RECOUP - NY
Restoring mental health after COVID-19 through community-based psychological services in NYC
THE VISION.
We are launching a 5 year research study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to test the value of Problem Management Plus (PM+) in promoting the mental health of New Yorkers from communities hard-hit by COVID-19. This project will train trusted staff at local community-based organizations to deliver PM+ with the dual goal of (a) building capacity within community-based and social service organizations to address mental healthcare needs and (b) reducing barriers to mental healthcare by integrating culturally sensitive, evidence-based mental health support into existing systems of care. We believe task-sharing provides a critical avenue to empower communities with training and resources to ensure those most in need of support are being reached.
THE PROBLEMS.
There are many barriers to seeking and receiving quality mental health care in the US, and the treatment gap disproportionately impacts marginalized groups.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
TO HELP BUILD A MORE EQUITABLE MENTAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
Task-sharing = Equity + Access
Providers from the same communities as their clients often share culture and lived experience and are more readily viewed as trusted helpers. In task-sharing models of mental health support, like PM+, people without a professional background or a formal education in mental health are taught the necessary skills to support members of their own community experiencing emotional distress. PM+ empowers people with evidence-based strategies, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, to manage their problems and increase emotional wellbeing.
“PM+ delivered by lay people increases the opportunity for it to be received. People of color and [those] concerned with their immigration status are always concerned about going to a doctor… PM+ allows [everyone] to receive some care and not have to engage with that closed system.”
- PM+ Helper, NYC
STUDY
DESIGN.
The RECOUP-NY team is conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial that tests the acceptability and effectiveness of PM+ in New York City to support communities facing systemic barriers to mental healthcare. Staff at community-based organization offices located across the city will be trained to provide PM+. Their delivery of PM+ to New Yorkers will be compared with standard care in offices where clients participate in care as usual and PM+ is not implemented.
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
PM+ Offices
Staff at 20 offices trained to deliver
PM+ to clients experiencing distress
Standard Care Offices
20 offices where clients experiencing distress are provided care as usual
STUDY
OBJECTIVES.
Create evidence on the safety, acceptability, effectiveness and affordability of community-based mental health services delivered by non-specialists.
SAFETY
-
Evaluate staff competency in foundational psychological support skills and PM+ specific skills
-
Track potential harms to staff and clients
ACCEPTABILITY
-
Explore staff and stakeholder perception of the contextual appropriateness and program fit of PM+
-
Explore client satisfaction and perception of the helpfulness of PM+
EFFECTIVENESS
-
Examine the effectiveness of PM+ in decreasing depression, anxiety and other mental health symptoms
-
Examine the effectiveness of PM+ in improving daily functioning and overall wellbeing
AFFORDABILITY
-
Examine the cost-effectiveness of implementing PM+ at community offices
FOUNDING
PARTNERS.
