The George Warren Brown School of Social Work proposes to establish a Center for mental Health Services Research. The Center will support a talented, interdisciplinary faculty study team in addressing major knowledge gaps around the effective delivery of mental health services. Major objectives for the center are 1) to strengthen the School's institutional capacity to conduct mental health services research, including enhancing individual faculty competence to conduct such research, and 2) to support substantively important projects by individual investigators. The Center's developmental & research activities will focus on 3 key issues in mental health services delivery; access, integration, & effectiveness of care. Each are presents major gaps in knowledge and, hence, significant questions for research. Developmental & individual investigator studies are planned, which collectively focus on client, organization, & policy levels of analysis. The substantive focus of the projects is consistent with concerns of the public mental health providers in the State of Missouri. Projects will address 3 populations at risk: 1) children & adolescents, 20 community-dwelling individuals with persistent and severe disorders, & 30 minorities of color, especially African-American. Over 5 years the Center's contribution to strengthening the School's infrastructure for mental health research will include interdisciplinary collaboration with senior scientists, an advisory board, technical staff, in-house workshops, and pre- and post-doctoral research assistants. Specific outcomes will include several full RO-1 proposals, pr- and post- doctoral fellows well-trained in mental health services research, pilot studies, scientific publications, including a special issue of the Journal of Social Service Review on mental health services research, and an interdisciplinary core of capable investigators, whose past record ensures their ability to benefit from the Center's support. Knowledge generated from the research projects will inform service delivery, which in turn has potential to improve the lives and productivity of seriously impaired individuals.
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