Although millions of youth and families participate in psychotherapy each year in this country, very little is known about what happens in psychotherapy. A great deal of research has been done to test specific types of psychotherapy, and several of these have "evidence" for their efficacy. Yet we know little about how similar these treatments are to "real world" clinical practice.

The goals of the Practice and Research: Advancing Collaboration (PRAC) project are to learn more about how psychotherapy is practiced in community-based clinics for children and families and gain greater understanding about how to better integrate research and practice.

PRAC is a federally funded project sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study began in September, 2002 and is funded for five years. It approximately 80 clinicians and over 200 children ages 4-13 and their families entering treatment for disruptive behavior problems in six San Diego County outpatient mental health clinics.

Announcement

Thank you for joining us for A Collaborative Expo: Practice & Research in Community Mental Health Services on June 6th, 2008. We hosted 82 attendees at Rady Children's Plaza, including clinicians, physicians, researchers and administrators. Your participation helped make this event a success!

Notes and materials from the expo are now available online.