Increasing consumer access to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in British Columbia

The Provincial Health Services Authority and the BC Ministry of Health are jointly sponsoring a clinical practice initiative to improve the quality and availability of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for mental health and addictions in BC. While CBT has been established as an empirically supported treatment for many disorders, there has been a lack of availability of CBT in the community. Research is needed on issues related to dissemination and adoption/uptake of CBT. Another priority is evaluating the success of the joint CBT initiative by examining aspects such as changes in client care outcomes and cost-effectiveness. This award supports the creation of a team that will focus on developing a better, more integrated understanding of the most effective CBT dissemination methods. The team aims for its research effort to lead to increased access to CBT mental health services for British Columbians.