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In this Issue...
- FY24 Annual Report to DMH: Cultivating Real-Life Change
- New Toolkit from Transitions ACR: Creating and Sustaining Youth Advisory Boards (YABs)
- From Law & Psychiatry: Bringing Data to the Debate on Risk Assessment
- From CeKTER: New Brief on Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities
- Two New Tip Sheets from the CIRC Center
- S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast - Two new episodes
- In Case You Missed It
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Hot Off The Press: 2024 Annual Report to DMH! | |
Cultivating Real-Life Change
In fiscal year 2024, we built upon DMH’s investment to accelerate the translation of research findings into actionable best practices. These efforts directly benefit individuals with lived experience, their families, and the providers who serve them across the Commonwealth, aligning with DMH’s key strategic priorities.
This year, the iSPARC Technical Assistance Program played a critical role in identifying key factors to help reduce inpatient aggression at DMH-funded facilities. Additionally, we made significant progress in advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within our Center, focusing on workforce enrichment and embedding DEI principles into our research program.
We also launched several innovative projects aimed at enhancing the behavioral health and well-being of individuals with mental health disorders, furthering our commitment to creating meaningful, lasting change.
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New Resource for Working with Young Adults from Transitions ACR | |
Creating and Sustaining Youth Advisory Boards (YABs): A Toolkit for Health and Human Services | |
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This new resource from Transitions ACR is a comprehensive toolkit designed to support organizations in establishing and maintaining Youth Advisory Boards (YABs) for youth and young adults aged 14–30. Drawing on their extensive experience working with young adults who have lived experience with mental health challenges, the toolkit provides adaptable strategies to meet the unique needs of diverse populations.
Youth Advisory Boards offer a critical opportunity to incorporate the expertise of young adults into the design and delivery of mental health and human services. By ensuring that these services are informed by the perspectives of those they aim to serve, organizations can enhance their relevance, accessibility, and overall impact.
The toolkit is divided into four key sections:
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Introduction: an overview of why developing an advisory board of young adults with mental health conditions is important and how it can bring value to your organization. The Introduction also provides pre-planning ideas for your agency or organization.
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Initial Phases & Planning (Phase I): focuses on the basics of planning a youth advisory board and getting top-down support.
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Recruiting & Logistics (Phase II): explains how to recruit, interview, and hire for your board.
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Development & Retention (Phase III): covers meeting logistics, facilitation skills, and planning and running your meetings. The Development & Retention phase also provides information on how to manage conflict, as well as how to conduct YAB evaluations and closure activities.
This toolkit is a flexible resource to help your organization empower youth voices and create advisory boards that drive meaningful change.
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Research Update from Law & Psychiatry | |
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Bringing Data to the Debate on Risk Assessment
Law & Psychiatry researchers Drs. Gina Vincent and Spencer Lawson, recently published a brief and podcast related to their research on Pretrial Risk Assessment: Behavioral Health and Racial Equity, a partnership study with the Policy Research Associates.
New research shows that risk assessment instruments do not increase racial disparities—and in some cases, they may even help reduce them.
Listen to the Podcast & Read the Brief
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Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities: Vocational Service-Related Determinants | |
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CeKTER researchers at Boston University conducted a systematic scoping review of research funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) between 2000 and 2020, focusing on the employment of people with disabilities.
Studies comparing individuals with disabilities to those without were excluded from this review. Among the more than 100 publications examined, the findings were highly varied, with diverse variables and research questions, making it difficult to draw overarching conclusions. Several approaches can be taken to organize these disparate findings. This brief is part of a series based on CeKTER’s systematic scoping review. In the brief researchers present findings that explore how various determinants within vocational rehabilitation (VR) services influence their utilization and outcomes. Importantly, all comparisons are drawn between corresponding peers with disabilities.
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New Tip Sheets from the CIRC Center | |
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What is Community Participation: The term 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.
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Demystifying Civic Engagement: How to Make Your Voice Heard (Beyond Voting!) & 5 Tips to Get Started: The term “civic engagement” is less intimidating than it sounds! Civic engagement describes the process taken by individuals or groups to identify and address issues of concern within their communities. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual events such as working the polls, to longer-term, sustained efforts such as joining an advocacy group and educating others about issues that matter to you.
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.
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New Products for Young Adults & Their Supporters | |
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast - New Episodes! | |
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