The dissemination of Evidence-Based Treatments into everyday clinical practice is not an unplanned process, but requires focused efforts. That is where implementation science comes in. We had a conversation with new AIM Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. Rinad Beidas, about her career as an implementation science researcher and where she sees the trajectory of youth mental health.
Rinad, welcome to the AIM team! We are so happy to have you as part of AIM’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Thank you, I’m thrilled to be on the Board!
Can you start by telling me about where you work and your area of research?
I’m the Founding Director of the Penn Implementation Science Center (PISCE@LDI) and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Medical Ethics and Health Policy; and Medicine, and a clinical psychologist, at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
My research focuses on advancing the study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of evidence-based practices into routine clinical care to improve the quality and effectiveness of health and behavioral health services. Much of my work over the past decade has focused on implementing evidence-based practices for young people within the mental health care delivery system in Philadelphia.
That sounds incredible! What exactly is Implementation Science?
Said simply, implementation science is about impact and moving the needle in health or mental health – or ensuring that all of these great scientific discoveries we have made, are easily available and have impact on the populations for which they were developed.
Why did you choose to specialize in this field?
I trained in Phil Kendall’s lab as a graduate student. Phil had developed an effective cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for pediatric anxiety called the Coping Cat. I started to notice a pattern such that many of the young people who came to our clinic had visited clinicians in the community and not had received CBT. I began to wonder why CBT was not available in the community and it completely reshaped my career trajectory!
** Philip C. Kendall is Distinguished University Professor and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology, Director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Temple University, and clinical child and adolescent psychologist. **
How have you seen mental health challenges change in the last 5 years? In the last few months with the pandemic?
The pandemic has shown a spotlight on the global mental health crisis for young people. In the US, our suicide rates have increased over the past decade, and the mental health of our population has declined. My hope is that this is an opportunity to funnel needed resources and attention to prevention and intervention.
Where do you see blind spots in the youth mental health research field?
My hope is that all research be informed by principles of implementation science, even basic neuroscience. If we do not include end users in our research, then we limit the eventual acceptability and feasibility of these approaches in the real world, thus reifying the research-to-practice gap. My hope is that teams studying youth mental health all include someone with training in implementation science to enhance the eventual impact of the work.
What (if anything) are you excited about for the future of youth mental health research?
I’m excited about the following areas:
(1) The increased emphasis and awareness of the importance of implementation science in youth mental health research
(2) Innovative models of delivering care such as single session interventions, led by Dr. Jessica Schleider and colleagues
(3) Health equity and reducing mental health disparities in Black young people as a new focal point of priority for the field
Anything that you would like to share that you are working on right now?
I am very excited about a new R01 trial, funded by the NIMH, and in partnership with Henry Ford Health System and Kaiser Permanente Colorado, to implement firearm safety promotion in pediatric primary care as a universal suicide prevention strategy. This work is the culmination of several years of research to understand how best to implement this evidence-based practice that includes the voices of many stakeholders.
How do you measure the impact of your work?
For me, the impact of my work is measured by whether it is translated into practice and policy and if it amplifies the voice of all stakeholders involved.
What attracted you to join AIM’s Scientific Advisory Board?
Given my area of research, I was attracted to AIM’s mission and incredibly impressed by the set of colleagues on the Scientific Advisory Board who are influential thought leaders in the field.
How important is the work AIM does? Why do you think AIM’s mission is important?
Mission critical. As I noted above, we are currently in a global mental health crisis which is most acutely affecting young people and exacerbated by the pandemic. An organization focused on investing in the mental health of young people both via research and community engagement is exactly what we need to start addressing this crisis.
Interview by Sydney Stilwell
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Dr. Guss is a 35-year veteran educator with a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She served as a classroom teacher for 10 years, including two years as a teacher in a bilingual program in South Central Los Angeles. She has also served as a college professor, mentor teacher for new teachers, and a master teacher for teacher candidates completing their student teaching experience. She continues to be a strong advocate for the teaching profession.
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Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marina High School in Marina, CA. Her academic interests include math, history, and psychology. She joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 because she wanted to be a part of something that could have a great impact on her community. Marwa is interested in youth mental health because she has always been fascinated with the human mind and she wants to support those that are suffering who may feel like their challenges in life aren’t important enough or are too afraid to seek necessary help.
Giovanna Panetta is a 16 year old junior at Carmel High School. She has always been called to STEM subjects, specifically biology. The AIM Ideas Lab instantly attracted her attention as a research opportunity. Gia has always comprehended the importance of mental health. She knows that COVID only exacerbated previously existing problems, and that as a community we can try and find the root of those problems. Mental health is an integral part of life, and can impede a body’s ability to be healthy. She strongly believes that life is worth living, and she wants to help anyone that thinks otherwise.
Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). She has received training in evidence-based interventions for a variety of specific problems, including exposure with response prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for treatment of PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. In addition, Dr. Friedman has developed an expertise in research on Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors, which has led to numerous local and national presentations. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.
Dr. Piacentini is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He directs the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic and Tourette Association Center of Excellence which provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment (both therapy and medication) for youth with the above problems. He also directs the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilence, Education, and Support (CARES; carescenter.ucla.edu) which provides education and programming to parents, teachers, and clinicians about anxiety prevention and management.
Citlalli Nava is 18 years old and a first year majoring in Psychology at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She is passionate about understanding how mental health affects how youth think, act, and feel. Citlalli joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 after witnessing the increase in mental health challenges in teenagers and considering the mental health issues they are facing. Citlalli is interested in youth mental health because it is a real problem faced by her generation.
Clinical and community psychologist and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. With more than 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as members, APA promotes and disseminates psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives – a mission consistent with Evans’ life work.
