Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Collaborative
Director
Howard H. Goldman, MD, MPH
Professor
The Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Collaborative is a longstanding collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry and the State of Maryland, focused on using research to ensure that the mental health services delivered by the state’s Behavioral Health Administration are evidence-based and provided with fidelity by trained clinicians. The Collaborative is organized as three integrated Centers.
- The Evidence-Based Practice Center provides UMB specialists to train mental health service providers across Maryland in evidence-based services for some of the system’s most vulnerable patients, including Supported Employment, Family Psychoeducation, and Assertive Community Treatment.
- The Systems Evaluation Center conducts evaluations of the Public Mental Health System of Maryland and led the development and implementation of the state’s Outcomes Measurement System for outpatient mental health services.
- The Training Center partners with the Behavioral Health Administration to plan, organize, and administer a diverse set of training activities to support the efficacy of the state’s public mental health system.
Training Maryland Clinicians in Evidence-Based Practices
DPSR is a center for training and mentorship of clinicians and researchers seeking to learn, implement, and study evidence-based services for individuals with serious mental illness. The Division has an excellent track record of providing in-depth training for all levels of students interested in mental health interventions and services research.
Maryland Early Intervention Program Implementation and Support Services
DPSR faculty are part of the Implementation and Support Services component of the Maryland Early Intervention Program, a state-funded center of excellence offering specialized programs in the treatment of adolescents and young adults in the early stages of a mental illness with psychosis. This work involves training mental health service providers to implement evidence-based practices in line with a Coordinated Specialty Care model.
Clinical Externship and Research Mentoring Experiences
DPSR faculty work as clinical supervisors and research mentors to graduate students in psychology and social work. Externs receive training and supervised clinical experiences in community and VA programs that serve individuals living with serious mental illness.
Division faculty provide training to medical students and residents through contributing to didactic seminars and providing in-depth mentored research experiences that lead to conference presentations and co-authored publications.
Training Collaborations within the Department of Psychiatry
DPSR Faculty have active training collaborations with other Divisions within the Department, including programs within the Divisions of Community Psychiatry and Adult Inpatient Programs, and also provide training in psychosocial interventions to community agencies and programs.