This proposed RISP will accomplish thee aims. It will: 1) develop the research capacity of junior minority (primarily Hispanic and Native American) faculty to conduct mental health research within primary health care settings; 2) improve the infrastructure for conducting mental health research within primary health care settings; 2) improve the infrastructure for conducting mental health research on minority populations in University-affiliated primary care settings; and 3) facilitate collaboration for mental health research involving minority patients among faculty from two separate departments: Psychiatry, and Family and Community Medicine. To accomplish the first aim we propose to: 1) provide an individualized program for each minority faculty member, consistent with his/her career goals and research interests. The goals of mentors will also serve as a scientific advisory committee, providing consultation to the PI, Co-PI and the individual junior faculty participants; 2) provide a shared learning and research environment in which the junior faculty members can freely share ideas in development, receive group instruction and constructive feedback through seminars, research courses and tutorials, and a regular colloquium from peers and faculty, and develop collaborative projects; 3) provide a core resource of instruction, consultation and technical assistance, including data acquisition and management, and administrative support; 4) provide opportunities for minority students and trainees to participate in the individual research projects in the core activities, especially through the School of Medicine's required student research programs.
The second aim will be accomplished by building a research infrastructure via the core for conducting mental health services research relevant and sensitive to minority patient populations in the primary care and primary care-psychiatry practice sites. We will establish closer ties and a mutual research agenda with community-based health service agencies serving Hispanic and Native American populations. A scientific/public interest advisory board will include leaders in minority mental health, Indian Health Service mental health administrators, community-based clinic leadership, and other interested parties. We will convene meetings of this group with our Scientific Advisory Board bi-annually The third aim will be accomplished through the participation of faculty members from the core department in developing additional infrastructure and resources for the proposed research through collaborative planning and mentoring of the junior faculty, and by their participation in the seminars and group supervision in the core.
This aim will be further facilitated by establishing a fund for pilot research for new projects to be conducted collaboratively by University-based faculty and community primary care and mental health practitioners.
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