Mentoring treatment teams to integrate behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments in developmental disabilities

Individuals with developmental disabilities often have a concomitant psychiatric disorder severe enough to require treatment. The behavioral endpoint of psychiatric disorders may require integrated behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments to stabilize their condition and enhance their quality of life. We used a mindfulness-based mentoring model to facilitate the integration of behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments at the treatment team level. Using a multiple baseline design across treatment teams, we assessed the degree of integration of these two treatment modalities using a 23-item rating scale, and then introduced mentoring successively across the three treatment teams. Following mentoring, six follow-up assessments at monthly intervals were undertaken to assess functioning of the treatment teams in the absence of mentoring. The low levels of integration of behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments occurring during baseline improved significantly within each team commensurate with the mentoring. Further, the enhanced treatment team functioning was maintained during a 6-month follow-up period. Mentoring of treatment teams may be an effective first step in integrating behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments that are deemed essential in the care and treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness.