Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC)

Learn about specific supports and services so you can reach out to providers and “ask for it by name.” Learn what the services are, where they are offered, and whether it is right for you.

• CBT for Kids
• CBT: Addressing Substance Misuse
• CBT: Combatting Mental Health Stigma
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Bounce Back
• Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools

• DBT Success Story: You Get What You G.I.V.E.
• Learning Together through an Evidence-based Treatment: Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Are We Ready? Implementing Cognitive Therapy In Community Behavioral Health at Hispanic Community Counseling Services
• Thriving through DBT Part 1 | Part 2
• The Path: Building Bonds Through Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
• Success Through Applied Behavior Analysis: Cultivating Communication
• Gaudenzia’s Program is Giving Individuals a New Outlook Part 1 | Part 2
• It Was So Radical, She Accepted It!: Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Close Collaborations: Helping a Mother and Son Come Together
• Cultivating Connection: How a Mother and Son Grew Together Through PCIT

EPIC has highlighted several evidence-based practice (EBP) initiatives to increase the availability of evidence-based practices within the Philadelphia behavioral health system. Each of the department funded initiatives has involved training, consultation, and implementation support from treatment experts and EPIC staff, to ensure that the practices are being implemented with quality and to support sustainability.

The Beck Community Initiative

Launched in 2007, the Beck Community Initiative supports the dissemination and implementation of Cognitive Therapy (CT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for individuals receiving services in the Philadelphia behavioral health network and other systems around the world. This program was originally developed as a partnership between DBHIDS and the University of Pennsylvania’s Aaron T Beck Psychological Research Center, and is now housed in the Penn Collaborative for CBT and Implementation Science.

Under the leadership of Torrey A. Creed PhD, the Beck Community Initiative has provided CT/CBT training, consultation, and implementation support to over 75 Philadelphia behavioral health agencies across varied levels of care including mental health and substance use services, inpatient services, adult and child outpatient services, school based services, residential programs, and services for chronic homelessness.

Click for more information

Contact: Cherry.Du@Phila.gov

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Initiative

The DBT Initiative began in 2012, when DBHIDS partnered with Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., and Katie Korslund, Ph.D., from the University of Washington to establish DBT capacity to assist individuals experiencing serious challenges with emotion regulation, suicidality, and self-harm. Providers were selected to participate in over a year-long training and consultation in DBT. Six teams have established comprehensive DBT programs and have received continued implementation support through the Treatment Implementation Collaborative (TIC). In 2017, a second cohort of the DBT Initiative was launched to build additional capacity for DBT in adult and adolescent outpatient and residential treatment.

www.ticllc.org and www.linehaninstitute.org

Contact: Cherry.Du@Phila.gov

Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) Initiative

Since 2007, The ESFT Initiative has provided family-systems therapy training to outpatient and BHRS providers in Philadelphia.  Marion Lindblad Goldberg, Ph.D., and Steve Simms, Ph.D., of the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center have provided a three year training curriculm for clinicians and supervisors to become immersed in and sustain the ESFT model.

www.philafamily.com

Contact: Cherry.Du@Phila.gov

Prolonged Exposure (PE) Initiative

Since 2011, Edna Foa, Ph.D., and her team at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania have provided intensive training and consultation to build capacity for the delivery of PE with individuals experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  They have also provided training on how to screen for PTSD symptoms and how to identify individuals who can benefit from trauma treatment.

www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa

Contact: Cherry.Du@Phila.gov

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Initiative

The PCIT Initiative began in 2016 with the overall goal of enhancing care for young children with behavioral challenges and their caregivers. Amy Herschell, Ph.D. and Kristen Schaffner, Ph.D., experts in the training and implementation of PCIT, introduced an innovative training program engaging clinicians, supervisors and administrators in intensive PCIT training and consultation. Six child outpatient providers have established PCIT programs and will receive continued training and implementation support.

Contact: Cherry.Du@Phila.gov

PACTS is a SAMHSA, NCTSI Cat 3 grant-funded, city-wide child trauma initiative under the leadership of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities (DBHIDS) and Community Behavioral Health. With continued funding since 2012, PACTS’s mission is to “change the trajectory for trauma-impacted youth and families by building an expanded, more responsive, and more nimble citywide trauma services infrastructure.” PACTS has built a membership of 21 agencies comprised of in-network Community Behavioral Health (CBH) providers, shelters, and other child-serving entities. Providers participating in PACTS receive training and ongoing implementation support in delivering Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Additionally, PACTS provides training on the impacts of trauma and on trauma screening and referral.

For more information, contact Emily.Schaffer@Phila.gov

Additional Resources

• PACTS Provider Maps and Contacts
• PRACTICE Tip Sheet

Effect of Providing Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment on Retention in Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youths

August 2, 2024 

Youths who start behavioral health treatment often stop before completing a therapeutic course of care. To increase treatment engagement and quality of care, the Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center in Philadelphia has incentivized the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for the mental health care of youths. The authors aimed to compare treatment outcomes between youths who received EBP care and those who did not.

The Evidence-Based Practitioner

• Who developed it: The Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association
• What you will find here: Postings from guest bloggers on a number of topics related to practicing psychotherapy from an evidence based perspective.

6 ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training) Conversations

• Who developed it: RMIT University Counseling Service
• What you will find here: Audio e-learning program comprised of six sessions between 15 and 50 minutes duration and including a conversational mini-lecture and several practical exercises

CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) Web

• Who developed it: Medical University of South Carolina
• What you will find here: 9-hour web-based training from the foremost experts in Cognitive Processing Therapy

Effective Child Therapy Online Education

• Who developed it: The Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology in collaboration with the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University and The Children’s Trust
• What you will find here: This section of the site provides free keynote videos and for both parents and professionals about evidence-based practices that promote child and adolescent mental health. If you would like CEUs you must purchase the full video course.

PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy) Web Course

• Who developed it: UC Davis PCIT Training Center
• What you will find here: Free, 10-hour, 11-module web course to provide fundamental information about providing PCIT – gives trainees’ solid foundation and partially fulfills requirements to be a certified PCIT therapist

TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) Web

• Who developed it: Medical University of South Carolina
• What you will find here: Free, 10-hour web-based learning course in TF-CBT for Children

Yes, in fact in recent decades research funders have begun to expect more culturally diverse samples. They have also begun to require that research be conducted in “real world” communities to ensure that the treatment and trainings developed are relevant and feasible. Here in Philadelphia we’ve seen more researchers interested in doing research in our community settings.

Here is a great webinar on the topic:

• EBT’s for ethnic minority youth: What we know and what we don’t know

You can also find a printable PDF version of the Outcomes Tracking, Measures, and Evaluation Resources.

Child Outcomes Research Consortium Resources

• Who developed it: Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC)
• What you will find here: Information on using outcomes measures as well as free measures for download.

Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A Self-Study Guide

• Who developed it: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Program Performance and Evaluation Office
• What you will find here: A “how to” guide for planning and implementing evaluation activities. The manual is intended to assist managers and staff of public, private, and community public health programs to plan, design, implement and use comprehensive evaluations in a practical way.

ISTSS Collection of Assessment Resources

• Who developed it: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
• What you will find here: Resources for clinicians, including test materials, treatment manuals and other assessment resources, focused on PTSD assessment and treatment.

Measures Review Database – The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

• Who developed it: CMHS, SAMHSA, US Dept of HHS, UCLE, Duke University
• What you will find here: A searchable database containing reviews of measures important in field of Child Traumatic Stress

Moving towards Evidence-based: Steps for Evaluation

• Who developed it: Evidence-based Practice Institute and Washington State Institute of Public Policy
• What you will find here: A power point presentation focused on evidence-based practice evaluation. This presentation walks viewers through the steps to consider when planning an evaluation.

Program Sustainability Assessment Tool

• Who developed it: Center for Public Health Systems Science-George Warren Brown School of Social Work
• What you will find here: An online program sustainability assessment tool as well as a step by step guide to understanding this sites 8 key domains for influencing a programs capacity for sustainability.

Screening Tools – Center for Integrated Health Solutions

• Who developed it: SAMHSA/HRSA
• What you will find here: Strategies for an integrated screening process and links to resources including recommendations for best practices and lists of screening and assessment tools

The FRIENDS Evaluation Toolkit

• Who developed it: FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention
• What you will find here: The Toolkit is a resource for developing an individualized outcome evaluation plan from the ground up. It is an on-line compendium of information and resources relating to evaluation.

The National Center for PTSD: Assessment

• Who developed it: US Department of Veterans Affairs
• What you will find here: Comprehensive overview of assessment for trauma history and PTSD symptoms for adults – includes overviews of screening and assessment tools

The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation

• Who developed it: Administration for Children and Families, Planning, Research and Evaluation Office
• What you will find here: This guide outlines program evaluation, why it’s important, how to conduct an evaluation and understand the results, how to report findings, and how to use evaluation results to improve programs.

A Family Guide: Choosing the Right Treatment: What Families Need to Know about Evidence Based Practices (EBPs)

• Who developed it: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• What you will find here: Brief introduction to effective mental health treatments and supports for children and families –information designed to help make more informed decisions about treatment and supports.

Child Mind Institute – Parents Guide to Getting Good Care

• Who developed it: The Child Mind Institute
• What you will find here: This site has a broad range of resources/guides for parents and caregivers. This specific guide will walk you through the steps to finding the best professional (or team) and the most appropriate treatment.

Effective Child Therapy

• Who developed it: the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
• What you will find here: This section of the site offers information on treatment options as well as videos where experts discuss topics that are particularly important to parents/caregivers and the general public.

Help Your Keiki

• Who developed it: Hawaii State Child and Mental Health Division (CAMHD), State of Hawaii Department of Health
• What you will find here: A resource with links to information about topics such as: choosing the right treatment, what to expect from a good therapist and questions to ask your child’s therapist.

The following document provides a list of publications that provide information about research activities in Philadelphia.

• A Selection of Philadelphia Publications from DBHIDS Research Partners

DBHIDS is continuing its concerted efforts to increase the availability of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in all forms across all levels of care. Medication-assisted treatments (MAT) are empirically supported as effective interventions to treat opioid addiction and include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone XR (aka Vivitrol).

• Learn more about DBHIDS’ MAT initiative

• CBH ABA Providers
• CBH ABA One-Pager
• ABA: CBH Provider Handbook

Registries are repositories designed to provide the public with reliable information on interventions. Registries review and rate interventions based on criteria that allow the general public to understand the effectiveness of the practice on a number of different domains/categories.

General Registries

Evidence-Based Practices Web Guide

• Who developed it: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP)

• Who developed it: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Research-Supported Psychological Treatments

• Who developed it: Society of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association

Social Programs That Work

• Who developed it: Coalition for Evidence-based Policy/Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF), Evidence-Based Policy initiative

Implementation Registries

California Evidence-Based Clearing House for Child Welfare- Selecting and Implementing Programs

• Who developed it: The Chadwick Center for Children and Families – Rady Children’s Hospital in cooperation with the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)
• What you will find here: This section of the site provides guidance and resources about the implementation of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs). You can find implementation tools and resources, guides, and implementation examples.

Evidence-Based Behavioral Practice

• Who developed it: the Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health
• What you will find here: This section of the site provides free online training portal where registrants can learn about topics like: Implementation of EBPs, how to search for evidence, the EBBP process, and much more.

Evidence Based Practice & Policy Online Resource Training Center – BEST Training

• Who developed it: Willma & Albert Musher Program at Columbia University School of Social Work
• What you will find here: A 10 module training that describes a process or an approach to enhance practice and policy decision making. This training starts with an EBP introduction and overview and ends with modules on evaluating the evidence and creating an action plan.

Getting to Outcomes® Manuals and Summaries

• Who developed it: RAND Corporation
• What you will find here: This site offers numerous manuals, summaries, publications, and resources free of charge that support quality implementation of Evidence-based Practices.

Melanie Barwick, PhD. – YouTube Channel

• Who developed it: Melanie Barwick, Ph.D. Senior Scientist in the Child and Youth Mental Health Research Unit within the Department of Psychiatry at SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
• What you will find here: This channel provides educational videos related to the implementation of evidence based practices in child and youth mental health, education, and global health.

National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) – Learning Center

• Who developed it: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• What you will find here: This section of the site includes numerous links related to planning, evaluating, implementing, and sustaining evidence-based programs.

NIRNs Active Implementation Hub

• Who developed it: the State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices Center (SISEP) and the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)
• What you will find here: Free, online learning on implementation drivers, teams, and stages as well as host of other modules, lessons and handouts. This if for use by any stakeholder — practitioners, educators, coaches, trainers, purveyors — involved in active implementation and scaling up of programs and innovations.

Systems Improvement through Service Collaborative

• Who developed it: Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• What you will find here: Evidence-based tools to guide planning, decision-making, implementation, and evaluation. Many of these tools have been adapted from other sources

State Implementation and Scaling-Up of Evidence-Based Practices Center

• Who developed it: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• What you will find here: This section of the site provides a variety of tools and resources for organizational change work including online coaching, teaching, and useful webinars/presentations all related to implementation of new practices/programs.

Toolkit on Evidence-Based Programming

• Who developed it: The Community Research Center for Senior Health which is a partnership among Baylor Scott & White Health, Central Texas Area Agencies on Aging and Aging, Disability and Veterans Resource Center (AAA/ADVRC), and the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health.
• What you will find here: This toolkit contains materials that build the capacity of community organization to learn about EBPs, to consider how to select an EBP, and provides tips/recommendations for implementing EBPs.

Understanding Evidence

• Who developed it: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Division of Violence Prevention
• What you will find here: This site is intended to help you learn how to use evidence-based decision making as you think about ways in which you can use EBPs in your community.

University of Washington’s PBHJP – YouTube Channel

• Who developed it: University of Washington’s Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy (PBHJP).
• What you will find here: This channel provides educational videos related to dissemination, implementation, sustainability, and other workforce development topics.

Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development

• Who developed it: The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder
• What you will find here: Registry

California Evidence-Based Clearing House for Child Welfare

• Who developed it: The Chadwick Center for Children and Families – Rady Children’s Hospital in cooperation with the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)
• What you will find here: Registry

Child and Youth Mental Health Resource Hub

• Who developed it: Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health
• What you will find here: A collection of resources designed to help practitioners and organizational leaders use the best available evidence to provide the best possible care. This section of the site includes learning modules, measures database, videos, and much more.

Child Welfare Information Gateway, Children’s Bureau

• Who developed it: Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• What you will find here: An abundance of resources on child welfare topics. This site has a learning center, logic model builder and a full library on prevention programs and child welfare strategies supported by scientific research.

Effective Child Therapy

• Who developed it: the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
• What you will find here: Registry

National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, Resources

• Who developed it: University of Albany School of Social Welfare
• What you will find here: An abundance of resources on child welfare topics. This resource library includes websites, reports, tools, guides, manuals, training materials, webinars, and examples from the field. Resources are organized into 17 categories including topics such as: change implementation, community context and CQI.

National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections

• Who developed it: Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
• What you will find here: Registry

Promising Practices Network on Children, Families & Communities

• Who developed it: the RAND Corporation
• What you will find here: Registry

Crime Solutions.gov

• Who developed it: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• What you will find here: This site includes a registry, as well as a resource tab with several links targeted at implementation and evaluation of programs.

GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation

• Who developed it: SAMHSA
• What you will find here: Technical assistance and support to professionals working in the fields of behavioral health and criminal justice, trauma training for criminal justice professionals, a database of mental health courts in the US as well as a number of other educational and statistical resources.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

• Who developed it: NIJ
• What you will find here: Registry

Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC)

• Who developed it: SAMHSA
• What you will find here: This section of the ATTC Network site provides information about Evidence- Based Practices and why they are important for addictions treatment. It also provides information on how to carefully choose the right EBP, resources and tools to guide implementation.

Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (IRETA)

• Who developed it: SAMHSA
• What you will find here: This website provides a list of selected evidence-based practices and best practices guidelines, links to toolkits and other educational materials.

SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions, Trainings

• Who developed it: SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• What you will find here: This page acts as a centralizing body for information relating to publicly accessible substance use trainings, including both one-time and ongoing events and opportunities.

Substance Use Screening and Assessment Instruments Database

• Who developed it: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington
• What you will find here: This resource is intended to help clinicians and researchers find instruments used for screening and assessment of substance use disorders. Some instruments are in the public domain, others can be obtained from the copyright holder.

The National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs

• Who developed it: US Department of Veterans Affairs
• What you will find here: Comprehensive resources for both the public and professionals. This website provides resources, including webinars, about effective treatments for PTSD including various ways trauma therapy can be delivered.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

• Who developed it: CMHS, SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• What you will find here: This website provides information on a wide range of trauma topics such as: community violence, domestic violence, natural disasters, and much more. This site also provides treatment and implementation information and frameworks.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): Treatments That Work

• Who developed it: CMHS, SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• What you will find here: Registry

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)

• Who developed it: CMHS, SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• What you will find here: ISTSS provides information to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based and emerging best practices for individuals suffering from traumatic stress. This site includes topics like: online learning, research and treatment manual.