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We’re excited to launch Implementation in Action, our bimonthly newsletter designed to bring you timely updates, practical resources, and opportunities to strengthen your organization’s ability to prepare, implement, and sustain effective mental health treatments and services.
We open our first issue with a message from Benjamin Druss, Director of the East Coast Hub for Mental Health Implementation Support. He shares our guiding philosophy: integrate the latest research and expert knowledge with practical, real-world strategies that can help organizations drive meaningful practice change.
Each edition of Implementation in Action will spotlight one of the eight core topics essential to successful mental health service delivery and offer practical tools to help you turn knowledge into action. This month’s focus is Measurement-Based Care (MBC)—a clinical approach that uses patient-reported outcomes to guide treatment decisions and improve outcomes. Read on to learn more about MBC, including an overview of this underutilized clinical process, key components, and practical tools to support its implementation. We also include a link to our Fundamentals of Measurement-Based Care recording in our Resource Spotlight section.
We conclude this issue by sharing ways to connect and collaborate with the East Coast Hub, so you can stay informed about resources and opportunities that help you turn knowledge into action.
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Benjamin Druss MD, MPH
East Coast Hub Director
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I’m excited to welcome you to the first edition of Implementation in Action, our bimonthly newsletter dedicated to sharing practical solutions for mental health program success. As we launch this new communication channel, I want to take a moment to reflect on the mission that drives our work at the East Coast Hub for Mental Health Implementation Support.
At a time when communities across the country are grappling with various challenges, our goal is clear: to bridge the gap between evidence-based practices and real-world implementation. We are here to support mental health organizations in preparing, delivering, and sustaining effective programs that meet the needs of the populations they serve. This newsletter will serve as a space to share updates, highlight innovations, and celebrate the work being done across our region. We hope it inspires connection, learning, and action.
Whether you're a provider, program director, or agency leader, Implementation in Action is designed to keep you informed. We’ll spotlight real-world examples, share lessons learned, and offer resources that empower you to deliver effective mental health programs. Our team is committed to walking alongside service providers—not as distant experts, but as collaborative partners offering practical, accessible tools that can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to learning and growing together.
Warm regards,
Benjamin Druss, MD, MPH
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Measurement-based care (MBC) is the clinical process of using regularly collected patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to monitor progress and inform treatment decisions. These data track how a client is responding to treatment and inform treatment adjustments for individuals who may not be getting better. MBC produces “real-time” data to help clinicians and clients communicate about the client's experience in treatment and decide how and when to adjust treatment to improve outcomes. MBC can also help clients and clinicians know when treatment is working and can help inform decisions to make treatment less intensive or to conclude a treatment episode. MBC has been shown to improve clinical outcomes; however, it is underutilized in community mental health practice.
Key Components:
- Client completes an outcome measure or measures, ideally before each clinical encounter. Measures should be completed routinely and regularly throughout care.
- Clinician reviews data from the measure.
- Client reviews data from the measure.
- Clinician and client discuss to ensure that the data are consistent with the client’s experience. Discrepancies can provide an opportunity for meaningful conversation between the clinician and client.
- Clinician and client collaboratively reevaluate the treatment plan informed by the data.
Practical Tools:
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Measurement-Based Care Infographic - Provides an overview of measurement-based care, its key components, and why it matters (Authors: CMHIS Measurement-Based Care Workgroup).
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National Repository of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures - List of PROMs identified and vetted by a national panel of MBC experts (Authors: CMHIS Measurement-Based Care Workgroup).
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Implementation Planning Checklist - Planning worksheet for organizations seeking to implement MBC (Authors: Yale Measurement Based Collaborative).
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Use of Measurement-Based Care for Behavioral Health Care in Community Settings: A Brief Report -This report provides an overview of measurement-based care and strategies for incorporating it into community mental health settings (Authors: Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee Data and Evaluation Working Group).
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Implementing Measurement-Based Care in Behavioral Health: A Review - This article contains the results of a systematic review of the core features of MBC and approaches to implementation (Authors: Lewis, C. C., Boyd, M., Puspitasari, A., Navarro, E., Howard, J., Kassab, H., Hoffman, M., Scott, K., Lyon, A., Douglas, S., Simon, G., & Kroenke, K.).
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Fundamentals of Measurement-Based Care Recording Now Available!
MBC is a powerful approach that uses patient-reported outcome measures to guide treatment decisions and monitor progress. During this practical review of MBC, our technical expert breaks down the essentials, dispels common myths, and demonstrates how MBC can enhance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. Access the recording on YouTube.
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Stay Connected
Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to updates from the East Coast Hub and be the first to hear about new resources, events, and implementation support opportunities. We encourage you to visit our website, send us an email, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Share Your Thoughts
We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what topics you’d like to see in future issues or share your feedback to help us improve. Contact us with your thoughts, stories, or feedback.
Request Support
As part of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS), the East Coast Hub offers assistance to grantees funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and mental health service providers in HHS Regions 3 and 4 (Alabama, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). We can help you strengthen your mental health programs through community engagement, implementation planning, data use, outcome evaluation, and more. Please review our guidelines and submit a request.
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