WAKEFIELD DAILY TIMES CHRONICLE - August 28,2003

LOCAL OUTPATIENT CENTER IS LAUDED FOR OUTSTANDING RESULTS

Wakefield - Does outpatient therapy really help people with the problems they face?

To determine the answer to this question, Riverside Outpatient Center at Wakefield began using outcome measurement instruments five years ago.

Last summer, they began using an instrument called the Treatment Outcomes Package (TOP). This measurement tool asks clients to rate how they are doing relative to a variety of symptoms at their very first visit to the center, and then reassesses how they are doing after four therapy sessions.

What they discovered was that Riverside Outpatient Center at Wakefield had among the best outcomes in Massachusetts for treatment of depressive disorders, and panic/anxiety disorders compared to all other providers using the TOP instrument.

In fact, their results were so impressive that Behavioral Health Laboratories, the company that produces and scores the TOP, asked Dr. Lawrence Berkowitz, Program Director, and John Noyes, Assistant Program Director, to make a presentation at a meeting sponsored by the company to discuss "best practices" for providers of mental health services.

What factors helped lead to the successes noted at Riverside Outpatient Center at Wakefield?

Those responding to the survey noted that they were given practical strategies to help them deal with depression and anxiety; felt empowered by their newfound ability to manage their symptoms; were warmly welcomed at the center; and felt that they played an important role in the creation of a treatment plan. The clinicians at the center were asked to identify what the agency does to support their work.

They cited the good communication between and among staff and the organization's strong program of staff development, training, and supervision.

Riverside Outpatient Center at Wakefield is a service of Riverside Community Care, a non-profit organization providing mental health care, substance abuse treatment, early intervention programs, and developmental and cognitive disability services.

Other Riverside programs in the area include Riverside Day Treatment at Wakefield, Riverside Family and Individual Services, and Riverside Career Services.