The Perfect Storm: Collision of the Business of Mental Health and the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices

Abstract

Financing has been hypothesized to be an important driver of the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), yet there has been little systematic investigation of financing as a factor in EBP implementation. This column presents findings from a qualitative study of the effects of financial factors on the implementation of EBPs in a large urban publicly funded mental health system. Interviews with 33 agency leaders and 16 policy makers identified financial distress in community mental health agencies, leading to concerns about complex and expensive implementation of EBPs. Stakeholders agreed that the cost of EBP implementation should be shared between the agencies and the system; however, the stakeholders did not agree on how EBPs should be financed.