Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research June 2025 Newsletter | | |
In this Issue...
- Creating and Sustaining Youth Advisory Boards (YABs): A Toolkit for Health and Human Services
- Details on two upcoming presentations
- The latest S.T.A.Y. Tuned podcast episode by the CIRC Center
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Webinar Recordings Available: Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions – Reflections on 30 Years
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Recently published - "Peer Academic Supports for Success: Pilot Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial" in Early Intervention in Psychiatry
- Tip Sheets from The CIRC Center
- Follow us on Bluesky social
| | New Resource: An Online Toolkit | | |
Do you want to add youth voice to your organization, but don’t know how? Come and see our new free online toolkit that provides tools and techniques for building and sustaining a young adult advisory council.
We designed and tested it to be adaptable for the unique population your organization serves.
Explore the Online Toolkit
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ESMI TTA Center's
Supporting Young Adults Experiencing Early Serious Mental Illness in the Shift from Child to Adult Mental Health Services Webinar
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Early Serious Mental Illness (SAMHSA ESMI TTA Center) is hosting a webinar series that addresses a range of topics related to early serious mental illness (ESMI), including clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and first episode psychosis (FEP).
The June 17, 2025 webinar will discuss ways that young adults experiencing ESMI may be supported as they shift from child to adult mental health services. Participants will learn about structural and procedural changes that occur as young adults shift out of ESMI services and move from child to adult service systems. The webinar will also identify promising strategies to reduce service gaps, including using early planning, assessment tools, cross-system coordination, and personalized step-down programs. Two grantees will present approaches to improve continuity of care, minimize disengagement, and enhance service availability for young adults experiencing ESMI.
Featured Presenters:
- Kathryn Sabella, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School
- Elizabeth Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University College of Public Health
- Hilary Bertisch, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor, Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell
- Brittany Grimes, Project Manager of Youth and Young Adult Services, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Register today for this informative SAMHSA webinar.
You can learn more about the ESMI TTA Center at samhsa.gov/technical-assistance/esmi-tta.
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The Coaching Institute
Thursday, July 24, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
43 Hawes Street
Brookline, MA 02446
On July 24, 2025, Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation will be holding the The Coaching Institute. The Coaching Institute is an immersive experience that features a dynamic keynote speech, interactive panel discussions, four coaching track options (Families, Young Adults, Peer Providers and Peer-to-Peer), coaching skill instruction, state of the science information, and comprehensive implementation materials.
Dr. Maryann Davis will be presenting the Peer Academic Supports for Success (PASS) model as part of the Young Adult track. Peer Academic Supports for Success (PASS) is designed to help students thrive by providing health-based, strengths-focused, and supportive academic peer coaching. PASS offers additional support to mitigate student challenges and promote persistence in college, ensuring they stay on track toward their goals.
Attendance at The Coaching Institute will earn each Mental Health Counselor 6.0 CEU hours and each Social Worker 5.5 CEU hours.
Register for The Coaching Institute today!
| | | | New S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode by the CIRC Center | | |
Episode 24: Roots and Change: Youth Advocacy in Rural Communities
In this episode, we sit down with Wyatt Wagner - a dynamic 21-year-old youth peer advocate, nonprofit founder, and newly announced candidate for his district's board of legislators. Wyatt shares the powerful story behind Youth of Lewis County, the nonprofit he started to create safe spaces and supports for young people in his rural community. We dive into the challenges and triumphs of building youth-led programming in areas with limited infrastructure, strong religious influences, and limited funds. From organizing the county's first youth-run Renaissance Fair to advocating for safe and inclusive spaces, Wyatt speaks candidly about why youth voice is critical to community development and what he is doing to encourage youth and young adults to participate in their communities. This podcast was funded by grants from NIDILRR & SAMHSA (grant numbers 90RTCP0010).
| | | View all of our podcasts and transcripts HERE. | |
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Webinar Recordings Now Available!
Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions – Reflections on 30 Years
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We’re excited to announce that the recordings for our two-part webinar series are now available on our website!
This special series explores the evolution of services, policies, and research from 1995 to 2025, featuring the perspectives of five leading experts who have been deeply involved in the field for much of this time. Together, they reflect on the milestones, lessons learned, and future directions for supporting youth and young adults living with serious mental health conditions.
In Case You Missed It:
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Part 1: Traces the development of policies, federal programs, and innovative local services that have shaped the landscape of care and support for young people with serious mental health conditions.
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Part 2: Focuses on the progression of research in the field — highlighting how emerging evidence has informed practice and policy, and what lies ahead for the next generation of research and service delivery.
The series also highlights the powerful interconnections between research, policy, and practice, and the importance of tailored services that address the unique strengths, needs, and circumstances of this population.
Access the Webinars on our Website
| | | | Tip Sheets from The CIRC Center | | |
What is Community Participation
Community participation is used in mental health services and research to refer to community-based activities that promote overall health and wellness. However, many people find this concept to be confusing, vague, and hard to understand.
This tip sheet will define “community participation,” describe relevant experiences of young adults (ages 14–26) with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) from populations that have been marginalized, and provide reflections from our various advisory boards of young adults, family members, and professionals in the field.
YT Short: Joshua breaks down community participation.
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Demystifying Civic Engagement: How to Make Your Voice Heard (Beyond Voting!) & 5 Tips to Get Started
Civic engagement describes the process taken by individuals or groups to identify and address issues of concern within their communities.
This tip sheet outlines 5 ways to get involved in civic engagement that are in addition to voting OR that can be done before you’re old enough to vote.
YT Short: Joshua explains how to make your voice heard.
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We're on Bluesky
We are thrilled to announce that we have joined the Bluesky social app. You can find us via our handle: @transitionsacr.bsky.social. Be sure to follow us here and on our all social channels.
| | | | COULD YOU USE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE? | | |
Technical Assistance activities are an extension of the research and training activities of the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research. Our TA services can range from simple resource referrals to on-site development of a formal TA plan (including fact-finding, goals, responsibilities, timelines, and evaluation measures). We are ready to help you develop programs, polices, and practices that support the community participation, educational, and employment outcomes of youth with mental health conditions.
Please complete the form below for Technical Assistance from Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research. Please note that we do not provide clinical consultation, behavioral services, or referrals.
| | Some of the contents of this message are supported in part under grants with funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, (NIDILRR), United States Departments of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR grant numbers 90RTEM0005, 90RTCP0010 and 90RTEM0012) and co-funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this message do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, SAMHSA, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. | | | | |
