Comprehensive Clinical Assessment in Rural Massachusetts: 24 Month MAPNET Data Collection Outcomes

Cassidy Lewis, BA (1), Betty DeAngelis, LICSW (1), Melissa Weise, LICSW, PhD (1, 2), John Knutsen, PhD (1,3)

1. ServiceNet Inc., Northampton, MA
2. School of Social Work, Smith College
3. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Abstract

Background: Located in Holyoke, MA, Prevention and Recovery in Early Psychosis-West (PREP) is a Department of Mental Health (DMH)-licensed coordinated specialty care (CSC) program for individuals living with early psychosis. PREP provides intensive, comprehensive, evidence-based outpatient milieu treatment for young adults to stabilize their lives, recover, and resume developmentally appropriate social and role functioning in their communities. To further support evidence-based treatment and care, and state-wide early psychosis collaboration efforts, PREP also practices clinical measurement-based care by collecting and sharing standardized data as a Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET) partner using baseline and routine six-month follow-up assessments with clients until discharge. Here we provide updates on collecting client assessment data at PREP over the past two years, highlighting successes and challenges of collecting these data in a large underserved rural community setting.
Methods: Descriptive analyses were used to explore data from electronic health records for all PREP clients who received services in the two years. As we are at the 23-month mark for assessment collection, we specifically examined client demographics and who received the MAPNET assessment battery at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 18-months.
Results: For the 59 clients enrolled at PREP between 09/01/2021 and 09/01/2023: 18-mo follow-up assessment n=7 (12%); 12-mo n=2 (3%); 6-mo n=12 (20%); and baseline n=19 (32%). Eighteen (44%) clients have been discharged, and 8 of the 41 (19.5%) active clients have not received the assessment battery at any timepoint.
Conclusion: Competent clinical measurement-based care continues to be carried out at PREP using a comprehensive quantitative assessment battery to help measure client progress. As a CSC clinic in rural MA, however, limited resources, decreased clinician time, and staffing challenges hampers data collection. Heightened resource allocation efforts, continued development with local and regional academic partners, and increased staff support will help improve collection and subsequent care.