It is still hard to find training in measurement-based care (MBC) because there is not one single national or professional training source to turn to yet—a gap that APA and others are trying to address. In the meantime, options for training include accessing online training modules, purchasing MBC platforms with a training element, hiring a measurement consultant, and working in a health system that provides training.
Experts also advise clinicians to:
Involve patients in the approach. An important step in implementing MBC is telling patients why they are filling out questionnaires. Otherwise, they may end up confused or resistant, said Jessica Barber, PhD, cofounder of the Yale Measurement Based Care Collaborative, a hub for measurement research, resources, and training. “We want to make sure that patients understand what we’re doing with these assessment tools—how we’ll be using them together, and how they’re informing our treatment—so they can see that this is really an active part of their intervention,” she said.
Choose a platform carefully. Experts advise choosing a platform that offers the most practical features for one’s practice. For example, some platforms flag the therapist when there is a significant clinical change, while others provide links to salient research and information on how to respond to various score changes.
Form a supervision group. A group of colleagues using MBC can hire a coach to discuss problems, work on different treatment scenarios, and learn from one another, suggested Robbie Babins-Wagner, PhD, a pioneer in agency-based MBC. Tech tools can enhance some of this work, Babins-Wagner added. Her staff uses Skillsetter, software that helps them practice therapy skills shown to characterize the most effective therapists.
Other resources include:
- PCOMs (Partners for Change Outcome Measurement System): a manualized system that includes assessing the therapeutic alliance as well as domains that address social and interpersonal functioning.
- Yale Measurement Based Care Collaborative: MBC training videos, resources, and research.
- Greenspace Health: wraparound services to help mental health systems and clinicians implement MBC.
- Measurement-Based Care: Guiding treatment and improving outcomes using the tools you already have: an online training through the University of Buffalo.
- Making Therapy Better: aimed at educating clinicians, patients, and researchers about MBC.
- International Center for Clinical Excellence: a global network that promotes excellence in behavioral health care through feedback-informed treatment and deliberate practice.
[Related: Measurement-based care: A transformative approach to treatment]
