Newport Healthcare, a national network of evidence-based treatment programs for teens and young adults with primary mental health disorders, is pleased to announce the launch of its new Center for Research and Innovation. The Center merges research and data collection with clinical practice to advance mental health treatment efficacy.
“Millions of adolescents and young adults are impacted by mental health concerns each year, and that vast number is doubled and tripled by the number of caregivers and communities impacted,” says the Center’s Senior Director, Michael Roeske, PsyD. “Given how important treatment can be, how pivotal these experiences are for so many individuals and families, and the severity of what we see as a crisis in adolescent and young adult mental health, there is surprisingly little research on outcomes. The Center will play a vital role in supporting Newport Healthcare’s mission to provide results-driven, state-of-the-art mental health care and to advance the field as a whole.”
The Newport Healthcare Center for Research and Innovation seeks to expand understanding of the needs of young people with mental health disorders, improve patient outcomes, and support professional development opportunities. As one of the few institutions of its kind, the Center firmly establishes Newport as a prominent thought leader in the adolescent and young adult mental health field and an innovator in bridging science and clinical practice.
The Center was born out of Newport’s five years of outcomes research with third-party institutions and ongoing collaboration with Drexel University’s Center for Family Intervention Science and Director Guy Diamond, PhD, co-model developer of Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), the framework for Newport’s family therapy model. The Center will prioritize treatment outcomes measurement and reporting by utilizing industry-established assessment tools, which also allows for continual evaluation and enhancement of Newport’s family-based, whole-person approach.
“The idea of the Center also emerged from the desire to utilize Newport’s resources and large data sets for the betterment of all,” says Dr. Roeske. “The development of a body of research provides validation and credibility for mental health treatment and therefore supports relationships between treatment programs and accrediting organizations, licensing bodies, and insurance payers, ultimately increasing treatment accessibility so that individuals can get the help they need, when they need it.”
Significant findings will be submitted for publication in multidisciplinary journals and presentations at national conferences. An online archive of treatment-related research and resources is also being considered, to help facilitate and disseminate the work of experts and to be a source for scholarly study and field-advancing knowledge.
Professional development opportunities for staff expand on Newport’s current robust clinical training program and may include working with the Center as part of a thesis or dissertation requirement, presenting at a conference or continuing education event, or participating in an “idea share.”
Dr. Roeske, a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked and studied in a variety of treatment settings including his prior position as Executive Director of Newport Academy Connecticut, will lead the Center. He is a trained assessor, supervisor, clinical director, educator, presenter, and operator of treatment programs, and now a pioneer in furthering mental health research and innovation.
For more information about Newport Healthcare, its outcomes research, and the new Center for Research and Innovation, visit NewportHealthcare.com.