In partnership with the Judge Baker Children’s Center, The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester recently participated in the New Hampshire MATCH Learning Collaborative and now offers Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC), including behaviors associated with ADHD.

Developed by Bruce Chorpita, Ph.D., and John Weisz, Ph.D., MATCH is comprised of various research-based treatment components frequently used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that encourage individuals to identify issues, consider solutions, test those solutions, and evaluate whether or not they work. While most treatment approaches focus on single disorders, MATCH is designed to treat four common behavioral health issues in children ages 6 to 15 years old.

“What’s great about MATCH is its ability to treat more than 70% of the children we serve,” says Jeanna Still, Director of Child & Adolescent Services. “It allows clinicians to switch gears to meet the needs of the individual while using the same continuous model.” And MATCH’s flexibility to address concerns of both children and their families makes it invaluable.

Upon intake, youths are screened and if determined MATCH eligible, they are paired with a master’s level clinician trained in MATCH, where they begin treatment. To track effectiveness, individualized surveys are conducted weekly, so clients and family can measure progress or identify problem areas for further consideration.

“Because feedback is solicited from both the child receiving MATCH and their parents, we can track the treatment experience from two perspectives,” says Still, “which allows us to better target areas of concern.”

MHCGM clinicians were trained as part of a state-funded Learning Collaborative Judge Baker Children’s Center is leading to implement MATCH in all 10 New Hampshire Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs). Judge Baker Children’s Center has adopted the Learning Collaborative methodology for all MATCH trainings as it addresses many common challenges to implementation and sustainability of Evidence-Based Practices within community settings.

Currently, MHCGM has eight MATCH trained employees (six master’s level clinicians and two Coordinator/Supervisors), each of which will provide MATCH services to six or more youth clients. MHCGM is one of four New Hampshire CMHCs to participate in the first MATCH training cohort, along with Seacoast Mental Health Center, Center for Life Management, and Northern Human Services. The remaining six New Hampshire CMHCs will participate in the second cohort in the near future.