EBP TIMES July 2009

The problem was first recognized (in the late 1980’s) in conjunction with an increase in the number of inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations. Senior management at the agency began researching and evaluating program data to determine the cause of the increase. The active use of substances was found to be a contributor. This process of problem recognition at Thresholds contains key components for addressing such issues. First, the agency was examining critical outcomes with an eye toward how such information could lead to potential programmatic changes. Second, and relatedly, when negative outcomes were found the agency did not make assumptions about the cause and did not assume that simple, so-called “common-sense” modifications to their treatment-as-usual service provision would successfully address the problem. The agency methodically explored the data to determine what was contributing to the problem.