Feedback for Optimizing Consultation in Usual-care Settings (FOCUS)
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH144209)
Project Dates: 2026-2030
This study will use human-centered design to collaborate with community partners (agency leaders, clinicians, caregivers of autistic youth) to optimize consultation models for caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (CM-NDBIs), embedding immediate performance feedback into role plays and live, remote consultation. This will include a pilot test to examine the extent to which two optimized consultation models improve clinician fidelity and child outcomes, relative to a traditional consultation model. Aim 1: Characterize existing training procedures. We will learn about current training and supervision practices in community mental health settings in Miami and Philadelphia. Aim 2: Identify usability issues for optimized consultation models and create re-design solutions. We will use human-centered design methods to refine the two optimized training models. We will ask community partners about how to make these training models fit within their supervision procedures and clinical training operations. Aim 3: Pilot test the consultation models. We will enroll 36 clinician-family dyads across Miami and Philadelphia. We will explore which consultation model is best at improving clinician fidelity to a CM-NDBI called Project ImPACT. We will also examine how clinicians improve their skills (mechanisms of consultation) and child/family outcomes.
Supporting Evidence-based Expansion, Delivery, and Sustainability for Autism Interventions (SEEDS Autism) Hub
Funder: The Bachelor Foundation (Bachelor Bridge Pilot Award)
Project Dates: 2026-2028
This project will create infrastructure across the University of Miami (UM) to develop community capacity to deliver evidence-based autism interventions, specifically caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (CM-NDBIs). Aim 1: Form a community advisory board focused on adaptations of CM-NDBIs. This group will help ensure that interventions are culturally relevant, practical, and responsive to local community needs. Aim 2: Develop an implementation hub for CM-NDBIs. We will train clinician-scientists at UM to become certified trainers in three CM-NDBIs (Project ImPACT, Pivotal Response Training, and WHO Caregiver Skills Training). We will also train these people about how to best partner with organizations to scale up new interventions. Once trained, our Implementation Support Specialists will then be able to offer CM-NDBI trainings for community organizations for free/at reduced cost. Aim 3: Pilot test an implementation toolkit to scale CM-NDBIs at two community organizations (n = 10 clinicians, n = 20 families). The organizations will work with the Implementation Support Specialists to choose the CM-NDBI that works best for their setting. We will evaluate outcomes for clinicians, caregivers, and children, including clinician skills, caregiver self-efficacy, and child social communication skills.
Rehearsal & Evaluation for Coaching Autism Professionals (RECAP)
Project Dates: 2026-2027
The aim of this mixed methods study is to examine the perspectives of several CM-NDBI intervention developers/expert trainers about two optimized consultation models (behavioral rehearsal and remote, live consultation) and their recommendations to refine these models for publicly funded settings. We will use questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to evaluate the extent to which CM-NDBI intervention developers/master trainers use evidence-based strategies to support clinician learning, and we will explore their opinions about the potential consultation models that will be refined and pilot tested in our FOCUS study.
University of Miami Autism Program (UMAP)
Project Dates: 2027-2029
This project is a pilot study that seeks to 1) better understand the experiences of autistic dependents on UM faculty/staff insurance plans, with a particular focus on understanding the family journey to seek and utilize autism-related services, and 2) pilot the use of a value-based care model, rather than a fee-for-service model. The value-based care model will track quality outcomes over time and offer UM health system providers incentives for high-quality care.
