Adaptation of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) is a necessary component of the implementation process. EBPs must be adapted to function with the constraints of real-world practice settings, providers’ expertise, and patients’ needs. The science of intervention adaptation is hungry for well-defined methods of EBP adaptation to guide decision making. A how-to guide for EBP adaptation titled MODIFI: Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation, is under development with NIMH funding (F32 MH116623). MODIFI will be disseminated via multiple strategies locally, nationally, and internationally. Dissemination of MODIFI will improve the practice of intervention adaptation by providing practitioners with a how-to guide that is (a) evidence-based, (b) usable, and (c) supported by the expert consensus of implementation practitioners and researchers.
Patient Population: Adults
Project WISE (Workplace Integrated Support & Education)
The overarching purpose of the research is to adapt and pilot test a technology-enhanced training for hospital nurses in the delivery of a suicide prevention intervention with patients hospitalized for medical reasons.
Project SARAH (Sexual Assault, Recovery & Hope)
Project SARAH is a randomized clinical trial providing treatment for PTSD and alcohol use in the first year following sexual assault for individuals who identify as female. The study aims to test 1) the role of fear and reward in recovery following sexual assault; 2) the efficacy of a PTSD vs an alcohol intervention for promoting recovery; and 3) the type and amount of intervention needed to best promote recovery (e.g., whether individuals need both PTSD and alcohol interventions and whether recovery is improved by intervening on PTSD or alcohol use first).
Accountable Communities of Health
AIMS Center staff and faculty are working with primary care and behavioral health partners in each ACH to train staff and providers on whole person care strategies. This includes training primary care practices to adopt the Collaborative Care model and/or Bree Behavioral Health Integration Recommendations and training community behavioral health agencies to address the physical health needs of their clients.
SPARC suicide prevention
New York State Collaborative Care Medicaid Program
Through partnership with New York-based practice coaches as well as its own expert clinician trainers, the AIMS Center supports effective practice change for behavioral health integration, planning for implementation of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), and providing behavioral health clinician training and technical support for New York Medicaid primary care providers.
Rural Mental Health Integration Initiative (RMHII)
The RMHII is a partnership between the AIMS Center and Premera Blue Cross to expand access to evidence-based mental health treatment in rural areas. The AIMS Center will lead clinic selection, training, technical assistance, and practice coaching for up to 30 primary care clinics in rural Washington and Alaska.
Gender Exploration of Neurogenetics and Development to Advanced Autism Research (GENDAAR 2.0)
The GENDAAR 2.0 study is part of the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE Network), which includes researchers from across the country. The main goal of this follow up study is to investigate the transition through adolescence and into young adulthood. We aim to identify sex differences in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and look at their brain development during this important transition. We will compare the data collected with individuals with ASD, to siblings of children with ASD and children with no family history of ASD. We will use a variety of methods: neuropsychological testing, EEG, fMRI, and genetics. By learning more about sex differences, we aim to improve techniques for diagnosis and interventions.
Connectivity in the Brain and Autism (COBRA) Study
The COBRA study seeks to identify the specific neural circuits that are altered in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our experiments test the strength of “divisive normalization”, a measure that describes how neurons in the brain suppress each other. Our hypothesis is that suppressive interactions are reduced in individuals with ASD. Because suppressive neural interactions are well understood in the visual system, we use it as a model system. Suppressive neural interactions are measured in response to precisely controlled visual stimuli with a variety of brain measures including functional MRI to index neural responses, diffusion MRI to describe their anatomical connections, and EEG to understand their dynamics.
The Life Enhancing Alcohol-management Program 2.0 (LEAP 2.0)
LEAP 2.0 builds on a longstanding partnership between the UW HaRRT Center and housing first residents, staff, and management of DESC. The pilot program was developed through a community based participatory research framework, and entails low-barrier, community-level, house-wide resident programming—including leadership opportunities, activities, and pathways to recovery. Results from the pilot indicated that LEAP participants reported more engagement in meaningful activities than their control counterparts. Further, higher levels of engagement with the LEAP predicted significant reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related harm. To build on these promising findings, in LEAP 2.0, we will be conducting a 10-site, cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess LEAPs impact on substance use, health, cost and service utilization, as well as quality of life outcomes.
