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Nov/Dec 2023 Newsletter

In this Issue...

2023 Annual Report Released
Upcoming Webinar on Working w/Long COVID & a Disability
New Funding for 4 Research Projects
Comic Series on IEPs is completed!
New Tip Sheet: Accommodations at Work
Recruiting for Research Studies
Lifeline for Moms - Resources for Practitioners
In Case You Missed It

Learn More about iSPARC in Our 2023 Annual Report

"iSPARC Turns 30: The Real World Impact of Our Research Over the Past 30 Years"

In October we submitted our 2023 Annual Report, "iSPARC Turns 30: The Real World Impact of Our Research Over the Past 30 Years" to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). iSPARC has been a Mass. Department of Mental Health (DMH) Research Center of Excellence for 30 years!

Our mission has always been to conduct, disseminate, and support the use of research in the public mental health system to enhance services for people with behavioral health conditions which supports their recovery and improves their quality of life. Read our annual report and learn how we did that this past year.

Read Our Annual Report

Upcoming Webinar Registration Open

"A Framework for Investigating Living and Working with Disabilities and Long COVID"

A Webinar Hosted by the University of New Hampshire and the

Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research (CeKTER)

Date | Time: Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 1 to 2 pm EST

Presenters: Dr. Vidya Sundar, Dr. Debra Brucker and Ms. Shreya Paul

This presentation will describe how researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are investigating the impact of Long COVID on the lived experiences of people with disabilities in terms of healthcare utilization and employment.

The presenters will

Review current research on Long COVID and identify research gaps
Describe prior research conducted by the team on COVID related issues among people with disabilities
Share the development of a novel coaching-based intervention to help people with disabilities succeed at work.

Join Us

November 16th, 2023, 1:00-2:00PM ET

Newly Funded Research Projects at iSPARC!

Melissa Anderson, and the DeafYES! Team have been awarded the 5-year project “Evaluating Signs of Safety: A Deaf-Accessible Therapy Toolkit for AUD and Trauma” by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Lourah Kelly was awarded a 3-year project entitled “Development and Evaluation of an Avatar Guided Mobile Health for Emerging Adults” by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Kathryn Sabella and Elizabeth Thomas, Temple University, are co-directors of a new “Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation among Transition Age Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions from Disadvantaged, Vulnerable, and Marginalized Backgrounds” co-funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Spencer G. Lawson, PhD, a senior research scientist in our Law and Psychiatry program has been named a W.E.B DuBois Fellow and received funding from the National Institute of Justice to help launch a project aimed at creating a model for correctional agencies to identify and reduce potential racial and ethnic disparities and thoroughly assess their classification systems, which are used to determine custody level designations and facility assignments for incarcerated individuals.

New Products for Young Adults

Part 4 of The "TEA" on IEPs Comic Series is Released!

This four-part info-comic is for high school students to help them understand what an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is, what transition planning is, and the importance of being involved in leading their own IEPs. This comic series can empower them and show them how to take that leadership role.

Read our 4 Part Comic Series

Tip Sheet: Accommodations at Work: What Do I Need to Know?

Work can be hard for young adults. And a mental health condition can make things complicated. Accommodations at your workplace can be one helpful solution. But what are they? Our new tip sheet, "Accommodations at Work: What Do I Need to Know?" can help young adults figure that out and figure out what to ask for to help them be successful at their job. The tip sheet is also great for anyone of any age who is asking those questions.

Read "Accommodations at Work"

Recruiting for New Research Projects

Are you 18-30 years old, employed, and living with a mental health condition that makes it hard to keep up with your job?

The Tools for Work Success Study may help.

Do you (or someone you know) have a hard time doing or keeping up with your job due to difficulties staying organized, remembering things, managing your time, following directions, or getting to work on time? The Tools for Work Success Study may be able to help.

Our Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research is recruiting for a new study, the Tools for Work Success Study. The main purpose of this study is to determine which of two approaches is most effective in helping young adults, ages 18 to 30 years old with mental health conditions, develop skills around focus, memory, planning/time management, and problem solving for work. Want to learn more?

Visit the Tools for Work Success Study page or contact a member of the study team at FSST@umassmed.edu or 508-864-5329.

Lifeline for Moms Offers Important Resources

Lifeline for Moms is about helping communities optimize perinatal mental health as perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality or pregnancy-related death in the United States. The center offers several resources to help obstetric care clinicians identify and care for patients with mental health conditions. Check them out below

Perinatal Mental Health Resources

In Case You Missed It

From Lifeline for Moms: Dr. Nancy Byatt Discusses the Importance of Maternal Mental Health and the New Postpartum Depression Pill
New Tip Sheet: Resources for Addressing Food Insecurity and Other Social Determinants of Health in Worcester, Massachusetts
From CeKTER: Electronic Job Coaches Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities
STAY Tuned Podcast Episode 11: Progress Isn't Linear: You Might Even Need a Detour Out of School
STAY Tuned Podcast Episode 10: Too Sick to Work? Breaking the Narrative
Young Adult Tip Sheet: My "Must Have" Papers - Managing the Paperwork of Adulting

We are Hiring! Come Join Our Team

Are you looking to grow your career in an academic research setting? Check out all of the great employment opportunities (hybrid eligible) we have within iSPARC and our research centers. Consider applying today or share with someone you know who would be interested!

View our employment opportunities here.

Who We Are

As a MA Department of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence, we are here to help the MA DMH workforce with any Technical Assistance (TA) needs they may have by providing information based on research. iSPARC can provide expertise and information on a wide range of mental health-related topics. We provide Basic TA (e.g., tip sheets, brief phone consultation, etc.) at no cost and can provide more intensive TA (e.g., policy development, training, etc.) which requires approval of your area director or deputy commissioner, or for a fee.

The Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center is a part of the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School (formerly the University of Massachusetts Medical School).

iSPARC is a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) Center of Excellence (COE) for Public Mental Health Services and Implementation Research that aims to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens of Massachusetts and beyond. iSPARC is committed to transferring knowledge and insights gained through rigorous research to improve the lives of people with lived mental health experience.

We conduct Participatory Action Research, an all-inclusive approach that ensures that every aspect of our research incorporates the voices of those with lived mental health experience.

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