Tracking the Mental Health Needs of Clients of Color

Mental health interventions that are demonstrated to be effective in research studies are rarely made available in real world settings in a timely manner, a phenomenon called the “science-to-service” gap. This project will evaluate the extent to which community-based clinics assess, monitor, and meet the mental health needs of clients of color. 

PROJECT STATUS

AIMS

The goal of this project is to assess where “science-to-service” is succeeding and where it is falling short in terms of offering effective services that meet the needs of clients of color. We will also seek to identify specific ways to support community clinics to overcome barriers to modifying services to meet clients’ needs.

METHODS

We will examine how organizational characteristics (e.g., size, staff, resources) predict screening and tracking of mental health needs and service use (quantitative data).

We will interview staff at organizations to ask them how they determine if clients need mental healthcare and what supports they may need to more effectively screen and track the mental health needs of their clients (qualitative data).

COE PROJECT STAFF

Arundati (Arun) Nagendra, PhD

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Additional Collaborators

Margarita Algria, PhD; Puja Patel, MA; Gabriela Stein, PhD.

Funding

Funding for the parent project on which these analyses are based is provided by the National Institute of Mental Health to Dr. Alegria.