Overview and Preliminary Findings of the MHBG Ten Percent Set Aside National Evaluation
Poster C86, Wednesday, October 10, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Essex Ballroom
Abram Rosenblatt1, Preethy George1, Tamara Daley1, Howard Goldman1,2, Makda Alazar1, Dana Savaadra1; 1Westat, 2University of Maryland School of Medicine
Effective treatments and services for young people experiencing a first episode psychosis (FEP) have been combined together into a Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) package, which is intended to address the systemic gaps and barriers that youth who experience FEP face in accessing appropriate services. The Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) Ten Percent Set Aside has provided a vehicle for community-based providers to fund CSC service components for clients with FEP. Approximately 250 sites nationally are receiving MHBG 10% set aside funds. The MHBG Ten Percent Set Aside National Evaluation, which is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) provides an opportunity to evaluate how CSC is implemented across the country in a variety of geographic and economic settings, and across states with different local policies. All 250 CSC sites receive a survey about their services, and 37 of these are participating in more in-depth evaluation components: 1) An outcome study using a standardized set of symptom, quality of life and functioning measures to assess clients entering the program over a 12 month period; 2) a fidelity assessment to assess adherence to the CSC model; and 3) a process assessment to understand key contextual and descriptive information about the sites. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the design and preliminary findings of the National Evaluation to date.
Topic Area: Service System Development and Reform