The Best-Laid Plans

Abstract

This chapter opens with a story of how current beliefs and practices can have disastrous outcomes. It discusses the search to understand why front-line therapists and the treatment systems that employ them were not using empirically proven practices, and a new science that was investigating this research-to-practice gap. This chapter discusses the startling things discovered. Even if it could be guaranteed that every therapist would use evidence-based interventions with every patient every time, there would still be no way to measure and monitor the effectiveness of those validated treatments. In addition to evidence-based practice, a vital tool is still missing to make sure services result in sustained recovery. Along with evidence-based practices, performance-based practice is also needed.