The Practice Guidelines Initiative will build consensus among consumers, families, providers, and the Department of Mental Health's Divisions of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, and Developmental Disabilities to identify treatment, services, supports, and approaches that are the most appropriate, effective and efficient for the individuals we serve.
Our goal is that Missouri's Practice Guidelines will provide consumers, families, and practitioners with guidance on the delivery of critical services and supports. The guidelines will not be directives. Nor will they discourage the development of individualized treatment, services, supports and approaches to meet the unique needs of each consumer. Instead, they will offer reasonable and acceptable choices within available and effective alternatives. The guidelines will promote recovery, self-determination and choice. Consumers and families will be involved in every stage of development and implementation. Based upon evolving knowledge and experience, the guidelines themselves will change over time.
Practice guidelines will be based on scientific evidence to the extent that it is available. Of equal importance is broad consensus among consumers, families, and clinicians regarding the efficacy and appropriateness of service/support options. Final recommendations for practice guidelines must be consistent with the values of these and other Department of Mental Health stakeholder groups.
The Steering Committee is chaired by Daniel Winship, M.D., Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs, University of Missouri Health Sciences Center, Columbia, and Rob Hornstra, Jr., M.D., Medical Director, Western Missouri Mental Health Center, Kansas City, to lead this effort.
The current membership includes:
- Carolyn Allen, LCSW, Childrens Outpatient, Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center
- Toni Ansboro, Distinguished Department of Mental Health volunteer
- Allyson Ashley, LCSW, Chief of Operations, Pathways Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.
- Carl Calkins, Ph.D., Director of the UMKC Institute for Human Development
- Fran Joy, R.N., Alcohol and Drug Abuse Unit Director, Fulton State Hospital
- Daniel R. Longo, Sc.D., Professor, Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri Health Services Center
- Judith Miles, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University School of Medicine
- Carol North, M.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Washington University, School of Medicine
- Susan Wilson, Ph.D., Mental Health Director, Swope Parkway Health Center
The Steering Committee is developing a process that will ultimately involve many people in developing best practice guidelines. Initial areas for development of practice guidelines are:
- Screening and assessment
- Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders
- Children and adolescent medication practices
- Methods for supporting recovery, self determination and choice
- Co-occurring mental health and developmental disabilities
Individual practice guidelines will be drafted by research/writing teams that will review the available research, solicit expert opinion and take into account Department of Mental Health values on the specific topics. If you wish to be considered for appointment to one of these five (5) initial groups, please call Sue Kremer at 573/751-3035 by September 29, 2000. Please share this information with others you think may be interested. Research/writing team members will need to be able to make a significant time commitment for several months, but in return will have the opportunity of making a difference in the quality of care and services. Please give particular consideration to consumers of mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability services to nominate for appointment.
Joseph Parks, M.D. (573/751-2794), Andrew L. Homer, Ph.D. (573/882-9920), and Patti Killingsworth (573/751-8667) to lead Department of Mental Health staff in support of the Steering Committee. Robyn Boustead (573/884-2029) is the MIMH liaison to the Steering Committee. Please feel free to contact them if you have any questions or suggestions regarding Missouri's Practice Guidelines Initiative.