PI: Marsha Ellison, PhD

Investigators: Nancy Koroloff, PhD (Portland State U), Susan Foley, PhD, Joe Marrone, L. Zhang (UMass Boston), Maryann Davis, PhD (UMass)

Description:
This research aims to identify potential factors that will improve inter-organizational collaborations among the triangle of service systems (vocational rehabilitation (VR), child mental health (CMH), and adult mental health (AMH), and their programs, in order to improve the transition to employment in youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs). This project will develop knowledge about factors that are associated with collaborations among the triangle of service systems, and the relationship between collaboration patterns and vocational service utilization and outcomes. The triangle system is key because VR and AMH fund employment services, while CMH identifies and works with youth and young adults during critical ages for developing work habits and skills (i.e. ages 16-21). We will conduct qualitative interviews with the localtriangle system leaders in communities that are funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s “Now is the Time-Healthy Transitions” (NITT-HT) grant program, this will be followed by network analyses of triangle programs for youth and young adults with SMHCs in NITT-HT communities through a web-based survey, and finally we will explore whether there is a relationship between community-level triangle collaborations and NITT-HT communities’ VR agency administrative service utilization and the ensuing youth and young adult outcomes.