Mental Health Advocates Join Forces to Improve Quality of Care

This collaboration will bring forth a curricula and pathway for mental health and medical professionals interested in studying and treating OCD and related disorders. The goal is to arm therapists and clinicians with best practices and to increase the overall number of providers who can effectively treat OCD. The program will provide a comprehensive spectrum of courses for professionals that will be offered online to educate both novices and experts within the OCD community. These training opportunities will broaden the reach to providers and bring new specialists to the field.

"While OCD is a very treatable disorder, there continues to be a gap in accessing effective care by properly trained mental health professionals," says Jeff Szymanski, PhD, executive director of the IOCDF.  "This partnership with the MGH Psychiatry Academy will have a significant impact in terms of training clinicians on the front lines."

The IOCDF exists to help individuals with OCD and related disorders to live full and productive lives. Celebrating its 30^th anniversary, The International OCD Foundation is the leading advocate for the OCD community. The IOCDF funds OCD research, trains professionals to treat OCD, helps patients access treatment and support, and oversees online resource centers for information on OCD, hoarding disorder, and BDD. 

Obsessive compulsive disorder affects some 3 million people in the United States, including children and teens. Though OCD has no cure, its symptoms — which include obsessions and compulsions — can be effectively managed through cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.

"Today's announcement is an important step in our journey to disseminate treatments for individuals with OCD and related disorders, as many patients with OCD have difficulties accessing empirically-based therapies," said Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, chief of Psychology and director of the OCD and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. "The collaboration between the International OCD foundation and the MGH Psychiatry Academy fosters a greater distribution of high quality trainings in the treatment of OCD. Together, we can focus our combined energies on serving a broader range of passionate clinicians seeking to better serve those affected by OC spectrum disorders."

The IOCDF and the MGH Psychiatry Academy are uniquely positioned to change the way mental health professionals are trained to treat OCD and its related disorders. For more information about the IOCDF visit, iocdf.org. For more information about the MGH Psychiatry Academy visit, mghcme.org.

CONTACT: Katie Stinchon, 617-269-7171, [email protected]

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SOURCE International OCD Foundation

Related Links

http://www.iocdf.org