The Research Network Development Core (RNDC) will be a cornerstone of the Center's mission to improve the quality of life and to reduce disability in middle-aged and elderly adults with schizophrenia and other chronic psychotic disorders. The primary aim of the RNDC is to provide infrastructure for research by the Center investigators through partnership with community clinical and services symptoms. The Center's primary community partner will be the San Diego County Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). The AMHS was chosen as the primary collaborative partner for several reasons. It is responsible for a little over a third of all community mental healthcare in San Diego County for our target population. It also has the infrastructure to support the research plan outlined by Principal Research Core. In addition, there is a long history of collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and AMHS in terms of clinical services, and training. Secondary partners will include: Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, private practitioners in the area, local homeless shelters, and some collaborators in other parts of the country. The key element in a successful collaborative model is the notion that the academic and community partners are considered equals; they both must have much to contribute and gain from the collaboration. In order to facilitate this process, the RNDC has established the Practice Research Network Board which includes representatives from the AMHS, the Center and other community stakeholders. Input from the community will be incorporated into all stages of development of research?needs assessment; study design; implementation; interpretation and dissemination of results. There will be ongoing evaluation of the success of this network at various stages of its development. The proposed collaboration is beneficial for both partners. The Center investigators will benefit by enhancing and diversifying their study populations, acquiring """"""""real-world"""""""" information to guide the development of interventions and services, and developing insight and opportunities for improving community practice. The community settings will benefit from research by having empirical validation for treatment approaches and variations in care, creating robust evaluations of programmatic benefit and outcome, and assessing ways to improve care.
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