North Carolina Practice Improvement Collaborative

NC PIC Meeting, November 9, 2011 Wrap-up

CMorgan — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:50:22 +0000

The working relationship between the NC Department of Corrections and the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SA) has been growing in strength and meaning for many years. While the importance of this working relationship was promoted by Flo Stein, Chief, Community Policy Management, DMH/DD/SAS, it has become a promising reality thanks to the efforts of team leader Sonya Brown and her justice systems innovations team. There is an obvious relationship between state correctional systems and public healthcare systems. In every State across the U.S., inmates are released from prison into a given community. Despite this inevitable daily event, links between correctional systems and community behavioral health service systems are often poorly established or ignored altogether. The importance of these relationships has not been ignored by crucial leaders from the two agencies, Steve Jordan and Tracy Little. Moreover, the strengths of these working relationships were further realized last week as key stakeholders from the NC PIC, the Division, and NCDOC met to discuss evidence-based practices in correctional settings and current legislation that promotes positive transitions from one setting to another while simultaneously working to reduce recidivism.

The meeting started with Ms. Brown introducing the most recognized researcher in correctional psychological science in the world, Dr. Paul Gendreau. Dr. Gendreau opened with a comprehensive review of the history of treatment and treatment philosophies in correctional settings. He followed this review with a detailed look at the benchmark studies that have shaped the discipline and the evidence we have to date on “what works and doesn’t work”. He closed with recommendations for the future and addressed questions from NC PIC members and guests. The two key recommendations that Dr. Gendreau proposed is that systems must be committed to employing evidence-based practices and that systems must stop using rehabilitation models that do not work.

Steve Jordan, Director of DMH/DD/SAS opened the afternoon session with a discussion on Justice Reinvestment and the importance of continued emphasis on what works in communities across NC. He introduced Representative David Guice who discussed a legislative act he championed, the Justice Reinvestment Act. Of note, Representative Guice was elected to the NC House of Representative in 2008 after a 30-year career in corrections. The Deputy Secretary of NCDOC, Tracy Little, followed Rep. Guice’s general review of HB642 with a detailed assessment of the implications of this new legislation and how it will impact specific domains within the system.

Speaker Presentations

Paul Gendreau, OC, PhD

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Rep. David Guice and Tracy Little

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Meeting Agenda

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RSVP for November 9, 2011 NC PIC Meeting

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:02:58 +0000

NC PIC Meeting, September 19, 2011 Wrap-up

CMorgan — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:22:28 +0000

Thank you to all of the NC PIC members and friends of the NC PIC that were able to join us for our September 19, 2011 NC PIC Meeting that featured 4 exceptional speakers. Copies of the meeting agenda and the speaker presentations are available below. Minutes for the afternoon meetings will be posted soon.

Speaker Presentations:

Dr. Terri Shelton, a PIC member herself, reviewed the criteria associated with practices identified as evidence based and she reviewed the resources available to NC providers seeking to learn and offer evidence based techniques to the children they work with.

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Charla Suggs presented on the innovative criminal justice model, Thinking for Change. This is a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention that guides participants toward the change process using cognitive restructuring and reframing.

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Dr. Claire Collie presented on Evidence Based Practices that are recognized by the VA. EBPs of note included Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression.

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Dr. Nancy Razza presented on the specific needs and problems that people with mental health problems and intellectual disabilities face. Included is an excellent field study that examined the trials and tribulations of more than 4,000 persons born between 1959 and 1965 at intervals of 1,3,4,7,8, and 30 years.

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During the afternoon session of the DD NC PIC meeting, Dr. Nancy Razza examined the relationship between Trauma and Limbic Regulation as this relates to psychotherapy and the treatment of abused populations.

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Meeting Agenda:

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SA8 – Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Addiction

admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, suppresses opioid withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of other opioids. There are 2 preparations: buprenorphine alone and a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone (an opioid antagonist). As with other medication assisted treatment, buprenorphine treatment should be combined with psychosocial treatment.

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MH7 – Evidence Based Identification and Treatment of TBI

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:00:36 +0000

The presence, degree of severity, and functional implications of brain injuries are one of the most daunting tasks a clinician serving military service members will face. While there are many established relationships between areas of the brain and neuro-function, each person’s cerebral response and recovery to a traumatic brain injury event is unique. Best practices associated with the identification and treatment of TBI is clear: Timely access and provision of services. This bulletin highlights data on TBI and offers readers a guide to key resources.

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