Mental health treatment programs for children and young people in secure settings: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: While there are mental health treatment programs for children and young people in secure settings (i.e., secure treatment programs) in many countries, there is a lack of transparency and consistency across these that causes confusion for stakeholders and challenges for the design and delivery of high-quality, evidence-based programs. This systematic review addresses two questions: What do mental health treatment programs for children and young people in secure community settings look like across jurisdictions? What is the evidence underlying the various components of these programs? METHODS: Twelve databases were searched in November 2021: CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Academic Search Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Google Scholar, OpenDOAR, and GreyLit.org. To be included, publications had to be empirical literature or a report on mental health treatment within a secure setting for people under the age of 25; contain pre-identified keywords; be based on a research or evaluation study conducted since 2000; and be assessed as low risk of bias using an adaptation of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative research checklist. The systematic review included 63 publications. Data were collected and analyzed in NVivo qualitative software using a coding framework. RESULTS: There are secure treatment programs in Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, England and Wales, Scotland, and the United States. Although there are inconsistencies across programs in terms of the systems in which they are embedded, client profiles, treatments provided, and lengths of stays, most share commonalities in their governance, definitions, designs, and intended outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The commonalities across secure treatment programs appear to stem from them being designed around a need for treatment that includes a mental disorder, symptom severity and salience involving significant risk of harm to self and/or others, and a proportionality of the risks and benefits of treatment. Most share a common logic; however, the evidence suggested that this logic may not to lead to sustained outcomes. Policymakers, service providers, and researchers could use the offered recommendations to ensure the provision of high-quality secure treatment programming to children and young people with serious and complex mental health needs.

Moving Towards Racial Equity in the Child and Youth Mental Health Sector in Ontario, Canada.

In the aftermath of high-profile incidents involving Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in North America, there is a growing awareness of the pervasiveness of systemic racism and the role that agencies play in perpetuating racism and racial inequities. In the child and youth mental health sector, the journey to improving racial equity is impeded by a lack of consistent frameworks or guidelines. In this commentary, we explore five domains of organizational practices that are prominent in the literature and support diverse clients, communities and staff, including: (1) organizational leadership and commitment, (2) inter-organizational and multisectoral partnerships, (3) workforce diversity and development, (4) client and community needs and engagement, and (5) continuous improvement. As we highlight these domains, we urge researchers, policy makers, and child and youth mental health service providers to work together to advance racial equity in meaningful ways.

Potencialidades de um website para um centro de atenção psicossocial infantojuvenil / Potentials of a website for a child and youth psychosocial care center / Potencialidades de un sitio web para un centro de atención psicosocial para niños y adolescentes

Objetivo: evidenciar, a partir do feedback dos usuários, familiares, coordenadores e profissionais do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infanto Juvenil (CAPSi), a potencialidade do e-Mental Health na promoção do acesso através de um website.Método: pesquisa com abordagem metodológica qualitativa através de um estudo exploratório, do tipo pesquisa-ação utilizando o Knowledge Translation e a Metodologia da Dinâmica do Espelhamento Digital. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre os meses de agosto e setembro de 2018 no CAPSi da cidade de Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Resultados: o website iCanguru demonstrou ser capaz de melhorar o acesso, atuar na prevenção e promoção em saúde mental infanto-juvenil, aproximar a população rural e dar suporte cidades desassistidas. Conclusão: o website iCanguru pode ser uma excelente estratégia para superar algumas das barreiras de acesso e ser uma porta de entrada para o CAPSi. Descritores: e-Saúde; Serviços comunitários de saúde mental; Intervenção baseada em internet; Acesso a tecnologias em saúde; Avaliação das tecnologias de Saúde. (AU)

Objective: To demonstrate, based on the feedback from users, family members, coordinators, and professionals of the Center for Psychosocial Care for Children and Youths, the potential of e-Mental Health in promoting access through a website. Methods: Qualitative research approach through an exploratory study - action research, using Knowledge Translation and the Methodology of Digital Mirroring Dynamic. Data collection occurred between August and September 2018 at Center for Psychosocial Care for Children and Youths in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Results: The iCanguru website demonstrated to be able to improve access, prevention, and mental health promotion for children and youths, approaching the rural population and unsupported cities. Conclusion: The iCanguru website can be an excellent strategy to overcome some of the barriers to access and be a gateway to Center for Psychosocial Care for Children and Youths. (AU)

Objetivo: Destacar, a partir de la retroalimentación de los usuarios, familias, coordinadores y profesionales del Centro de Atención Psicosocial a la Infancia y la Adolescencia, el potencial de la e-Salud Mental para promover el acceso a través de un sitio web. Métodos: Investigación con enfoque metodológico cualitativo a través de un estudio exploratorio, del tipo de investigación acción utilizando la Traducción del Conocimiento y la Metodología de la Dinámica del Mirroring Digital. La recolección de datos se llevó a cabo entre agosto y septiembre de 2018 en Centro de Atención Psicosocial a la Infancia y la Adolescencia en la ciudad de Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Resultados: El sitio web iCanguru demostró ser capaz de mejorar el acceso, actuar en la prevención y promoción de la salud mental de niños y adolescentes, acercar a la población rural y apoyar a las ciudades no asistidas. Conclusión: El sitio web de iCanguru puede ser una excelente estrategia para superar algunas de las barreras de acceso y ser una puerta de entrada a Centro de Atención Psicosocial a la Infancia y la Adolescencia. (AU)

Evaluating the sector-wide implementation of virtual child and youth mental health services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from service providers, agency leaders and clients.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an abrupt shift in the delivery of community-based child and youth mental health services as virtual care was rapidly adopted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sector-wide transition to virtual care across Ontario, with a focus on implementation facilitators and barriers. Methods: We used a multi-level mixed-methods design where agency leaders, service providers, and clients shared their experiences planning, implementing, and accessing virtual care. In total, 97 agency leaders, and 192 youth and family members responded to the surveys; 13 agency leaders, and 11 service providers participated in interviews or focus groups. Results: Most agencies undertook a similar journey to implement virtual care. Stakeholders described common facilitators such as staff engagement, leadership support, and training activities. Barriers included internet connection issues, lack of resources, and privacy concerns. Service providers innovated as they implemented by partnering with agencies to meet clients' needs, using multiple platforms to engage clients, and altering session duration to reduce fatigue. Clients found virtual care easy to use, felt confident using it, and intend to continue accessing virtual care. Conclusion: Implementation of virtual care during the pandemic was complex and the evaluation involved obtaining perspectives at multiple levels. This research provides a blueprint for evaluations of the implementation of virtual mental health services, particularly in a child/youth context. Virtual care is a viable way to deliver mental health services, however, equity, accessibility, and appropriateness need to be addressed to ensure services are effective for children, youth, and their families. Plain language abstract: Academic literature suggests that using technology to deliver child and youth mental health services is a promising way to enhance access to care and improve engagement for many children and youth. Despite this, the provision of virtual child and youth mental health services in Ontario prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was limited. Efforts that did exist were largely focused on providing care to those in rural and remote areas. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid shift to virtual care, as most in-person mental health services were suspended. This paper presents new insight into how virtual mental health services were quickly established and used across Ontario from the perspectives of senior leaders, service providers, and clients. Results from this evaluation showed that agencies followed similar steps to prepare to use virtual services. Staff engagement, support from leadership, and opportunities for staff training supported the implementation of virtual care while internet connections issues, lack of resources (like computers or phones), and privacy and safety concerns hindered the implementation. Most youth and family members found virtual services easy to use and intend to continue using them. Most agencies intend to continue to offer virtual services post-pandemic but noted that it was not appropriate or accessible for all clients. This study provides a foundation for additional research to examine situations and conditions that are most conducive to virtual care delivery to address child and youth mental health concerns. These results may encourage agencies to rely more confidently on virtual services as another means to meet clients' needs and preferences.

Are we there yet? Evaluation and the knowledge translation journey.

INTRODUCTION: Critical to knowledge translation are organizations' efforts to evaluate their implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Organizations face challenges in their ability to be aware of emerging practices, to measure their efforts against current evidence, and to adapt EBPs to their contextual environments. The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health has engaged in initiatives to increase the uptake of EBPs and mobilize knowledge by building capacity for evaluation and research in the sector. METHODS: Consultation services and innovative grants to organizations with mental health programs and services, where the Centre acts as both knowledge and relationship broker, are contributing to organizations' capacity to do and use evaluation. RESULTS: Case exemplars illustrate the processes, successes and challenges experienced by organizations in Centre-supported activities. The Centre's efforts to build organizations' skills in doing and using evaluation, promoting a learning-by-doing approach and fostering collaboration are described. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations with the capacity to conduct effective evaluations are better able to implement and assess EBPs, conduct quality evaluations, and contribute to research in the child and youth mental health sector. Widespread gains in mental health organizations' evaluation capacities will contribute to system innovations and the fostering of collaborative partnerships.

Development of an evaluation tool for a clinical practice guideline on nursing assessment and device selection for vascular access.

This study developed and tested a chart audit tool to assess the implementation of evidence-based recommendations for vascular access nursing assessment and device selection. Chart audits of 71 patients were conducted in a home healthcare agency and a community hospital prior to guideline implementation. Observations of initial infusion therapy and chart audit documentation of 31 patients were also compared. Results from observations indicated that nurses provided care consistent with the recommendations, but findings from chart audits indicated that assessment and decisionmaking were poorly documented. Studies that use only precomparison and postcomparison by chart audit may miss changes in nursing practice.

Development and testing of tools to assess physical restraint use.

BACKGROUND: To implement best practice in restraint use, healthcare providers and decision makers require current, accurate, and easily accessible information about restraint practices in their setting. There is a need for a reliable and valid instrument that is feasible for use in these settings to rapidly assess physical restraint use. METHOD: Two instruments to assess physical restraint use were developed and tested: an observation tool and a chart audit. The instruments were tested in complex continuing care units and rehabilitation units at two healthcare organizations. The restraint use observation tool was administered by trained observers in a series of five observations over a 2-week period. Chart audits were conducted for a sample of residents. Inter-rater agreement of the observation tool and chart audit was assessed. Point prevalence estimates were obtained for each site. The time required to use the observation tool and complete chart audits as well as the comparability of findings from the two data sources were described. FINDINGS: Restraint use observations were completed for 289 patients and chart audits were completed for 207 patients. Prevalence and patterns of restraint use varied between sites and across time periods. Observations took an average of 2.6 (Site A) and 0.6 (Site B) minutes per patient. There was excellent inter-rater agreement for most items on the observation tool with the exception of whether or not the patient was able to release or loosen the restraint. There was significant concordance but as expected, not complete agreement between paired estimates of prevalence using the observational tool and the chart audit. CONCLUSION: The observation and chart audit tools are feasible to use and reliably assess physical restraint use in healthcare organizations. The patient's physical capacity to move independently, the patient's waking status, and the restraint's restriction of mobility are items that should be added to the observation tool. The tools are complementary and should be used in tandem to capture the multifaceted complexity of restraint use in health service organizations.

Changing nursing practice: evaluating the usefulness of a best-practice guideline implementation toolkit.

PURPOSE: This pilot study describes the evaluation of an 88-page Toolkit that was developed to guide nursing leaders, including advanced practice nurses, managers and steering committees, who were responsible for coordinating implementation of selected best-practice guidelines (BPG) in their respective agencies. METHODS: The self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all clinical resource nurses and steering committee members involved in implementing best-practice guidelines. The questionnaire evaluated the usefulness of the content of five chapters (and the case scenarios and worksheets included with each chapter). RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of respondents returned the questionnaire. More than 85% of them found the Toolkit helpful during the implementation process; 83% reported using it, 80% said they would use it again. The Toolkit was used primarily to identify, analyze and engage stakehoLders, and to assess environmental readiness. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they used the Toolkit to plan the implementation strategy. CONCLUSIONS: The Toolkit assessed in this evaluation shows promise as a useful guide for those charged with BPG implementation. Like other guidelines that are based on evidence, the Toolkit will require occasional updates to ensure that the strategies proposed reflect current evidence. Nursing leaders have a responsibility to keep up to date and to provide efficient and effective healthcare services. Best-practice guidelines or clinical practice guidelines are useful tools that synthesize the latest evidence and provide recommendations for care providers aiming to improve the quality of patient care (Grol 2001). Many leaders are challenged to know how and when to implement the increasing numbers of practice guidelines. The purpose of this article is to describe a pilot study to evaluate a Toolkit that was developed to guide nursing leaders in implementing selected best-practice guidelines (BPGs) in their respective agencies.