Alex Young

Dr. Alexander Young is Director of the Health Services Unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and Associate Professor at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. He is a psychiatrist and health services researcher.

Dr. Young focuses on understanding and improving the quality and efficiency of mental health services, provider behavior and the management of mental health care. He has emphasized publicly financed mental health care, and the care of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. He directs health services for the VA Desert Pacific MIRECC, a Center with the goal of improving functional outcomes in individuals with psychotic disorders (www.mirecc.org). He recently completed an Advanced Research Career Development Award from the VA HSR&D service to evaluate methods for improving the quality of care for schizophrenia. He is on the Executive Committee for the UCLA RAND NIMH Center for Research on Quality in Managed Care (www.hsrcenter.ucla.edu).

Dr. Young is a national leader in the evaluation and improvement of mental health service quality. In 1998, he published in the Archives of General Psychiatry a method for measuring the appropriateness of treatment for schizophrenia. In 2000, in this same journal, he published the first national study of the quality of care for depression and anxiety. He has had numerous other publications, including articles evaluating capitated financing in patients with severe mental illness. He published an article presenting a competency set that defines the attitudes, skills and knowledge that providers need to have to successfully treat people with severe psychiatric disorders. A former Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, Dr. Young has received a number of honors, including the American Psychiatric Association 2000 Early Career Health Services Research Award, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill 2002 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.

Dr. Young is currently focusing on projects to improve the quality of care. He directs EQUIP, a project funded by the VA HSR&D service to evaluate a method for improving care for schizophrenia. He is principal investigator for CHIACC, a project funded by the VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) to develop informatics systems supporting collaborative care for chronic illness. He is leading projects to develop consumer provider and peer support interventions, and to implement outcomes management systems at public clinics. Under funding from the Center for Healthcare Strategies / RWJF, he recently evaluated a consumer-led intervention to improve the competency of providers and enhance peer support under Medicaid managed care. Dr. Young frequently presents and teaches about the treatment of severe mental illness, health services, and improving healthcare services.

Graduate Student Researchers Faculty Thomas Belin Joel Braslow Susan Ettner Arlene Fink Lillian Gelberg Sheryl Kataoka Jeanne Miranda Lisa Rubenstein Ken Wells Alex Young Bonnie Zima Partners Post-Doctoral Fellows Staff
	Alexander S. Young, M.D., M.S.H.S. Dr. Alexander Young is Director of the Health Services Unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and Associate Professor at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. He is a psychiatrist and health services researcher. Dr. Young focuses on understanding and improving the quality and efficiency of mental health services, provider behavior and the management of mental health care. He has emphasized publicly financed mental health care, and the care of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. He directs health services for the VA Desert Pacific MIRECC, a Center with the goal of improving functional outcomes in individuals with psychotic disorders (www.mirecc.org). He recently completed an Advanced Research Career Development Award from the VA HSR&D service to evaluate methods for improving the quality of care for schizophrenia. He is on the Executive Committee for the UCLA RAND NIMH Center for Research on Quality in Managed Care (www.hsrcenter.ucla.edu). Dr. Young is a national leader in the evaluation and improvement of mental health service quality. In 1998, he published in the Archives of General Psychiatry a method for measuring the appropriateness of treatment for schizophrenia. In 2000, in this same journal, he published the first national study of the quality of care for depression and anxiety. He has had numerous other publications, including articles evaluating capitated financing in patients with severe mental illness. He published an article presenting a competency set that defines the attitudes, skills and knowledge that providers need to have to successfully treat people with severe psychiatric disorders. A former Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, Dr. Young has received a number of honors, including the American Psychiatric Association 2000 Early Career Health Services Research Award, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill 2002 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. Dr. Young is currently focusing on projects to improve the quality of care. He directs EQUIP, a project funded by the VA HSR&D service to evaluate a method for improving care for schizophrenia. He is principal investigator for CHIACC, a project funded by the VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) to develop informatics systems supporting collaborative care for chronic illness. He is leading projects to develop consumer provider and peer support interventions, and to implement outcomes management systems at public clinics. Under funding from the Center for Healthcare Strategies / RWJF, he recently evaluated a consumer-led intervention to improve the competency of providers and enhance peer support under Medicaid managed care. Dr. Young frequently presents and teaches about the treatment of severe mental illness, health services, and improving healthcare services.				Contact Info Publications