The Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce the winners of its second annual Clinical Innovation in Psychiatry (CIIP) Awards. First Place: Dr. William Sledge; Behavioral Intervention Team
- A new way of providing consultation and assistance to inpatient medical teams caring for patients whose mental illness might interfere with their physical care. The program has demonstrated reduction of costs and inefficiencies and revenue enhancement and creates more opportunities for inpatient care without greatly increased capital outlays. It has been well received by the staffs of the medical units where it has been in place.
Second Place: Dr. Caroline Easton; Forensic Drug Diversion Program
- This is a specialized Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) for clients with active criminal justice involvement, whose purpose is to increase retention in treatment, decrease substance use, and decrease legal problems in individuals who have co-occurring substance use and criminal justice involvement.
Third Place: Drs. Morris Bell and Bruce Wexler; Combined Computerized Cognitive Remediation Treatment and Vocational Services for Schizophrenia
- Computerized Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CCRT) aims to selectively and intensively activate the neural systems normally associated with the impaired cognitive functions, and thereby produce activity-dependent recruitment of neural resources to enhance the function of the systems. Vocational services are evidence-based interventions to promote recovery and well-being of patients with schizophrenia. However, cognitive deficits limit both employment success and the ability to benefit from the vocational coaching. The goal of our program has been to improve patient cognition and through that improvement to increase the effectiveness of the vocational services and improve employment outcomes.
The Department's Clinical Coordinating Group solicited nominations through June 2011. A panel of six prominent outside reviewers ranked submissions on innovation, demonstrated effectiveness, and significance for the field.
The three recognized programs will be the subjects of a special Grand Rounds presentation on Friday, December 2nd* at 10:15 am in the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) Auditorium.
The Department would like to congratulate the members of these three programs and express its gratitude to the Clinical Coordinating Group for leading this effort to highlight and celebrate innovative achievements in clinical practice. The group, consisting of institution chiefs and clinical directors, includes Michael Hoge, PhD; Sabina Lim, MPH, MD; Debbie Pearlman; Ismene Petrakis, MD; Mary Ellen Savage, MD; Michael Sernyak, MD; Lorraine Siggins, MD; William H. Sledge, MD (Chair); and Jeanne Steiner, DO.
*Please note the change in date for the Grand Rounds presentation that was previously scheduled for September.