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Welcome to the December issue of Inside the Hub—your source for updates from the Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS). As you plan for 2026, we invite you to consider how our team can support your implementation, improvement, assessment, and sustainability efforts.
In this issue, you’ll find resources and a learning opportunity focused on Continuous Quality Improvement. Check these out below! We’d also love your input—please take a moment to complete our brief interest poll, found below, so we can better meet your needs.
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We’re looking to hear from YOU about what kinds of support would be most helpful for your state, system, or organization as you work to provide effective mental health services. Please take a few moments to fill out our brief survey!
| | Implementation Science Corner | | Continuous Quality Improvement | | |
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a structured, data-informed approach to improve organizational systems, processes, service delivery, and outcomes. It is a form of ongoing process refinement in which an organization sets a goal for improvement, enacts a change, measures the effect of the change, and makes data-driven decisions to reach the goal. CQI can enhance agency workflow, assist staff in their everyday tasks, and improve client outcomes.
For more information about CQI, visit our website.
Reach out to us for personalized assistance with your CQI process!
| | Applying Evidence-Based Strategies for CQI
for NJ Mental Health Systems Leaders | | |
Our Hub has just wrapped up a 6-week learning intensive focused on continuous quality improvement (CQI) in mental health systems. Leaders from different mental health systems across New Jersey participated in three biweekly skill development workshops. Between meetings, attendees independently applied CQI resources in their settings and were invited to additional problem-solving sessions focused on specific elements of the CQI process.
The series focused on evidence-based, practical strategies for change, such as the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, and how to use data in a meaningful way to inform improvement efforts. Attendees shared their successes, challenges, and ideas to support one another in launching sustainable CQI initiatives.
We are expanding this series to mental health leaders throughout the Northeast Atlantic & Caribbean in early 2026.
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Understanding how our agencies are working from start to finish can feel like swimming in the deep end of the pool! Using a Swim Lane diagram allows us to identify overall processes, responsibilities for each staff member, and the decisions and handoffs along the way. This modified flowchart can help us streamline our workflows, reduce overlap of work for our staff, and improve outcomes for our clients.
This example diagram shows the swim lanes for a simple ice cream shop. How would this look within your organization?
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Our colleagues from the Midwest Hub of CMHIS are excited to offer their NIATx Change Leader Academy to a national audience. This process improvement series will include a self-paced eLearning course in conjunction with 6 hours of live virtual sessions, all geared to provide the skills and support needed to successfully lead change initiatives within your service system. Sign up to participate!
| | Many organizations need assistance in these areas. CMHIS conducted a needs assessment of mental health agencies across the United States. Learn more about the needs of agencies like yours and how we can help! | | |
Ann Murphy, PhD, is the Director of the Northeast Atlantic & Caribbean Hub and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Her work centers on advancing evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for young people and adults with serious mental health conditions.
She collaborates closely with community mental health organizations and schools to assess needs, align resources, provide technical assistance, and support long-term sustainability. Outside of her professional role, Ann enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Finnegan. She especially loves hiking in the woods and listening to live acoustic music.
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We’d love to hear from you! Is there something you want us to cover in an upcoming newsletter? Send us your thoughts, stories, or feedback.
What to Expect Next Month
In January, you’ll receive the newsletter from CMHIS, with nationwide updates and highlights.
We’ll be back in February with more Hub news, stories, and insights. In the meantime, feel free to visit our website, send us an email, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Request Support
As part of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS), the Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub offers assistance to grantees funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and mental health service providers in HHS Regions
1 and 2, which include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 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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