Formerly known as CATALAC, Innovations in Care is a community-academic research partnership to bring evidence-based practices (EBP) to community-based mental health outpatient programs. Funded by a prestigious Research Infrastructure Science Project (RISP) grant by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), all three Innovations In Care research pilots are designed to enhance both clinical and research infrastructure for programs serving low-income and minority older adults. Innovations In Care will also help develop software tools that may be adopted and replicated at similar agencies.
Dr. Patricia Arean, a Felton Institute faculty member and a Professor of Psychology at UCSF, directs the Innovations in Care partnership, along with Bob Bennett, FSA’s CEO and Melissa Moore, the Director of the Felton Institute. The main agenda of the partnership is to implement evidence-based practices on the front lines of community mental health – providers of geriatric services get top-of-the-line training and researchers are provided with a diverse client base for community-based research.