Steering Committee Chairs: Irene Kazieczko (MDCH) & Judy Webb (MDCH)

The  Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Administration, launched an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) initiative in 2004.  The initial purpose of the initiative was to improve the practices used by the public mental health system to assist adults with serious mental illness with recovery. MDCH established a Steering Committee, made up of representatives from the Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs), major state universities, advocacy organizations, consumers, and MDCH staff, (List of Steering Committee Members) charged with developing a strategy for disseminating evidence-based practices.

Using agreed-upon criteria, the EBP Steering Committee selected two adult evidence-based practices recognized by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA): Family Psycho-Education and  Co-Occurring Disorders: Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment.  These practices are among six for which SAMHSA commissioned Dartmouth College to develop resource kits and make available for free to entities that wish to implement them(SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Resource Kits).

The Steering Committee also supported MDCH's decision to implement Parent Management Training, an evidence-based practice for children with serious emotional disturbance, at selected pilot sites. The Steering Committee divided into subcommittees to oversee the implementation of the three evidence-based practices. 

Descriptions of the subcommittees

At the 2004  Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (MACMHB) winter conference, MDCH announced its intent to use federal Community Mental Health Block Grant funds to support the implementation of the three evidence-based practices.  The issuance of a Request for Proposals to the 18 PIHPs coincided with the May 2005  MACMHB conference in Grand Rapids, that was dedicated to evidence-based practices and over 800 people attended.

Ten PIHPs proposed to implement Family Psycho-Education, and nine proposed to implement Co-Occurring Disorders: Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment.  Seven PIHPs were additionally selected to implement Parent Management Training.  As a condition for receiving up to $140,000 (for two years) in block grant funds, each PIHP established an Improving Practices Leadership Team that oversees local initiatives to implement the evidence-based practice and to create organizational cultures that seek to adopt other evidence-based and promising practices, and to continuously improve existing practices.

In the fall of 2005, the Steering Committee turned its attention to improvement of existing evidence-based practices (e.g., Assertive Community Treatment, Supported Employment); consideration of "promising" practices or "emerging best practices" such as psycho-social rehabilitation programs (Clubhouse) and peer-delivered services (Drop-in Centers and Peer Specialists); and changes in "usual practices" employed with persons with developmental disabilities.

The EBP Steering Committee changed its name to Practices Improvement (PI) Steering Committee, as a result of the expansion of its scope. The PI Steering Committee works closely with the MACMHB in the planning of its regularly scheduled three annual conferences to incorporate plenary sessions and workshop sessions that focus on evidence-based, promising, emerging best, and improving practices.

List of Steering Committee Members

Meeting Minutes

September 15, 2004

October 27, 2004

December 15, 2004

February 15, 2005

May 9, 2005

April 12, 2005

September 6, 2005

November 15, 2005

January 10, 2006

May 9, 2006

November 21, 2006

Resources

www.mentalhealthpractices.org

SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Resource Kits

SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices

The President's New Freedom Commission Report on Evidence-Based Practice

MACMHB