As co-CEO of The Change Companies, I have often had the privilege to witness firsthand the remarkable transformations that occur when individuals encountering substance use and mental health challenges are given the appropriate support and resources to make positive changes. However, the field of behavioral health has a deeply complex journey ahead.
Research shows that in the field of behavior change, there is a two-decade gap between evidence-based practices — the science — and implementation — what happens in the field every day. We recognize the urgency of bridging this divide, bringing to life the practices that we know can create real change.
One of the greatest challenges we face is shifting from program-driven treatment to individualized and clinically driven treatment.
The legacy model of care, dictated by length of stay and the blanket application of treatment models, were considered groundbreaking in their time, but they are not sufficient for helping individuals make positive changes like overcoming an addiction. At The Change Companies, we believe in an approach that is truly person-centered: one that prioritizes the individual’s specific goals and strategies for change.
But what does this look like in practice? It means collaborating with each individual to build a pathway that incorporates their unique background, needs, experiences and environmental context. It means allowing our understanding of their specific context to shape their care and support. It means continuing to reinforce and coach staff on these best practices instead of taking a once-and-done training approach. And crucially, it means creating a truly collaborative relationship, where the individual becomes an active participant in their recovery journey.
Realizing this vision requires three fundamental changes:
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Organizational buy-in: An organization-wide commitment to this approach is paramount. This means building an operational model that embeds individualized treatment in every facet.
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Staff training: Individuals in “helper” professions are conduits for supporting change. They need to be equipped with the best practices and methodologies to deliver personalized care — and need continuous investment and support into their ongoing development as professionals.
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Tools and resources: To make individualized care a reality, organizations need to be utilizing treatment and programming models designed to support these goals instead of taking a monolithic approach.
At The Change Companies and Train For Change, we're proud to contribute to all three of these strategies for promoting individualized programming. We help leaders foster cultures of change and encourage the implementation of evidence-based practices. We provide training on best practices, including motivational interviewing and the ASAM Criteria, to ensure staff are prepared and well-equipped. Our new Fidelity Platform is designed to foster continuous learning and skill development, making understanding and applying these practices both easy and accessible.
And finally, to truly realize the potential of individualized care, we have developed Interactive Journaling®, a tool created to take a person-centered and individualized approach. This approach promotes introspection, encouraging individuals to reflect on their experiences, identify their unique strengths, and chart their own paths on their behavior change journey. By doing so, the end clients become the central players in their own journey to recovery, amplifying the potential for long-term success.
Why does this matter? Because this shift toward individualized treatment has the potential to significantly improve the outcomes we care most about. By treating each person as a unique individual, we can enhance their engagement, buy-in and, ultimately, their wellness. And by reducing the burden on staff to fit individuals into predetermined boxes, we can alleviate staff burnout.
In essence, the future of behavioral health lies in individualized treatment care, both for SUDs and mental health treatment, as well as risk-need-responsive behavior change programming for justice-involved individuals. It's a future where science and practice meet, where people are treated as individuals, not clinical diagnoses, and where the support resources we provide foster personal growth and change. And at The Change Companies and Train For Change, we're excited to be at the forefront of this journey.
Thank you,
