Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research - Call for Papers: Leveraging non-traditional mental health providers to address growing mental health needs

This is a call for action. Our mental healthcare system is in crisis. The supply/demand imbalance we were experiencing in our field prior to the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened in its sequelae, and our current healthcare system is not equipped to address growing mental health needs. We need strategic innovation to achieve meaningful and sustainable impact, address mental health workforce shortages, and reduce mental health disparities.

Our current model relies on specialized, highly trained individuals who spend several years earning their advanced degrees and training to deliver mental health services. But what if we were to re-define “who” the provider of mental health services can be? We challenge the idea that only traditionally trained providers can deliver treatments and interventions feasibly and effectively to patients, clients, and community members to improve their mental health.

This special issue invites proposals that rethink who is and can be trained and equipped with knowledge and skills to address mental health challenges as a solution to the access to mental health care problem. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• Leveraging non-mental health providers, such as primary care physicians, nurses, non-profit organization staff, school staff, religious and spiritual leaders, yoga teachers, community members, peers, paraprofessionals, etc. as providers of mental health interventions
• Focus on peer counseling and support, coaching (e.g., life coaching, mindset coaching, relationship coaching), and wellness coaching as novel conduits of mental health services (Note: evidence-based mechanisms of change or theoretical underpinnings of peer counseling and coaching have to be present)
• Technology as the active “provider” of treatment and interventions to users/patients, such as chat bots, or Artificial Intelligence-bots. Technological intervention has to be the primary treatment. It can be a stand alone treatment but can also have humans involved but in a clearly supportive role.

We invite manuscript proposals that are focused on all aspects that are necessary for interventions delivered by non-traditional mental health providers. These interventions need to be scalable and sustainable solutions, and should include when relevant (1) discussions of the context in which these interventions are delivered, (2) adaptations of evidence-based mental health interventions so they can be delivered by non-traditional mental health providers in non-specialty settings, (3) background and characteristics of non-traditional mental health providers, (4) key training components, that enhance fidelity and outcomes of these non-traditional mental health providers, (5) implementation factors and strategies, (6) scaling components, (7) content development, and (8) policy-level changes, to name a few.

We especially invite proposals that include the results of (a) effectiveness and efficacy trials, (b) comparative effectiveness trials, (c) effectiveness-implementation hybrid trials, (d) noninferiority trial design, (e) other empirical research designs, (f) direct comparisons of traditional providers with non-traditional providers, (g) cost effectiveness of training and education, (h) arguments against this paradigm or that raise/address challenges in this area (e.g., liability, legal and ethical issues in using non-traditional providers), (i) necessary standards and qualifications of training and competency to deliver these types of interventions, (j) what are safeguards needed for non-mental health specialist providers as well as technology.

Note: The current issue will not accept proposals that focus on:

• Anyone with a mental health license or advanced training in mental health as the providers of intervention delivery, such as having mental health providers provide novel interventions
• Technology serving as an assistive role to human-based intervention delivery by mental health specialists. For example, leveraging technology as an adjunct to psychologist-delivered treatments, technology supporting psychologists or psychiatrists in their routine work
• Technology assisting user-directed treatment or intervention usage, such as apps or websites housing knowledge and psychoeducation but not engaging in any “active” treatment provision.

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research and editors of this special issue welcome submissions from a breadth of professionals related to public health and healthcare, as well as from all career stages. We encourage empirical and theoretical submissions, including reviews of literature and conceptual papers, as well as research submissions employing quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approaches. Manuscripts that use a noninferiority trial design (E.g. Kaji & Lewis, 2015; Piaggo, Elbourne & Pocock, 2012) need to follow the appropriate equator network reporting guidelines (https://www.equator-network.org/ (this opens in a new tab)).

Proposals of 1,000 words maximum should be emailed to Dr. Soo Jeong Youn (soojeong.youn@reliantmedicalgroup.org (this opens in a new tab)) and Dr. Kimberly T. Arnold (Kimberly.Arnold@pennmedicine.upenn.edu (this opens in a new tab)). Abstracts will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 1st, 2024. Authors will be notified within 3 weeks regarding the fit of the proposal with the special issue and will be invited to submit a manuscript through the journal’s portal for masked peer review. All submissions should follow and adhere to the Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research guidelines for authors: https://www.springer.com/journal/10488/submission-guidelines (this opens in a new tab)

First drafts of proposals invited for submission will be due November 1st, 2024. Please note that an invitation to submit a full manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. Manuscripts will be accepted and published as they are received and reviewed.

This is an open call for submission. Please share this announcement with your networks and colleagues.