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Application of Evidence-Based Treatment in Community Mental Health Settings: Examining EBT Delivery Duration and Client Discharge

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Abstract

Characterizing community mental health (CMH) treatment duration and discharge is an important step toward understanding how to better meet client needs. This report describes patterns of treatment duration and discharge among clinicians participating in a state-funded evidence-based treatment (EBT) training initiative. After training and consultation, clinicians (N = 376) reported on treatment duration and discharge for their “most complete case.” On average, clinicians delivered 12.4 sessions (SD = 5.1) of the treatment. After completing treatment, half of clinicians (58.7%) continued with regularly scheduled therapy, either using EBT elements or switching to supportive therapy. Clinicians who continued with regularly scheduled therapy delivered treatment in approximately the same number of sessions. Results revealed that CMH clinicians often do not discontinue therapy after completing a treatment protocol. These findings suggest it may be essential to better understand clinician decision-making around applying EBTs to their caseloads.

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Acknowledgements

Ms. Berliner and Dr. Dorsey were paid by WA DBHR to serve as trainers and consultants for the activities outlined in this study. Funding Information This publication was made possible in part by funding from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (WA DBHR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Noah S. Triplett MS, Rashed AlRasheed MAS, Rosemary D. Meza MS, Sophia Robinson BA & Shannon Dorsey PhD

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248185, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

    Grace S. Woodard BS

  3. Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress, 401 Broadway, Suite 2027, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA

    Lucy Berliner MSW

Authors
  1. Noah S. Triplett MS
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  2. Grace S. Woodard BS
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  3. Rashed AlRasheed MAS
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  4. Rosemary D. Meza MS
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  5. Sophia Robinson BA
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  6. Lucy Berliner MSW
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  7. Shannon Dorsey PhD
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Correspondence to Noah S. Triplett MS.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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 The requirement to obtain informed consent was waived after activities were determined to be exempt from review by the University of Washington Institutional Review Board.

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Triplett, N.S., Woodard, G.S., AlRasheed, R. et al. Application of Evidence-Based Treatment in Community Mental Health Settings: Examining EBT Delivery Duration and Client Discharge. J Behav Health Serv Res 48, 617–624 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-021-09755-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-021-09755-3

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