Implementation Science Pilot Background

Overview

SAMHSA, in collaboration with the NIMH and NIDA, has launched an implementation science initiative to facilitate the adoption, scaling and sustainment of evidence-based practices in CCBHCs. This CCBHC Implementation Science Pilot will create partnerships between researchers and providers that draw on implementation science to advance the quality of clinical care and behavioral health system performance and health outcomes for the patients being served.

Implementation science is a fundamental pathway to support the removal of barriers and promotion of facilitating factors related to the implementation of evidence-based practices across clinics in the public sector. The main goal of this project is to optimize access to and receipt of high-quality CCBHC service by all who need it.

This practice-based research initiative encourages research-practice partnerships between CCBHC grant recipients and researchers to identify strategies that promote continuous improvement of mental health and substance use care.

Pilot Participation

CCBHC-Planning, Development and Implementation (CCBHC-PDI) and CCBHC-Improvement and Advancement (CCBHC-IA) funding opportunities elected to participate in the pilot program. Participants are in various stages of program development, including securing research partners, developing proposals and securing research funding and implementing their research.

This database was developed to facilitate the generation of partnerships between CCBHCs and researchers, as well as partnerships among CCBHCs who want to collaborate and partner with a common researcher. Importantly, this database also provides information on pilot program participants — including those still seeking research partners — status of the program, research areas of focus/interest, research questions and objectives and more detailed project summaries. The database serves as a forum for potential research partners and other interested parties to access pilot participant information and engage with CCBHCs in exploration of partnerships.

Pilot Program Support

In recognition of the potential for effective research practice partnerships to advance care delivery for people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, SAMHSA, NIMH and NIDA and the CCBHC-Expansion Grantee National Training and Technical Assistance Center have joined to support participants in developing research partnerships and implementing their research pilots through group-based learning and technical assistance activities.

To help facilitate the partnerships between CCBHCs and researchers, as well as to create avenues for research proposals and funding, NIMH and NIDA have issued a Notice of Special Interest. The notice, as well as the implementation science pilot, focuses on projects that will support the adoption and sustainability of evidence-based practices in community-based settings that deliver care to people with complex behavioral health needs.