Implementation
Learn about our Current and Recent Implementation InitiativesWe engage in both program evaluation and implementation research to evaluate the effectiveness of our implementation initiatives. See the menu to the right to learn more about some of our current behavioral health implementation efforts.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis
As a result of combined public-private funding, the UW CBTp Implementation Team at SPIRIT developed the first ECHO clinics in the world that focused on treating individuals with psychosis; is home to the first and only CBTp Provider Network in the country; and provides new opportunities for both in-person and virtual training in CBTp and CBTp-informed care. Through sustained funding and committed partners, our team is working to enhance access to high-quality CBTp in the Pacific Northwest.
CBT Care Pathway
To increase access to CBTp, we need to ensure that it is available everywhere for the population experiencing psychosis—inpatient, outpatient, forensic hospitals, jails, primary care, and schools. Inpatient settings are a prime opportunity to introduce evidence-based interventions during a critical juncture in a patient’s care lifecycle. Unfortunately, there is too little empirical guidance on how to optimize the transition from inpatient to outpatient care while maintaining care continuity and reducing the risk of destabilizing the patient.
Spearheaded by Dr. Kopelovich, the UW SPIRIT Lab launched the CBT Care Pathway in 2022. Funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority with federal funds, the CBT Care Pathway provides a critical bridge between inpatient and community-based care for many of Washington’s most vulnerable citizens with Serious Mental Illness, including those who are hospitalized involuntarily.
The CBT Care Pathway aims to enhance access to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Serious Mental Illness across the care continuum, enhance continuity of care for individual patients’ transition, support the successful transition to outpatient care, and reduce the likelihood of re-hospitalizaton. The transition model was developed by Dr. Kopelovich in partnership with community sites Behavioral Health Resources, South Sound Behavioral Hospital, and Telecare. If you are interested in learning more about the CBT Care Pathway or want to consult with Dr. Kopelovich on whether the pathway is a good fit for your organization or region, please reach out to us at cbtecho@uw.edu.
Family & Caregiver Support Programs
The SPIRIT Lab at the University of Washington is partnering with local, national, and international leaders in mental health to develop a network of resources that support families in their care of a loved one with psychosis. Our team at the University of Washington is proud to advocate for caregivers by connecting them with the practical resources, information, and skills necessary to prevent a loved one from falling through the cracks or losing hope. Furthermore, we provide opportunities and forums in which families and caregivers’ lived experience inform the development of future supportive community programs.
Early Psychosis
The Implementation Model
Approximately 114,000 adolescents and young adults in the United States experience First Episode Psychosis (FEP) each year (Simon et al., 2017). With a peak onset occurring between 15-25 years of age, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia can derail a young person’s social, academic, and vocational development and initiate a trajectory of accumulating disability. Despite these complexities, early intervention with evidence-based therapies offers real hope for clinical and functional recovery.
New Journeys in Washington State
Committed to serving state residents with first episode psychosis with CSC services, the Washington State Health Care Authority has funded the implementation of nine CSC programs, called New Journeys, which are based on the NAVIGATE model of CSC. The goal of New Journeys is to provide intervention that maximizes speed and flexibility and minimizes barriers while utilizing a public health approach. Led by Principal Investigator, Maria Monroe-DeVita, you can learn more about the training team here.
The group works collaboratively with faculty from Washington State University, including Drs. Oladunni Oluwoye and Michael McDonnell, who lead the evaluation of the New Journeys program.
Visit the Washington New Journeys website →
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model, providing a range of intensive community-based, outreach-oriented treatment, rehabilitation and support services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illnesses. ACT teams serve people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, and other affective disorders with psychotic features. They experience significant functional impairments (e.g., difficulty with maintaining housing, employment, social supports) as well as continuous service use (e.g., multiple acute and/or long-term hospitalizations, high ED or crisis service use, incarcerations). The vast majority of people served also have a co-occurring substance use disorder. Many also experience comorbid medical illnesses as well as homelessness.
The SPIRIT training team provides training, consultation, fidelity reviews and other implementation and sustainability support to ACT teams both nationally and in Washington State (note they are called PACT Teams in Washington State). Learn more about where PACT teams are located in Washington state here.