Implementation teams were created following the second Bridging the Gap Symposium in 2008. These groups of providers, family members, community leaders, consumers and others worked to turn the pilot programs recommended by the Learning Communities into reality. The following is a list of the teams, the recommended pilot program and progress to date.

 

Trauma/ PTSD Implementation Team  

Pilot: Train the community in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and create a Trauma Assessment and Referral Process (TARP)

Results

• 54 individuals from 13 agencies, 2 hospitals, one private therapist have been trained in TF-CBT
• The trained providers participated in a national research study conducted by Dr. Molly Lopez of the University of Texas at Austin, to determine the effectiveness of the training and its follow-up components.

Pervasive Development Disorders Implementation Team 

Pilot: Create an Autism Resource Center to include education, screening and referral to services.

Results 

• Cook Children’s Physician Network has agreed to reimburse its 250+ physicians for screening for autism of infants at ages 18 and 24 months

At Risk/Prevention Implementation Team 

Pilot: Develop a comprehensive five-year plan for enhancing the cultural competence of the mental health provider community. 

Results

• Fifty agency executives and 75 practitioners have been trained in the California Brief Multi-Cultural Scale.
• Seven area providers have completed the train-the-trainer program, and are now ready to expand the CBMCS training throughout the community.
• ACCESS, a team of those who have been trained in CBMCS and other interested members of the community, meets monthly to determine needs and next steps in enhancing the cultural competence of mental health providers in the community.

Addictions

Pilot: Develop a High School Alcohol Diversion Program, based on a Campus Drug Court model. This program would offer students with alcohol violations an alternative to being removed from their home schools and placed at alternative schools. The program would provide campus-based screening, assessment, intervention, and – if necessary – a referral to residential treatment.

Results

• Stay on TRAC (Treatment, Responsibility and Accountability on Campus) is scheduled to roll out at all four high schools in the Keller ISD in September 2010.
• Short-term and long-term evaluation will help the school district and Mental Health Connection determine whether the initiative should be expanded to other forms of substance abuse. Four Mental Health Connection member agencies are providing services at no cost during the pilot year:

  • ACH Child and Family Services
  • Lena Pope Home
  • Santa Fe Youth Services
  • MHMR of Tarrant County Youth Recovery Campus

Internalizing/Externalizing Disorders

Externalizing Disorders Pilot: “Quest for Competency” to help eliminate barriers and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery through research, practice and policy for Tarrant County. This effort focuses on: Gaining understanding and skill in implementing core components of proven practices Utilizing experts to train a broad range of practitioners in the use of these practices Promoting consistent implementation across agencies/entities.

Internalizing Disorders Pilot: Implement a countywide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certification (CBT)/Training Program.

Results:

Because both of these pilot programs revolves around training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the two teams were combined. They are currently working with experts to determine the best way to bring CBT training to Tarrant County.