engagement in self-care activities, self-perception of mental health knowledge, and emotional acceptance as a form of coping. Scores for emotional support and positive reframing also improved significantly. Displeasure in caring for the family member, a measure of subjective burden, significantly declined. Despite the lack of a control group and the limited sample size, this study further supports the efficacy of FTF with a diverse urban population.