Cohen Veterans Network Releases White Paper with Recommendations to Advance the Use of Standardized Mental Health Benchmarks

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Jun 28, 2023, 10:02 ET

CVN Launches Measurement-Based Care Training Toolkit Available to the Field at No-Cost

STAMFORD, Conn., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Routine outcomes monitoring (ROM) and measurement-based care (MBC) have been shown to improve mental health outcomes. Yet, despite repeated calls for widespread adoption their use in clinical practice remains the exception within the U.S. mental health care system. Now, in Establishing Benchmarks for Outpatient Mental Health Care: A Call to Action with Consensus Recommendations, a new white paper released today, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-for-profit network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families, provides recommendations on how to best advance the use of standardized benchmarks and MBC throughout the field of mental health.

"CVN is committed to advancing the field for all Americans as our nation faces unprecedented mental health challenges," says Cohen Veterans Network President & CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. "We hope this white paper serves as a call to action for our colleagues across the field to mobilize around the use of standardized benchmarks. In doing so, we have an opportunity to improve treatment efficacy, support mental health parity and further transform the lives of the individuals we treat."

The white paper captures key findings and recommendations from CVN's National Leadership Summit on Outpatient Mental Health Benchmarks held in October 2022 in Washington, D.C., during which a broad cross-section of leaders from across the mental health landscape convened to identify barriers and implementation challenges as well as actionable solutions related to the advancement of ROM and MBC.

Findings from the summit and highlights from the white paper will be presented today in a webinar, Advancing the Field Through Behavioral Health Benchmarks: A Call to Action with Consensus Recommendations, at 12pm EDT hosted by Behavioral Health Business. Participants will learn about a range of recommendations from experts across the field in the areas of policy, practice, research, and training.

"The consensus recommendations detailed in the white paper have been developed in collaboration with some of the best minds in the behavioral health field," says CVN-IQ Director Dr. David Linkh. "We are so thankful to all of our partners who joined us in this effort, and we are thrilled to be sharing our findings, which can significantly impact how we deliver mental health care in America."

In conjunction with the release of the white paper, the network has launched the CVN Measurement-Based Care Training Toolkit, a comprehensive set of training materials designed to help mental health professionals incorporate measures to enhance the quality of care. It is available at no-cost.

"Our MBC Training Toolkit has been thoughtfully designed to help clinicians within CVN and across the field of behavioral health incorporate measures into routine clinical care," says CVN Sr. Director of Clinical Practice and Training Dr. Stephanie Renno. "With the use of these assets, mental health professionals have an opportunity to enhance their clinical practice and further develop client-focused, customized care."

Since its inception in 2016, CVN has treated more than 53,000 clients. The network provides evidence-based therapies to post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and military family members through its 24 Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics across the country. Treatment is available for a wide variety of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, anger, PTSD, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship concerns, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

The white paper and executive summary can be found here.

ABOUT COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN at cohenveteransnetwork.org.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network