IMPLEMENTING

CREATIVE
EXPRESSION
SESSIONS IN
COMMUNITY MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
 IMPLEMENTING
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
SESSIONS IN
COMMUNITY MENTAL
INTRODUCTION HEALTH SERVICES
Community mental health services face mounting challenges in providing holistic care that addresses both clinical and psychosocial needs
(Kilbourne et al., 2018). This quality improvement initiative proposes implementing Creative Expression Sessions, despite coordination
complexities, to enhance therapeutic outcomes through structured arts-based interventions. Traditional therapy alone often fails to address the
complex interplay of emotional, social, and psychological factors affecting recovery (Ross & Naylor, 2017).
The proposed change involves integrating regular art, music, and journaling workshops to help patients express emotions safely while building
confidence and social connections, following established quality improvement principles (Jones et al., 2019).
This approach was selected for the following reasons: Arts activities significantly improve emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing
(Zhang, 2025), a non-threatening therapeutic approach suitable for diverse populations (Gillam, 2018), and it enhances existing treatments
rather than replacing them (Jean-Berluche, 2024)

RATIONALE EVIDENCE BASE

Mental health care requires innovative approaches that
address the complex interplay of emotional, social, and Creative arts participation enhances public mental health
psychological factors (Ross & Naylor, 2017). Evidence and wellbeing, providing accessible therapeutic interventions
demonstrates that creative expression significantly impacts that complement traditional treatment approaches (Gillam,
psychological well-being and emotional regulation (Zhang, 2018).
2025; Jean-Berluche, 2024).
Key drivers for this change
1. Need for holistic mental health interventions beyond
traditional therapy (Kilbourne et al., 2018)
2. Evidence supporting arts participation in public mental
health enhancement (Gillam, 2018)
3. Requirement for systematic quality improvement
approaches (The Health Foundation, 2021)
4. Growing evidence of music therapy benefits for
adolescent mental health (Chen, 2024)
5. Demonstrated effectiveness of poetry and creative
writing in hospital settings (Marino et al., 2025)

INTENDED IMPACT
Creative Expression Sessions will address wider mental health service challenges by providing
innovative therapeutic interventions that enhance traditional care approaches (Ross & Naylor, 2017;
Jean-Berluche, 2024):
• Improved emotional regulation through structured creative activities (Zhang, 2025; Aifang & Shi,
2025)
• Enhanced patient confidence and self-discovery through artistic expression (Chen, 2024)
• Reduced isolation through group-based creative activities and peer support
• Strengthened therapeutic relationships and treatment engagement (Bowness et al., 2025)
• Complementary approach to traditional mental health interventions (Marino et al., 2025)

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS EVALUATION

Change implementation requires understanding Success will be measured through multiple indicators aligned
organizational culture barriers and developing strategies to with mental health quality improvement frameworks and
overcome resistance. The implementation will follow a creative intervention outcomes (Kilbourne et al., 2018; Zhang,
2025):
phased approach with strong leadership support and team
Clinical Outcomes: Emotional regulation scores,
engagement (Institute for Innovation and Improvement, psychological wellbeing measures, and treatment engagement
2010). rates (Jean-Berluche, 2024; Zhang, 2025)
• Stakeholder engagement and needs assessment Process Measures: Session attendance, patient participation
• Pilot implementation with early adopters levels, and creative output quality assessments (Aifang & Shi,
• Staff training and support programs 2025)
System Measures: Staff satisfaction with creative
• Phased rollout across service areas
interventions and integration with existing services (Ross &
• Continuous monitoring and adjustment Naylor, 2017)
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
Regular evaluation cycles will follow Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)
Engaging patients and families in participatory action methodology (The Health Foundation, 2021), incorporating
research approaches to ensure culturally sensitive and patient feedback and creative expression outcomes to ensure
meaningful creative interventions (Bowness et al., 2025). sustained improvement in mental health care quality through
arts-based interventions.
LEADERSHIP
Leadership Skills Required:
•Transformational leadership: Inspiring teams to embrace innovation in mental health care delivery
•Change management expertise: Navigating resistance and building buy-in through evidence-based advocacy (Jones et al.,
2019)
•Stakeholder engagement: Collaborating with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams (Bowness et al., 2025)
 REFERENCES
• Aifang, Y., & Shi, Z. (2025). Validation of the Chinese version of Emotion Regulation Strategies
for Artistic Creative Activities Scale (ERS-ACA-C) among Chinese college students majoring in
art and design. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1627567.
• Bowness, B., Begum, S., Bicknell, S., Samuels, L., Shah, S., Hess, S., ... & Lawrence, V. (2025).
Nurturing creativity whilst caring: Participatory action research with family carers and a
recovery college. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1607560.
• Chen, H. (2024). Music and adolescent mental health: A journey of healing, growth, and self-
discovery. Environmental Social Psychology, 9(10), 3150.
• Gillam, T. (2018). Enhancing public mental health and wellbeing through creative arts
participation. Journal of Public Mental Health, 17(4), 148-156.
• Institute for Innovation and Improvement. (2010). The handbook of quality and service
improvement tools. Institute for Innovation and Improvement.
• Jean-Berluche, D. (2024). Creative expression and mental health. Journal of Creativity, 34(2),
100083.
• Jones, B., Vaux, E., & Olsson-Brown, A. (2019). How to get started in quality improvement. BMJ,
364, k5408.
• Kilbourne, A. M., Beck, K., Spaeth-Rublee, B., Ramanuj, P., O'Brien, R. W., Tomoyasu, N., &
Pincus, H. A. (2018). Measuring and improving the quality of mental health care: A global
perspective. World Psychiatry, 17(1), 30-38.
• Koivisto, M., & Toivanen, H. (2024). Schizotypy and creativity: Divergent thinking, inhibitory
control, and the spontaneous flow of thought. Creativity Research Journal, 1-21.
• Marino, L. V., Mirfin, N., Barrett, L., Khan, W., & Barley, N. (2025). The hope collective: An
exploration of joy, hope, light and meaning through poetry in a mental health hospital: A brief
report. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 1-10.
• Ross, S., & Naylor, C. (2017). Quality improvement in mental health.
• The Health Foundation. (2021). Quality improvement made simple: What everyone should know
about health care quality improvement quick guide.
• Zhang, Y. (2025). Impact of arts activities on psychological well-being: Emotional intelligence as
mediator and perceived stress as moderator. Acta Psychologica, 254, 104865.