September 2026 Newsletter

In this Issue...

Law & Psychiatry Program Receives $3.8 Million SAMHSA Grant
Drs. Ellison and Mullen Named Co-Leaders of the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research
Upcoming Transitions ACR Webinar: Different by Design
New Research Program: Social Contexts and Behavioral Health Research Program under Dr. Kathryn Sabella
New Research Findings: Key Characteristics of Mental Health Clubhouses: Findings from the 2025 CPQ
New Research Brief: Federal and Employer Policies Positively Impacting the Employment Outcomes of People with Disabilities
Hot off the Press: iSPARC Researchers in Print

Law & Psychiatry Program Receives $3.8 Million SAMHSA Grant

We’re thrilled to share that the Law & Psychiatry Program at UMass Chan Medical School has received a new $3.8 million SAMHSA grant to support behavioral health and community safety efforts across Massachusetts. This exciting initiative will help advance evidence-based approaches for youth and families, strengthen crisis response and peer support services, and address youth homelessness.

From the Learning & Working RRTC at Transitions ACR

Drs. Ellison and Mullen Named Co-Leaders of the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research

In August, the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research began an exciting new chapter as Drs. Marsha Ellison and Michelle Mullen stepped into leadership of the Center. With their shared experience, strong collaboration, and deep commitment to the Center’s mission, they will help carry forward its important work supporting youth and young adults with mental health conditions. The Center also thanked Dr. Kathryn Sabella for her dedicated leadership.

Read the full announcement on our website.

Upcoming Webinar: Different by Design: Become a Stronger Advocate for Team-based Services That Work for Transition-Age Youth Diagnosed with Serious Mental Health Conditions

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

12:00 to 1:00 PM EDT

Presenters: Vanessa V. Klodnick, PhD, LCSW & Rebecca P. Johnson, MA, LCPC

Transition-age youth (ages 16–26) living with serious mental health conditions need services designed around their developmental needs, evolving priorities, and rapidly changing lives. These are needs that can be difficult to address within existing child and adult systems. This webinar brings together research and practice-based insights to help mental health providers across the United States advocate for developmentally responsive, team-based TAY services. Participants will be introduced to a new, publicly available advocacy guidance tool for making a compelling case for TAY-specific service structures, practices, and supports in their own organizations and communities.

New Research Program

iSPARC Announces New Social Contexts and Behavioral Health Research Program under Kathryn Sabella, PhD

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a new research program within our Center exploring how social factors shape behavioral health across the lifespan. Led by Kathryn Sabella, PhD, the Social Contexts and Behavioral Health Research Program uses community-engaged research to better understand risk, disparities, and long-term outcomes, with the goal of informing policy and practice.

Learn more on our website.

New Research Products

Key Characteristics of Mental Health Clubhouses: Findings from the 2025 CPQ

The 2025 Clubhouse Profile Questionnaire (CPQ) offers a global snapshot of mental health Clubhouses and their core characteristics. Based on responses from 284 Clubhouses across 23 countries and 34 U.S. states, the CPQ captures important information about governance, membership, staffing, unit structure, employment, housing activities, and training. This common data set helps Clubhouse International and Clubhouses worldwide track program development, support quality assurance, and strengthen the Clubhouse Model over time.

View the Poster Findings on our website

Federal and Employer Policies Positively Impacting the Employment Outcomes of People with Disabilities

This brief highlights findings from a systematic scoping review of research on the employment of people with disabilities published between 2000 and 2020. Drawing on more than 100 studies, the review found a wide range of variables and research questions, making broad summary conclusions difficult. This new brief is part of a larger series from the review and focuses specifically on federal and employer policies that were found to have a positive impact on employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Read the Brief in our eLibrary

Hot Off The Press: iSPARC Researchers in Print

iSPARC researchers have authored five recently published academic journal articles.

Moore, P. S., Kelly, M., & Dvir, Y. (2026). Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here's how to keep kids safe. The Conversation.
Byatt, N., & Julce, C. (2026). Digital tier-based approaches to address perinatal depression. The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, 2(8), e672–e673. https://doi.org/10.1016/S3050-5038(26)00230-X
Ecker, A. H., Scott, R. K., White, B., Sheinfil, A. Z., Helmer, D. A., Kelly, M. M., Gallagher, M. W., Finley, E. P., Cucciare, M. A., & Cully, J. A. (2026). An integrated transdiagnostic approach for veterans with co-occurring anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use: An open pilot trial and case studies. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, JCP–2025-0055.R1.
Palmer, S. J., Rooney, V., Savella, G. M., Haider, U. K., Yonkers, K. A., & Byatt, N. (2026). Addressing perinatal substance use. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 13 (1).
Whelan, A. R., Fredericks, C., Williams, C., Mattocks, K., Miller, E. S., Byatt, N., & Moore Simas, T. A. (2026). Perinatal care experience and interest in weight-inclusive pregnancy intervention among pregnant and postpartum individuals living in larger bodies: A qualitative study. Midwifery, 163, 104966.

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 and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Chan 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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