Overview
Mental health and substance abuse are significant health issues in New York State. Addressing these issues is one of the major priority areas of the State Department of Health’s Prevention Agenda 2013-2017, the state’s public health improvement plan. Half of the 58 local health departments (LHDs) in New York State have committed to the promotion of mental health and prevention of substance abuse as a major focus for local action. Working collaboratively with nonprofit hospitals and other partners in their counties, the 29 LHDs have developed community health improvement plans that rely on evidence-based interventions to promote mental health and prevent substance abuse. This Quick Strike project is identifying process and outcome measures to monitor the quality of these interventions. Experts in the mental health and substance abuse fields, in collaboration with local practitioners, are providing input on the feasibility and challenges of using the measures to assess the impact of evidence-based interventions. The research team is also exploring how the partnerships are adapting evidence-based interventions in their local communities. A meeting will be held with LHD staff and their partners working on this priority to provide support to their local implementation efforts. The project will result in uniform criteria and protocols for using these measures in monitoring community-based strategies in the future.
Research Areas
Contact Us
Sean Haley, Ph.D., M.P.H.
SJHaley@brooklyn.cuny.edu
David Shern, Ph.D.
dshern@mentalhealthamerica.net
Christopher Maylahn, M.P.H.
christopher.maylahn@health.ny.gov