Staff turnover in behavioral healthcare organizations has always been a challenge for sustaining service innovations that improve quality of life and other outcomes for people diagnosed with severe mental illness and addiction to alcohol, tobacco, opioids, and other drugs. The Center for Evidence-Based Practices at Case Western Reserve University celebrates its 20th Anniversary helping service systems and organizations advance workforce development to support and sustain best practices that improve quality of life and other outcomes for individuals and families. / The Center is supported by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) has developed the Expedited SSI & SSDI Program as a way to reduce the processing time of applications for disability determination for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. OhioMHAS is training community-based behavioral health providers in the state about the program, so they may assist eligible individuals. Ohio providers may request an in-person training from OhioMHAS to take place at their organizations.

The State of Ohio continues to expand its commitment to employment for people with severe mental illness, and the Center for Evidence-Based Practices is helping to make this happen with consulting and evaluation services and a statewide training initiative. The training series is designed for organizations implementing Supported Employment/Individual Placement and Support (SE/IPS), the evidence-based practice. The series is supported by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. / Next up: September 29 & 30, 2016 in Columbus, OH.

The State of Ohio is expanding its commitment to employment for people with severe mental illness and is turning to its Ohio Supported Employment Coordinating Center of Excellence at the Center for Evidence-Based Practices to help make this happen. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has received a five-year Transforming Lives through Supported Employment grant from SAMHSA as part of a national initiative to increase use of this evidence-based practice.

Some popular topics being featured in 48 workshops during our EBP Conference 2014. / Today's Spotlight! / Veterans Affairs in Ohio implements integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness and presents five challenges and solutions  for systems change + Learn why effective team leadership includes more than supervision + Discover clinical solutions for the complexities of co-occurring disorders.

Our Center presents an important training that provides an introduction to the effects of substance use and abuse on emotion, cognition, behavior, and employment. It explores stages of behavior and things to say and not say when encouraging individuals through a process of personal change. Increase housing stability among people with mental illness and substance use disorders. The training occurs on multiple dates at multiple locations throughout Ohio. This series is supported by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS).

Our EBP conference featured a keynote plenary about the transformation of health and human services in Ohio and 49 workshops to improve the integration, management, and delivery of services to adults and adolescents with mental illness and substance use disorders. The event took place Oct 22 & 23. Our Center also presented Champion Awards to three outstanding organizations. Certificates of attendance and CEUs have been mailed. Free PDFs of many presentations are available online.

Our Center presented its 2012 Champion Awards to three organizations that have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to implementing EBPs and improving access to quality care in their communities. The organizations are Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (EBP Champion); Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Stark County (IDDT Champion); and Cleveland Sight Center (SE/IPS Champion).

An analysis of employment data from23 behavioral healthcare organizations in Ohio shows that 36 percent of people with serious mental illness who received evidence-based Supported Employment/Individual Placement and Support (SE/IPS) services were competitively employed in full-time or part-time jobs in September 2011. The number is significant, because the national average was 37 percent in that same month for similar services delivered at multiple organizations in 12 states as part of the Johnson & Johnson-Dartmouth Community Mental Health Program.

If you or others you know are interested in earning a master's degree in social work and pursuing a career in clinical leadership for evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for vulnerable populations, contact the Leadership Fellows Program at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Qualified candidates with a bachelor's degree in any discipline will be considered. Study full time for two years. Full scholarships available.