Hi RIS-ers!  I just joined the group and am intrigued by what you do. I am a family doctor and have read about RIS but have not yet taken the online course--I will try to get to that soon. I am wondering if there are any concrete outcomes associated with RIS--i.e. do people utilize less, have lower PHQ-9 scales, do better in their jobs or schools, end up in jail less frequently or feel better about themselves.  Any direction on this would be great. I am working with a group of providers who are interested in improving their work, but have been through any number of "follow this consultant or this new idea and life will be better" experiences, which obviously makes burnout more prevalent!  I like the notation of self-care in RIS. Happy Tuesday, Ellen

Hi Ellen!

Welcome and thank you kindly for your well-thought-out reply to the post. It's most encouraging to see a physician joining the group. Just so you know, you're not alone! There are quite a few others here who work in the healthcare field--hopefully they will see this post and offer up some ideas as we get a conversation started.

Regarding your question about RIS outcomes, the model incorporates practices supported by evidence, such as promoting staff self-care and building social support networks (both of which have been shown to make people feel better), and integrates them into a comprehensive framework that covers individual, group, community, and system levels. The Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) was the first agency to employ this approach in their work with individuals experiencing homelessness. COTS' implementation of RIS led to a significant increase in the agency's ability to house homeless adults (more information on this can be found in this article). The RIS model has been utilized by a number of different service providers across the US.

I'd also just like to add that there is no immediate "RIS effect." The model is simply a guide to building a better life, if that makes sense. Change of course is gradual and depends on the cooperation and wellbeing of the change agents, which RIS acknowledges through its self-care emphasis.

I hope this is helpful

Best, Shawn