Description

Introduction: Engagement in mental health care can be difficult for adults in the United States, especially those from underserved minoritized racial and ethnic communities. To address this issue, Urban Restoration Counseling Center (URCC) in San Diego offers a program called Therapy For All (TFA), which provides 15 sessions of therapy at no or low cost. This novel program has the potential to reduce mental health disparities affecting underserved communities in San Diego; however, there is a need for an evaluation to determine how to increase client engagement as only 27.5% of clients completed all 15 sessions in 2021. This study aims to identify factors that influence client engagement in TFA. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design is being utilized to collect data on facilitators and barriers to client engagement in TFA. Administrative data from 2021 is being analyzed to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and session attendance. In addition, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews are being conducted with TFA clients and mental health clinicians to assess factors that impact client engagement from the client and clinician perspective. Results: Data collection is ongoing; administrative data from 75 TFA clients has been collected. In addition, 10 clients and 11 clinicians have completed interviews. Preliminary analysis of the administrative data reveals that 83% of TFA clients identified as cisgender female, 16% identified as cisgender male, and 1% identified as non-binary. Black or African American clients comprise 41% of the sample followed by Hispanic or Latino clients (19%), White clients (19%), clients who identified as Two or More Races (17%), and Asian or East Asian clients (4%). High school completion was the highest level of education achieved by 31% of clients and 40% of clients had an annual income of less than $10,000. The average number of sessions attended by TFA clients was 11. Transcripts from interviews will be analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis. Discussion: Preliminary results highlight the sociodemographic factors and average session attendance for TFA clients. The findings of this study will help to identify strategies that could be implemented to improve client engagement.