Technical Assistance and Consultation Program

The webinar focuses on developing a coaching structure for Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) agencies to ensure that all evidence-based programs (e.g., Motivational interviewing) and practices (e.g., completion of valid screens and assessments, integrating information from assessments into treatment plans) are accompanied by a coaching model, especially for new hires and new practices. For example, every agency training effort or workshop on one of these practices should be followed up with some measure of staff proficiency and coaching.  

Coaching webinar participants will be able to:

• Learn about effective coaching techniques to better support persons with lived experience
• Describe strategies for integrating coaching into their organization to address issues and foster growth
• Provide an overview of established coaching models and frameworks relevant to mental health service providers
• Understand how to utilize the GROW Coaching Framework in Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) Settings
• Practice using tools and methods to measure the success and impact of coaching, such as Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)

Download the webinar slides here

The ACCS Coaching: A Strengths-Based Approach manual is divided into 3 parts: 

• Section I defines coaching processes
• Section II discusses strengths-based approaches utilizing personal strengths and the GROW coaching framework
• Section III focuses on measurement via goal scaling

Examples demonstrate how this strengths-based coaching approach may be incorporated within the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) provider agencies to help support staff in achieving individual and organizational goals.

Click below to download the individual form templates:
Form A: A Coaching Model
Form B: Goal Attainment for Individual Goal
Form C: Goal Attainment for Multiple Goals

The ACCS Foundational Training Curriculum provides standardized, foundational training for onboarding and orienting all new staff hired to work with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) persons served by Adult Clinical Community Services (ACCS). There are ten topical modules and an introduction in this training:

1. Integrated Treatment Teams
2. Person-Centered Care
3. Recovery Oriented Approach
4. Coordination with Systems of Care
5. Importance of Evidence-based Practices
6. Trauma-Informed Care
7. Risk Management
8. Basics of Motivational Interviewing
9. Suicide Prevention
10. Substance Use 101

The trainings are designed to supplement the agency's existing training protocols and to ensure all agencies are covering the same 10 areas with new and existing staff. The modules can be downloaded and customized by an agency trainer(s). Each module includes an editable version:

• Detailed facilitator’s guide for the agency trainer explaining how to deliver the content
• Handouts if applicable
• Powerpoint slides
• Pre-post knowledge questions to be completed by participants

Download the module's individual components 

This guide describes a process for interviewing and hiring Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) clinical staff using best practices. Contact us below by completing our TA form for technical assistance on how to use this packet.

Download the complete guide

Click below to download the individual form templates below:
Phone Screening form
Part 1 In-person Interview form
Part 2 In-person Strong Candidate Interview form
Interview Summary Scoring form

The following resources were produced by the Massachusetts Peer Support Supervision Workgroup - an independent advisory group facilitated by the DMH Area Directors of Recovery:

The Status of Peer Support Supervision in ACCS, Recommendations of the Massachusetts Peer Support Supervision Workgroup

To explore the status of peer support supervision in ACCS, the workgroup held a series of statewide listening sessions to gather feedback about strengths, challenges, needs, and solutions for peer support supervision. The report reviews the listening session feedback and makes four recommendations:

1. A Community of Practice to promote the many strengths of ACCS Peer Support Supervision,
2. Guidelines for Peer Support Supervisors providing greater clarity about Peer Supporter Roles,
3. Trainings for Supervisors and ACCS Teams focused on Role Clarity and Collaborative Communication,
4. A Career Ladder for promoting Peer Supporters into roles as Supervisors, Mentors, and Leaders in ACCS Teams and Provider Agencies

Guidelines for Supervision of Peer Supporters in Massachusetts ACCS, ACCS Peer Support Supervision Workgroup in collaboration with iSPARC

The Guidelines, one of the four recommendations, describes the role of ACCS Peer Supporters and advises Peer Support Supervisors on how to best support and integrate Peer Supporters into ACCS teams. The Guidelines list eleven core values, identify a practice phrase for each value, and suggest separate steps for Peer Supporters and Supervisors to practice the value.

The Guidelines were rolled out to all ACCS agencies via three committees composed of ACCS agency representatives facilitated by four DMH Directors of Recovery and an agency Director of Recovery. iSPARC provided technical assistance to these groups.