LSU: New Center for Evidence to Practice

On June 19th, 2019 the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Louisiana Board of Regents approved the Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Behavioral Health at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-School of Public Health, New Orleans, as an Academic Center.

The Center for Evidence to Practice is a collaboration between Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Public Health and the Louisiana Department of Health – Office of Behavioral Health. Their mission is to support the state and its agencies, organizations, communities, and providers in the selection and implementation of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) to promote youth and family well-being, improve behavioral health outcomes, and to address challenges related to sustaining quality practice.

The need for a Behavioral Health Evidence-Based Practice Center was demonstrated in the 2017 Louisiana Behavioral Health Provider Survey of Youth Related Services. This statewide survey, funded by the Office of Behavioral Health and executed by Dr. Stephen Phillippi, found less than 60 percent of the mental health services delivered under Medicaid coverage were reporting utilizing an evidence-based practice, and even fewer providers reporting the adoption of key research supported components, like written training curricula, structured supervision, fidelity monitoring, and manualized treatment.  Thus, the Center for Evidence to Practice was created in hopes of bridging gaps and to bring more evidence-based behavioral health practices to communities across the state of Louisiana.

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