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Values-Driven Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Family Services

In 2001 The CiMH Center for Child and Family Services launched its first efforts to support the availability of services based upon practices that have strong research support. This has grown to become the CiMH Values-Driven Evidence-Based Practices Initiative. This initiative is designed to increase the availability of mental health practices supported by research – evidence-based practices – and is guided by the following principles:

  • Consumers, family members, service providers, managers, administrators and all members of our communities should have information regarding the effectiveness of particular mental health practices to assure fully informed decision making. 
  • The adoption of new practices must take into account many significant priorities unique to its context; however, it should prioritize consumer and family choice, cultural competency, and practices with scientific research supporting their effectiveness. Community, agency, and personal values must guide the process of selecting to implement and/or participate in an evidence-based practice. 
  • Effective implementation processes, which adequately support practitioners, managers, and administrators, are key to improving quality of practices offered to consumers of mental health services.

CIMH Center for Child & Family Services and Cathie Wright Center Values-Driven Evidence-based Practices Overview

The CIMH Caring for Foster Youth Project, supported by the Zellerbach Family Foundation, published the report Evidence-based Practices in Mental Health Services for Foster Youth in March 2002. This report outlined and organized the best research information available at the time, regarding the mental health needs of children in foster care as well as the state of research in the area of mental health services for this population. 

As a result of interest in applying the information contained in the monograph, the CiMH Center for Child and Family Services and Cathie Wright Center initiated the Juvenile Justice & Child Welfare Technical Assistance Project. Supported by The California Endowment, California Wellness Foundation, and Zellerbach Family Foundation, this project approached Children’s Systems of Care across the state, beginning the first implementations of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) in California, and the first cohort of Functional Family Therapy (FFT) sites. 

Learning from these early experiences, CiMH refined its approach to supporting model adherent establishment of practices, resulting in the Community Development Team (CDT) Model for implementation. CiMH/CWTAC partnered with the University of Washington to train the first cohort of Incredible Years (IY) BASIC Parenting Facilitators in 2004. Ensuing support from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation to improve juvenile justice mental health programming with the adoption of Teaching Prosocial Skills (TPS), as well as interest in cognitive behavioral therapies such as the Depression Treatment Quality Improvement (DTQI) model and Trauma-Focused CBT (TF CBT). 

DMH supported MHSA training sponsored the first CiMH High Fidelity Wraparound Project implementation in California. in 2006. And in 2006 through a contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, CIMH is assisting with the multisite implementation of Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST), FFT, MTFC, IY, and TF CBT. These projects, along with growth in interest of private and county agencies have guided a steady increase of model adherent EBP implementation in California.