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Sunset Mural/ Tim Mossholder
Tim Mossholder

Elevating evidence-based community mental health and rehabilitation practices.

The Institute for Best Practices is part of the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health within the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Psychiatry. The formation of the Institute emerged from several sources.

  • We are working closely with the NC Department of Health and Human Services to help with high-fidelity implementation of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment (IPS).  ACT has been available in North Carolina for over 15 years, but there had not been routine fidelity monitoring. First-time implementation of IPS occurred in North Carolina in 2013.
  • As the co-author of the TMACT, Dr. Lorna Moser (Institute Director) has a long history providing training, consultation, and evaluation services across the United States and abroad.
  • A grassroots group of ACT providers, forming the North Carolina ACT Coalition, has served as a constant advocacy group and learning collaborative. Institute staff have long been involved with the Coalition, coordinating and leading efforts to expand and direct this awesome grassroots group.
  • The UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health provides a range of innovative and empirically-supported programs and practices, creating a unique environment where we practice what we preach and teach. We are also tied to mental health services researchers to maintain constant effectiveness evaluation efforts.

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ACT

Team members work closely together to help adults with severe mental illness live in their homes instead of an institution or the streets. They provide a comprehensive array of services, such as helping find and maintain safe and affordable housing…

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TMACT

The TMACT is used to assess ACT program fidelity and guide higher quality ACT implementation efforts. It was developed by Maria Monroe-DeVita, Ph.D., Lorna Moser, Ph.D., and Greg Teague, Ph.D. and is used in many U.S. states and several…

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IPS

An IPS Team is staffed with a professionals who work closely with behavioral health providers, employers, and local vocational rehabilitation division staff to assist someone in finding a job or career that fits with their values, preferences, and skills….

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