Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research July 2021 Newsletter
In the Community:
July is BIPOC Mental Health Month
Recognized in June 2008, Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (commonly known as BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color] Mental Health Month), showcases the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental health.

Below is some of our mental health services research that focuses on the unique needs of three underserved BIPOC communities.

This brief begins, "Young adult Black people with disabilities, including serious mental health conditions (SMHCs), are less likely to find and keep jobs than peers who are White" and then discusses the "Whys" including research on barriers and facilitators to employment. The research brief also presents information on Engagement and Access to Vocational Services. Read or download Disparities in Vocational Supports for Black Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions.
Immigrants and refugees from Asia, Africa, and Latin America are less likely to seek out and receive adequate mental health care than native U.S. citizens and other immigrant populations. Southeast Asian immigrants/refugees do not talk about mental health conditions easily, as stigma and superstition about mental health and illness are pervasive. The tip sheet: Tips for Mental Health Providers Working with Southeast Asian Immigrants/Refugees serves as a guide for providers when working with the Southeast Asian populations to help them with their metal health challenges and trauma.
Looking for more information or ways to support BIPOC mental health needs?
Check out these links below.

Take the Mental Health America BIPOC LGBTQ Peer Support Survey and help promote inclusion in peer spaces. Survey closes July 31st.

Attend the 2021 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Conference hosted by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice on Nov. 1-3, 2021. The CJJ conference focuses specifically on racial and ethnic disparities in the youth legal system. Giving stakeholders from around the country an opportunity to share strategies and explore solutions to this serious problem. This year’s conference will bring together stakeholders working to fight disparities at the local, state, and national levels, as well as the larger juvenile justice community.
IN THE NEWS
We are excited to promote the Summer 2021 edition of the Mary Christie Quarterly and the article below, which features our center's work as an academic research center focused on examining and promoting practices that support young adults with serious mental illness in this critical stage of life.

Check out the article which features center Director Maryann Davis, Ph.D. and colleagues Deputy Director Kathryn Sabella, Ph.D., and Senior Project Director, Michelle Mullen, as they discuss the challenges and models to improve outcomes for college aged youth.
This Is Us: Supporting Students with Serious Mental...

Getting through college can be hard, harder still for those with a mental health condition. From deciding to disclose a disability, to advocating for accommodations, to navigating leave and reentry policies, the journey can be so fraught with...

Read more
marychristieinstitute.org
AT SCHOOL
Heading to College with a Mental Health Condition? What You Need to Know
It may be summer, but July is a busy month for new college students as they are assigned housing/roommates, pick their fall classes and complete all the necessary new student orientation paperwork. For students who have a mental health condition, they may have additional needs to succeed in college. We have several tip sheets and briefs for college students with mental health challenges that offer valuable information, tips and things to think about.

  1. Tools for Schools: Accommodations for College Students with Mental Health Challenges
  2. Outside-the-box College Accommodations: Real Support for Real Students Tools for Schools II
  3. My Mental Health Rights on Campus
  4. Should I Attend College in the Fall? Questions for Students with Mental Health Conditions to Consider
  5. Can I Bring an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) with me to College?
EMPOWERING YOUTH IN TRANSITION
ISP Fidelity Scale for Young Adults
The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Fidelity Scale for Young Adults is recommended for use with IPS programs manual that service young adults (15-26 years old). IPS supported programs include employment and education services for adolescents and young adults with mental health conditions and helps them access jobs, education and careers.

This 35 item scale is adapted from the IPS-25 fidelity scale is designed to meet the needs of youth and young adults allowing organizations to make sure they are delivering to fidelity.

The scale and manual are the results of a NIDILRR-funded study that a team of our researchers did to adapt and pilot test IPS for youth and young adults. This new program is IPS-Y.
YOUNG ADULT VOICE
Blogging on Adulting:
In Our Voice
Introducing the audio version of our young adult blog — Blogging on Adulting In Our Voice.

Our first audio episode "5 Ways Working Helps me Manage My Mental Health Conditions" talks about the benefits of employment. For the author "Having a job is not only possible for those of us living with mental health conditions, it also can be a key component to our recovery." Listen to hear 5 ways working helps manage her mental health.
Improving Practice
Did you have a group/organization/service that struggled going from in person to virtual during the pandemic? It was not an easy task for sure!

Watch our latest webinar: "Going Virtual: How 3 Young Adult Focused Services Pivoted to Virtual Platforms in 2020" where three of the services we work with share their wisdom of what they learned to have more success with virtual trainings and programs.
WHAT IS iSPARC DOING?
How Brain Injury Clubhouses Can Improve Outcomes for ABI Survivors
Did you know that acquired brain trauma is the second most prevalent disability in the US affecting 13.5 million Americans? While lifesaving technology has advanced over the years, community based programs for brain injury survivors have not.

Our new Brain Injury Clubhouses tip sheet is designed to provide funders, administrators, policy makers, and other stakeholders with an overview of Brain Injury Clubhouses and how they can improve outcomes for ABI survivors and and reduce strain on caregivers and healthcare services.
WHO WE ARE
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Some of the contents of this message were developed under a grant with funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR grant number 90RTEM0005). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this message do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, and/or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research promotes the full participation in socially valued roles of transition-age youth and young adults (ages 14-30) with serious mental health conditions. The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research (Transitions ACR) is located within the Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC) and houses The Learning & Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research & Training Center (The Learning & Working RRTC), among other projects.
 
The Learning & Working RRTC is a national effort that aims to improve the supports of this population to successfully complete their schooling and training and move into rewarding work lives. 
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

As a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence, iSPARC aims to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens of Massachusetts and beyond.