Community Participation & Peer Support

Current Projects

• Examining Feasibility of Community-based Multidisciplinary Team-based Model (Emerge) for TAY with Serious Mental Health Diagnoses. Comparing young people’s experiences with Emerge services (community support, care coordination, evidence-based therapies, Peer Support, Supported Employment & Education + prescribing) to those in adult-services-as-usual, and developing a manual, fidelity scale, and training tools for Emerge replication in Illinois and nationally (NIDILRR-funded; 2022-2025).
• Evaluating Headspace Model in US Context, Amplify Center, Dell Medical School, UT-Austin: Examining and capturing financial sustainability and key operational processes of Amplify Clinic (Community Navigation, Peer Support, Supported Employment & Education, evidence-based therapies, prescribing, & basic primary care) to inform model replication in Texas, and across the U.S. (Foundation-funded; 2022-present). 
• Skills for Expanding Expertise in Peer Support (SEEPS), Near-Age Peer Support Theory of Practice & Training Development, Portland State University: Developing theory of practice for Peer Support Providers in CSC across US to inform virtual training development & evaluation (2021-present).
• Improving Young Adult Peer Mentor Workforce Integration, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, CBH Knowledge Center: Developing training & support tools for young adult peer mentor supervisors, conducting a training and professional development needs assessment in 2022. (2019-present) 

Past Projects

• Developing Team and Community-based Multidisciplinary Model for Youth Aging Out of Care, Thresholds Onward Program, Chicago, IL. (2019-2023)
• Blending In-Person & Virtual Support in TAY Multidisciplinary Community-Based Care During COVID-19, CORE Study data collection delays, we examined a real-world provider’s policies and practices to integrate virtual support in real-time & created a provider guide to promote virtual service blending. (NIDILRR-funded, 2020-2021) 
• Integrating Multidisciplinary care model for TAY with Serious Mental Health Diagnoses in University Healthcare System, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine: Providing consultation, training and technical assistance to Focused Forward & REPP Programs for individuals with a recent onset of psychosis and young people who do not qualify for CSC to improve sustainability, quality and outcomes. (Foundation-funded, 2019-2023) 
• Improving Provider Understanding of TAY Development & Needs, Portland State Pathways Research & Training Center: Expert review of online mental health provider training materials for engaging and effectively working with TAY. (NIDILRR-funded, 2018). 
• Improving trauma-related practice and trainings for social service staff who work with Disadvantaged, Vulnerable & Marginalized TAY. Northwestern University Center for Child Trauma Assessment, Services & Interventions (CCTASI): Supported focus group recruitment and implementation among TAY with complex trauma histories and child welfare involvement, as well as reviewing and advising on findings. (NCTCN-funded, 2018). 
• Integrating a Clinical High Risk Service Model in Community Mental Health Setting, Integral Care, Austin, TX. (SAMHSA-funded, 2018-2023). 
• Financing Multidisciplinary developmentally-attuned TAY Services across US via the TIP Model, Stars Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA: Analyzed Interviews with TIP Provider sites across US about their funding sources and sustainability plans; wrote public report for policy makers and program leaders (Stars-funded, 2021-2022). 
• Examining TAY Engagement in Multidisciplinary Community- and Team-based Services, Thresholds, Chicago:  Conducted a mixed-methods study examining engagement and disengagement in the Emerge Model, which blends and enhances multiple evidence-based practices to meet TAY mental health and developmental needs. (NIDILRR-funded, 2015-2017). 
• Improving Young Adult Peer Mentor Supervisor Skills, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Success for Transition-Age Youth (STAY) Project: Developed virtual and in-person trainings for supervisors and program leaders to promote Young Adult Peer Mentor on-the-job success, and positive impact on young people with serious mental health needs (SAMHSA-funded, 2015-2019). 
• Improving TAY-provided Peer and Vocational Services for Young People who identify as LGBTQ+ and have complex trauma histories, Jewish Board of New York, Bridging the Gap: Trained and consulted on integration of TAY peer-provided vocational practices, including developing young adult peer mentor onboarding process, & creating a TAY continuum of care across multiple Jewish Board programs (SAMHSA-funded, 2016-2021). 
• Building and integrating a multidisciplinary TAY team in a children’s behavioral health setting, Heart of Texas HTI, Waco, TX to promote personal wellness and developmental goal attainment via community navigation and in-vivo skills coaching. (SAMHSA-funded, 2016-2018)  
• Young Adult Peer Navigator Project, Integral Care TAY Services, Austin, TX: Building and integrating a multidisciplinary TAY team in an adult community mental health setting to promote personal wellness and developmental goal attainment via community navigation and in-vivo skills coaching. (SAMHSA-funded, 2018-2020)  
• Discovery-Oriented Care Promotion Project, UT-Austin, Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health: Developed TAY practice manual and examining child to adult service transitions in Texas (funding, 2017-2020) 
• Developing a Quality Measure for the TIP Solutions Review, Stars Behavioral Health, National Network on Youth in Transition: Developing and testing quality measures for the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Solutions Review, Thresholds, Chicago, IL. (Stars-funded, 2017-2019). 
• Examining mental health condition onset and treatment narratives among TAY participating in emergency psychiatric services, University of Houston, School of Social Work, Dr. Sarah Narendorf: Coded interviews with team to develop study results and journal manuscript to guide assessment & intervention adolescent mental health among vulnerable and marginalized TAY. (2018-2019).
• Preventing Homelessness Among Aging Out Population in Illinois, Illinois Child Welfare: Preventing Homeless Planning Grant Development, Department of Children & Family Services and Thresholds, Chicago Partnership: Providing scoping literature review of best-practices for TAY experiencing homelessness for grant proposal development. (IL DCFS funded, 2013-2014)