ECHO: Moving Knowledge, Not People
LSFHS ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) established in 2022 provides an inclusive, interactive approach to connect and empower Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Primary Care Physicians (PCPs), multidisciplinary specialists/providers, and other professionals. LSFHS ECHO uses the Project ECHO educational, knowledge-sharing model to create a synchronous, virtual network of healthcare professionals to discuss didactic content regarding clinical and systematic practice changes and to review de-identified patient cases related to medical care, social determinants of health, and community services. Project ECHO increases access to high-quality specialty care in local communities through technology-enabled collaborative learning to eliminate silos, collaborate on solutions, and equip specialists, providers, and the community. The benefits are increased workforce capacity by building interprofessional communities that bridge gaps to bring positive change.
Project ECHO is a teaching philosophy – “All teach, all learn.” Changing the way we approach behavioral health as a society is not a vision one person can accomplish alone. At LSFHS, in order to bring a holistic approach to our patients and clients, we begin with bringing a holistic approach to the system. Using Project ECHO, LSFHS has developed the space for professionals and communities alike to maximize their capacity for impact. We increase the capacity for our partnered networks to support much needed transformation.
ECHO brings lived experience into the same room as academic knowledge. Made possible with Zoom technology, the resulting dynamic space allows the voices of experience and information to inform each other. Through education and knowledge transference, we seek to work in collaboration with families and professionals to create realistic and effective changes in our system of care.”
Upcoming ECHO Sessions
Key features of a High-Fidelity Wraparound ECHO Series include:
✅ Interdisciplinary Expertise – A core team of specialists, including behavioral health clinicians, social workers, educators, and family advocates, provides guidance on complex cases.
✅ Case-Based Learning – Participants present real-world cases and receive expert recommendations, fostering practical skill development and immediate application.
✅ Evidence-Based Best Practices – Sessions focus on trauma-informed care, youth engagement, crisis planning, and systems navigation to enhance service delivery.
✅ Ongoing Support & Professional Development – The series builds a sustainable community of practice, reducing provider isolation and increasing confidence in handling challenging cases.
By leveraging virtual learning and a network of expertise, a High-Fidelity Wraparound ECHO Clinic strengthens the capacity of providers to deliver coordinated, family-centered care, ensuring that youth receive the right support, at the right time, in the right setting.
The Peer Workforce Development ECHO Clinic – This Clinic provides professional development for Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) who are new to the field. While training and certification processes vary by state and organization, SAMHSA’s Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health (2015), “…identifies the critical knowledge, skills and abilities needed by anyone who provides peer support services to people with or in recovery from a mental health or substance use condition.” To support and expand upon core competencies, this ECHO Clinic offers bi-monthly, 1.5 hour-long ECHO sessions. Each session is led by an inter-professional team of behavioral health and peer recovery specialists. This structure enhances the skills and abilities of peer specialists to assist peers in the recovery process, and facilitates connections with other peer specialists who are new to field work. The resulting opportunities to engage in expert-led didactic presentations, present cases, and receive real-time case consultation and recommendations from specialists, allow participants to become part of a safe and collaborative learning community of practice.
REGISTER NOW
How to Get Involved
If you are an expert in the field of behavioral health and want to get involved in our mission to raise awareness and bring lived experience into a welcoming learning space, please click on the link below – we can’t wait to hear from you! Many of our subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are primary care providers, Peer Specialist, Psychiatrist, Clinical Therapist, case workers, Registered Nurses, Registered Dietitians, Medical Doctors and other clinicians, community providers, family members with lived experience, and many more individuals in the system of care and behavioral health community.
Join us for a fun and invigorating learning experience, your voice and expertise are waiting to be heard!
EMAIL: ECHO@lsfnet.org
PHONE: 904-553-0408
How Does ECHO Work?
Using the equalizing power of technology, clinical care providers, community partners, and families can connect virtually to a multidisciplinary team across the world. Each session includes a brief, 15 to 30-minute didactic presentation. However, the greatest essence of our learning takes place during in-depth discussions of real-world cases, presented by participants and reviewed by all. Each participant in the learning network contributes to the discussion in an “all teach, all learn” model, and recommendations for best practice are shared between those with academic knowledge and those with lived experience.
VIDEO: Project ECHO was initially developed in New Mexico as an online methodology to support community healthcare professionals in treating individuals infected with Hepatitis C. It is now a rapidly expanding global network. Project ECHO aims to democratize learning via mentoring and building communities of practice, aided by video-conferencing technology and following its Guiding Principles.
