Fordham University's Hispanic Research Center (HRC) seeks support for its fourth five-year cycle. The Center's aims are (1) to conduct multidisciplinary mental health services research on issues affecting Hispanic populations, according to a conceptual framework encompassing five temporally arrayed phases: problem emergence, help-seeking, assessment, treatment, and post-treatment adjustment; (2) to disseminate the findings of our research in order to influence the public policy and practice affecting Hispanics, and to formulate major conceptual statements which organize the literature and critically examine the applicability of widely used clinical assumptions to the situation of Hispanics; (3) to develop a research environment for scholars that integrates multiple clinical and social science perspectives in models that address priority research problems for Hispanic mental health; and (4) to exercise a leadership role in Hispanic mental health research through research on minority mental health, scholarly contributions, and participation in research and policy forums. Our research portfolio builds upon our current work and logically extends it to encompass new and under-researched New York City Hispanic population groups. Our collaboration with New York clinical facilities enables us to expand the customary focus of inquiry into conceptual models that integrate clinical and social science perspectives. Through collaborative relations with Johns Hopkins' Health Services Research and Development Center, the HRC will gradually incorporate service systems research perspectives to examine how organizational and financial characteristics of the mental health service system influence Hispanics' outcomes in mental health services. The vehicle for pursuing our aims will be a program of externally funded studies, each focusing upon critical research problems of our five phase conceptual framework. The funds sought through this application address developmental and organizational objectives. They will provide the organizational structure necessary to undertake the research programs and support the developmental research projects. To attain its research aims, the HRC is administered by a six-person Management Committee composed of the HRC Director, Center Scholars, and Senior Research Associates; with assigned responsibilities for major research and development areas linked with specific conceptual framework phases and other programmatic activities. To provide guidance to its research and dissemination aims, the Center will form a multidisciplinary National Advisory Panel composed of five eminent Hispanic and non- Hispanic mental health researchers.
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