Strengthening dissemination and implementation science training across clinical psychological science doctoral programs

Our lab is leading a two-part project, funded by the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. This project strives to strengthen dissemination and implementation science training across clinical psychological science training programs. The first goal of the project is to develop a speaker series that all trainees at Academy of Psychological Clinical Science doctoral and internship programs can attend to learn more about dissemination and implementation science. You can find out more about the speaker series on our lab website here and attend future panels if interested—anyone who is interested in attending is welcome to do so! The second goal of the project is to conduct a needs assessment of dissemination and implementation science research training opportunities within programs and to facilitate research collaboration across programs.

As part of this project, we also developed a list of resources for those interested in learning more about dissemination and implementation science. You can find the list here.

Funding: Academy of Psychological Clinical Science

Strengthening the mental health workforce

This qualitative study seeks to learn more about the experiences of unionized mental health therapists working in clinics that serve publicly insured clients. The U.S. is facing an historic mental health crisis with increased demand for services and a severe shortage of mental health providers. At the same time, funding for public mental health services has plateaued in recent decades. As a result of these transformations, public mental health therapists are often asked to do more work with less. This study aims to examine the working conditions of public mental health therapists, particularly as their jobs have become more demanding in recent years. We also seek to understand how public mental health therapists have engaged in labor organizing to address these occupational challenges—to improve not just their own labor conditions, but also the healing conditions of their clients.

Collaborators: Danielle Adams, Ph.D. (University of Missouri) & Rebecca Mirhashem, M.A. (Stony Brook University)

Project LEAP (LGBTQIA+ Experiences of Anti-LGBTQIA+ Policies)

This study explores the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals who live in states that have introduced or passed anti-LGBTQIA+ policies. In the past several years, there has been a sudden rise in state policies restricting trans and gender expansive people’s access to affirming care and policies limiting the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. Using qualitative interviews, we seek to understand how these policies have impacted the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people in the states where they’ve been passed and introduced.

Collaborators: Annesa Flentje, Ph.D. (University of California San Francisco) and The PRIDE Study

Funding: Stony Brook University Office of the Vice President for Research Seed Grant Program (PI: Last) & National Institute on Drug Abuse, Award Number: 5K24DA057874 (PI: Flentje)

Structural determinants of LGBTQIA+ behavioral health outcomes

This project is a secondary data analysis of the largest, longitudinal, and dynamic (i.e., continuously enrolling) prospective cohort study of sexual and gender minority adults from across the United States, the Population Research in Identities and Disparities for Equality (PRIDE) study. We seek to identify the relationship between anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and LGBTQ+ behavioral health outcomes. Our work hopes to achieve three goals: 1) develop a comprehensive database of anti-LGBTQIA+ state policies, 2) examine associations between state anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and LGBTQIA+ behavioral health outcomes, and 3) identify whether access to social and economic resources moderates the relationship between these anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and behavioral health outcomes.

Collaborators: Annesa Flentje, Ph.D. (University of California San Francisco) & Nguyen Tran, Ph.D. (Stanford University)

Funding: National Institute On Drug Abuse, Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office, and Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01DA052016 and OT2OD025276