Assisted Outpatient Treatment Research in the United States: Interpretation, Outcomes, and Future Directions

About this event

Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has been studied for decades, yet translating research findings into real-world understanding of its effectiveness is not always straightforward. Kiersten Jeske, PhD, will discuss the challenges inherent to studying AOT, including methodological limitations and generalizability of findings across different implementation contexts. She will explore how researchers have navigated these challenges over time to build our existing understanding of AOT and synthesize s what the literature can tell us about treatment engagement, clinical functioning, and social functioning. Dr. Jeske will speak to future directions in research in light of remaining gaps and ongoing challenges, including how research findings are interpreted in the longstanding debate of AOT’s place in the mental health care continuum. The goal of the presentation is to provide participants with a balanced understanding of what current research can, and cannot yet, tell us about AOT.

About the Speaker Kiersten Jeske, PhD, is a public health researcher at RTI International. Her research centers on the effectiveness of behavioral health services to enhance the well-being of individuals and communities. She previously led the national, cross-site evaluation of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) AOT grant program, conducted in partnership with Duke University and Policy Research Associates for HHS/ASPE’s Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy. Additionally, she has led multiple studies on behavioral health crisis services, including a SAMHSA-funded project to design an evaluation of 988 and the crisis continuum.

Learn more and register: https://cmhpl.psychiatry.uw.edu/education/events/assisted-outpatient-treatment/aot-research-in-the-us/.