Center on Psychiatric Disability and Co-Occurring Medical Conditions

Priorities

Center activities were designed to respond to a set of priorities published in the Federal Register, April 23, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 78.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Improved Outcomes for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness and Co-Occurring Conditions. The RRTC must conduct research to adapt, modify, and enhance health and mental health models to improve health and employment outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring conditions. The RRTC must conduct research, knowledge translation, training, dissemination, and technical assistance within a framework of self-management and consumer-directed services. Under this priority, the RRTC must contribute to the following outcomes:

  1. Increased knowledge that can be used to enhance the health and well-being of individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
    1. Conducting research to develop a better understanding of the health, and health care needs of individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions.
    2. Conducting research to identify or develop and then test interventions that aim to improve health outcomes and promote recovery among individuals living with SMI and co-occurring conditions. These interventions must include individual-level health promotion strategies, such as peer supports and consumer control, as well as system-level strategies for the delivery of physical and mental health services. These interventions must be based on the findings of research conducted under paragraph (a)(1) of this proposed priority. In carrying out this activity, the grantee must investigate the applicability of strategies that have proven successful with the general population or other subpopulations to determine if they are effective with individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions.
  2. Improved employment outcomes among individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by conducting research that demonstrates how improvements in health service delivery mechanisms, self-management, peer support, and consumer control affect employment outcomes in individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions. In carrying out this activity the grantee must utilize one or more of the interventions developed under paragraph (a)(2) of this proposed priority.
  3. Increased incorporation of research findings related to SMI, co-occurring conditions, health management, and employment into practice or policy. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by coordinating with appropriate NIDRR-funded knowledge translation grantees to advance their work in the following areas:
    1. Developing, evaluating, or implementing strategies to increase utilization of research findings related to SMI, co-occurring conditions, health management, and employment.
    2. Conducting training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities to increase utilization of research findings related to SMI, co-occurring conditions, health management, and employment.

 

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Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Long-Term Mental Illness
Employment Intervention Demonstration Project
Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy
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