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BackgroundLarge-scale implementation of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder can have a tremendous impact on mental and physical health, healthcare utilization, and quality of life. While many mental health systems (MHS) have invested heavily in programs to implement EBPs, few eligible patients receive EBPs in routine care settings, and clinicians do not appear to deliver the full treatment protocol to many of their patients. Emerging evidence suggests that when CPT and other EBPs are delivered at low levels of fidelity, clinical outcomes are negatively impacted. Thus, identifying strategies to improve and sustain the delivery of CPT and other EBPs is critical. Existing literature has suggested two competing strategies to promote sustainability. One emphasizes fidelity to the treatment protocol through ongoing consultation and fidelity monitoring. The other focuses on improving the fit and effectiveness of these treatments through appropriate adaptations to the treatment or the clinical setting through a process of data-driven, continuous quality improvement. Neither has been evaluated in terms of impact on sustained implementation.MethodsTo compare these approaches on the key sustainability outcomes and provide initial guidance on sustainability strategies, we propose a cluster randomized trial with mental health clinics (n = 32) in three diverse MHSs that have implemented CPT. Cohorts of clinicians and clinical managers will participate in 1 year of a fidelity oriented learning collaborative or 1 year of a continuous quality improvement-oriented learning collaborative. Patient-level PTSD symptom change, CPT fidelity and adaptation, penetration, and clinics’ capacity to deliver EBP will be examined. Survey and interview data will also be collected to investigate multilevel influences on the success of the two learning collaborative strategies. This research will be conducted by a team of investigators with expertise in CPT implementation, mixed method research strategies, quality improvement, and implementation science, with input from stakeholders in each participating MHS.DiscussionIt will have broad implications for supporting ongoing delivery of EBPs in mental health and healthcare systems and settings. The resulting products have the potential to significantly improve efforts to ensure ongoing high quality implementation and consumer access to EBPs.Trial registration NCT02449421. Registered 02/09/2015

Studies exploring gender differences among substance abusers in treatment have been fairly consistent in finding that females who enter treatment express more severe psychological and psychosocial disturbances than males, despite presenting with shorter and less intense substance abuse histories. However, strands of evidence suggest that the presence of a spouse, generally perceived as an asset in the treatment of the substance abuser, may have different implications for females than for males. In order to clarify this issue, 67 male and 18 female married substance abusers in treatment and their spouses were questioned on their substance use and psychological and social functioning. Similar to other studies, the female substance abusers reported greater disturbance on dimensions of employment and psychological functioning, but less severity of alcohol abuse. Comparison of male and female spouses, however, revealed that male spouses were likely to present with the following characteristics: (1) more symptoms of substance abuse and depression, (2) less overall physical well-being, and (3) to be less inclined to help others or be involved with their children than the female spouses. These findings are consistent with the view that the process of substance abuse is telescoped in females and is associated with more disturbed functioning in women on admission to treatment than in men. However, contextual differences--specifically in terms of availability of spousal support--may contribute significantly both to the understanding of differences in female versus male substance abusers in treatment as well as to the development of guidelines for adapting treatment based on gender.

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Table of contentsIntroduction to the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration: advancing efficient methodologies through team science and community partnershipsCara Lewis, Doyanne Darnell, Suzanne Kerns, Maria Monroe-DeVita, Sara J. Landes, Aaron R. Lyon, Cameo Stanick, Shannon Dorsey, Jill Locke, Brigid Marriott, Ajeng Puspitasari, Caitlin Dorsey, Karin Hendricks, Andria Pierson, Phil Fizur, Katherine A. ComtoisA1: A behavioral economic perspective on adoption, implementation, and sustainment of evidence-based interventionsLawrence A. PalinkasA2: Towards making scale up of evidence-based practices in child welfare systems more efficient and affordablePatricia ChamberlainA3: Mixed method examination of strategic leadership for evidence-based practice implementationGregory A. Aarons, Amy E. Green, Mark. G. Ehrhart, Elise M. Trott, Cathleen E. WillgingA4: Implementing practice change in Federally Qualified Health Centers: Learning from leaders’ experiencesMaria E. Fernandez, Nicholas H. Woolf, Shuting (Lily) Liang, Natalia I. Heredia, Michelle Kegler, Betsy Risendal, Andrea Dwyer, Vicki Young, Dayna Campbell, Michelle Carvalho, Yvonne Kellar-GuentherA3: Mixed method examination of strategic leadership for evidence-based practice implementationGregory A. Aarons, Amy E. Green, Mark. G. Ehrhart, Elise M. Trott, Cathleen E. WillgingA4: Implementing practice change in Federally Qualified Health Centers: Learning from leaders’ experiencesMaria E. Fernandez, Nicholas H. Woolf, Shuting (Lily) Liang, Natalia I. Heredia, Michelle Kegler, Betsy Risendal, Andrea Dwyer, Vicki Young, Dayna Campbell, Michelle Carvalho, Yvonne Kellar-GuentherA5: Efficient synthesis: Using qualitative comparative analysis and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research across diverse studiesLaura J. Damschroder, Julie C. LoweryA6: Establishing a veterans engagement group to empower patients and inform Veterans Affairs (VA) health services researchSarah S. Ono, Kathleen F. Carlson, Erika K. Cottrell, Maya E. O’Neil, Travis L. LovejoyA7: Building patient-practitioner partnerships in community oncology settings to implement behavioral interventions for anxious and depressed cancer survivorsJoanna J. Arch, Jill L. MitchellA8: Tailoring a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy implementation protocol using mixed methods, conjoint analysis, and implementation teamsCara C. Lewis, Brigid R. Marriott, Kelli ScottA9: Wraparound Structured Assessment and Review (WrapSTAR): An efficient, yet comprehensive approach to Wraparound implementation evaluationJennifer Schurer Coldiron, Eric J. Bruns, Alyssa N. HookA10: Improving the efficiency of standardized patient assessment of clinician fidelity: A comparison of automated actor-based and manual clinician-based ratingsBenjamin C. Graham, Katelin JordanA11: Measuring fidelity on the cheapRochelle F. Hanson, Angela Moreland, Benjamin E. Saunders, Heidi S. ResnickA12: Leveraging routine clinical materials to assess fidelity to an evidence-based psychotherapyShannon Wiltsey Sti...

Comprehensive literature review found limited knowledge about how to integrate people with mental disorders into a new workplace after a prolonged absence (>1 year). Even more limited knowledge was found for veterans. The results informed the next steps for our research team to enhance successful reintegration of veterans with mental disorders into the civilian workplace.

BackgroundPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition with substantial costs to individuals and society. Among military veterans, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD has been estimated to be as high as 20%. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that short-term cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), lead to substantial and sustained improvements in PTSD symptoms. Despite known benefits, only a minority of clinicians provide these therapies. Transferring this research knowledge into clinical settings remains one of the largest hurdles to improving the health of veterans with PTSD. Attending a workshop alone is insufficient to promote adequate knowledge transfer and sustained skill; however, relatively little research has been conducted to identify effective post-training support strategies.MethodsThe current study investigates whether clinicians receiving post-workshop support (six-month duration) will deliver CPT with greater fidelity (i.e., psychotherapy adherence and competence) and have improved patient outcomes compared with clinicians receiving no formal post-workshop support. The study conditions are: technology-enhanced group tele-consultation; standard group tele-consultation; and fidelity assessment with no consultation. The primary outcome is independent assessment (via audio-recordings) of the clinicians’ adherence and competence in delivering CPT. The secondary outcome is observed changes in patient symptoms during and following treatment as a function of clinician fidelity. Post-consultation interviews with clinicians will help identify facilitators and barriers to psychotherapy skill acquisition. The study results will inform how best to implement and transfer evidence-based psychotherapy (e.g., CPT) to clinical settings to attain comparable outcomes to those observed in research settings.DiscussionFindings will deepen our understanding of how much and what type of support is needed following a workshop to help clinicians become proficient in delivering a new protocol. Several influences on clinician learning and patient outcomes will be discussed. An evidence-based model of clinical consultation will be developed, with the ultimate goal of informing policy and influencing best practice in clinical consultation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01861769