Implementing Measurement-Informed Mental Health Care

In most areas of medicine, consistently measuring and reviewing symptoms and functioning is routine. It would be unusual, for example, to visit a primary care physician and not hear your blood pressure reading. Yet, the mental health care field has been slower to apply the regular use of measurement in treatment. In late 2022, SAMHSA released a brief report outlining the landscape of measurement-based care in mental health settings and emphasized its potential benefits for treatment quality and outcomes.

Pamela Mattel, LCSW, CEO of Coordinated Behavioral Care, one of the five organizations, reflected on the experience: “While our key takeaways seem common sense, it is profound to experience mutual learning amongst clients, staff and supervisors. Our commitment to co-design shifted the process from a staff-imposed task to an engaging and supportive activity with clients.” The work strengthened interactions with both staff and patients (clients). Mattel explains, “Using data to track outcomes and guide improvements accelerated data-informed decision-making with and for clients. We modeled [the approach that] ‘all communication is valuable feedback,’ which helped everyone be curious rather than feeling judged. This approach brought to light greater perspective on person-centered care!”