Research

This project, supported by funding by the Rockit fund, provides support for work in the upcoming legislative session to enact legislative recommendations from the Florida Supreme Court report on mental health and the criminal justice system and for continuing support for the Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Reinvestment Grant Act. The work will include analyses for support of the legislation, responding to requests for additional information and analyses of data in support of the legislative proposal.

Principal Investigator: John Petrila, JD, LLM
Funding Agency: The Rockit Fund
Award Amount: $48,300
Dates: 08/15/2008 - 06/30/2010

The study purpose is to describe and compare characteristics and treatment histories of individuals with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder treated in crisis stabilization units (CSUs), short-term residential treatment units (SRTs), and hospitals, and to study the relative effects of different antipsychotic medications on risk of readmission of those individuals after discharge from the CSUs, SRTs, or hospital inpatient units.

Principal Investigator: Timothy Boaz, PhD
Funding Agency: Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs
Award Amount: $128,040
Dates: 05/01/2009 - 12/31/2011

The SAPT Recovery web site is designed to provide instruction for implementing the Self-Assessment/Planning Tool for Implementing Recovery-Oriented Mental Health Services (SAPT).  The SAPT includes a 50 item survey and a planning/implementation guide designed to help mental health service provider agencies establish policies and practices that support a process of recovery for persons with serious mental illnesses.  This site also provides an on-going blog with practical tips on how service providers and consumers can develop effective partnerships at all levels of the mental health system.

Principal Investigator: James Winarski, MSW
Affiliated Research Faculty / Staff: Robert Killinger, MBA
Website: http://saptrecovery.org/

Since 2001, the Institute has had a contract with DCF to conduct an on-going formative evaluation of two system redesign pilot projects that are intended to improve integration of publicly funded behavioral health services. One project in District 1 involved implementing a “managing entity” that handles much of the contracting with and administrative oversight of agencies that provide DCF-funded behavioral health services in the District. The managing entity is, by design, the same organization that manages the pre-paid mental health plan for Medicaid in that District. The other project in District 8 involved implementing an “administrative services organization” that provides technical support to DCF and its providers regarding management of behavioral health services. As a part of the evaluation a report to the Florida legislature is produced annually regarding the process and progress of implementation of the pilot projects and the extent to which the goals established in the legislation are being met. This project will culminate in December 2006 with a final report to the legislature on the progress and outcome of these pilot projects.

Principal Investigator: Timothy Boaz, PhD
Award Amount: $30,000
Dates: 07/01/2001 - 12/31/2006

This study analyzes the societal value of atypical antipsychotic medications prescribed to persons with schizophrenia.

Principal Investigator: Marion Becker, RN, PhD
Award Amount: $130,416
Dates: 10/01/2003 - 12/31/2006

Website: SRI@FMHI

Provide Child Welfare classromm training and staff development services to SJC Family Intergrity Program staff. The training will includ field observations and coaching.

Principal Investigator: Laurie Cunningham, MS
Funding Agency: St. John's County
Award Amount: $19,537
Dates: 07/01/2012 - 06/30/2013

Principal Investigator:  Marie McPherson, MBA
Funding Agency:  Florida Department of Health

With funding from Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Department faculty have participated in the evaluation of an important expansion of Medicaid managed care to cover mental health services, including enrollees with disabilities. In collaboration with the Policy and Services Research Data Center (PSRDC), faculty engage in multiple studies that include qualitative implementation analysis, administrative data analysis, and a population-based mail survey of prepaid mental health plans; examination of racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; and examination of special targeted issues that have yielded important findings for researchers and policy makers in Florida and nationally.

MHLP ROLE
Evaluations of the Medicaid prepaid mental health program and several other Medicaid studies.

Funding Agency: Florida Agency for Health Care Admin. and US Health Care Financing Admin.
Award Amount: $600,000
Dates: 07/01/2003 - 06/30/2006

This project provides technical assistance to the Pinellas County Opioid Task Force by implementing a decision support tool using agent-based modeling. 

Principal Investigator:  Kimberly Johnson, PhD
Funding Agency:  SAMHSA / American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry / University of Missouri at Kansas City

The project will implement a county-wide needs assessment on behalf of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance to determine gaps in substance abuse prevention and treatment resources and to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to guide future efforts. The needs assessment will address both children and adults and will include focus groups of current consumers of prevention and treatment services, key informant interviews with agency administrators, funders, and other policymakers, and a survey of community providers of substance abuse prevention and treatment services.

The goals of this project are to assist the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance to: (1) collect and analyze community resource data to produce an effective strategic prevention plan for the County related to substance abuse prevention and treatment services, (2) examine current services provided in the area of substance abuse prevention and treatment, and existing knowledge application and development processes, (3) identify gaps in substance abuse prevention and treatment services, and (4) to identify potential strategies for more effectively providing substance abuse services in Hillsborough County.

Principal Investigator: Roger H. Peters, PhD
Funding Agency: Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance (HCADA)
Award Amount: $30,000
Dates: 09/30/2006 - 09/29/2007

Pre-service training and certification for newly hired Suncoast DCF staff.

Principal Investigator: John Mullins, BA
Funding Agency: Suncoast DCF
Award Amount: $22,200
Dates: 01/23/2006 - 06/15/2006

The Suncoast Practice and Research Collaborative (SPARC)/Tampa Practice Improvement Collaborative (PIC) was funded for five years through a $1.3 million grant received from SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The SPARC/Tampa PIC was one of 14 projects funded across the country, and was designed to help bridge the gap between practice, research, and policy/administration constituents in the substance abuse treatment area. Community partnerships were forged with the three largest public substance abuse treatment providers in the Tampa Bay area (ACTS, DACCO, Operation PAR) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to help identify effective approaches for implementing evidence-based practices related to gender-sensitive treatment and treatment of co-occurring disorders. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) and Orlando’s Center for Drug-Free Living (CFDFL) also participated in major project activities. Project outcomes included creation of the Florida Research to Practice Consortium, a statewide forum for research and practice issues; sponsorship of a Core Network Group (CNG) of community constituents; and development of an evidence-based curriculum for treatment of co-occurring disorders for use in substance abuse treatment programs.

Download SPARC COD Treatment Manual

Download SPARC COD Treatment Workbook for Clients

Principal Investigator: Roger H. Peters, PhD
Co-PI: Holly Hills, PhD
Funding Agency: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)
Award Amount: $1,300,000
Dates: 09/29/2002 - 09/30/2004

FMHI will assist DCF to develop train-the-trainer curriculum for the new supervising for excellence training.

Principal Investigator: Laurie Cunningham, MS
Funding Agency: Department of Children and Families
Award Amount: $24,780
Dates: 07/01/2007 - 06/30/2008

Over the past two decades there has been a dramatic increase in the use of administrative data for research purposes. Accessability to administrative data coupled with advances in computer technology have fueled this increase. However, concerns are being raised regarding the ethical use of these data. Concerns include issues regarding both data quality and personal privacy and confidentiality. Little emphasis has been placed on developing standards for the ethical use of administrative data in research. 

This project will involve two components: 1) a comprehensive review of the literature to identify standards and best practices associated with the use of administrative data in research, and 2) a telephone survey of the 50 state Medicaid Data Unit Chiefs and 10 CMS staff to identify their issues and concerns about this growing phenomenon and to determine what guidelines, polices, and procedures exist governing the use of administrative data for research purposes. The products of this work will include 1) a searchable database of standards and best practices associated with the use of administrative data, and 2) a refereed checklist for researchers using administrative data based on existing standards and best practices. The results will assist in the preparation of a federally-funded grant application.

Principal Investigator: Roger Boothroyd, PhD
Funding Agency: University of South Florida
Award Amount: $4,840
Dates: 05/01/2006 - 04/30/2007

Website: National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans

The goal of this project is to use daily telephone diaries to identify “real-world” factors that promote or hinder service utilization (police reporting, mental, and psychological treatment entry), in women with substance or alcohol use problems and a history of sexual assault. We will assess women every day for two weeks with a telephone-based survey on daily characteristics such as mood, interpersonal stressors, substance use and craving, and then follow-up 6-months later to query about receipt of health services.

Affiliated Research Faculty / Staff: Kathleen Moore, PhD
Funding Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Award Amount: $20,000
Dates: 05/01/2011 - 09/01/2012

The Triad Women’s Project was developed through funding by the SAMHSA Collaborative for Women, Co-occurring Disorders & Violence Study. This $3.2 million, five-year project involved collaboration between community treatment providers, researchers, and consumers to develop and evaluate innovative services for women with histories of trauma and abuse who have co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders and who are high utilizers of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Interventions developed for the project included integrated case management services, a curriculum-based women’s treatment group focused on substance abuse, mental health, and trauma issues, and a peer support group. These interventions were provided in jails, homeless shelters and domestic violence centers. To order a copy of the TRIAD Women's Group Treatment Manual and Girls' Group Treatment manual, please contact Dr. Colleen Clark.

Principal Investigator: Colleen Clark, PhD
Funding Agency: SAMHSA/CSAT/CSAP/CMHS collaborative project contracted with Tri-County Human Services
Award Amount: $1,694,430
Dates: 10/01/1998 - 09/30/2004

The Department of Mental Health Law and Policy within USF’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences received a grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the amount of $1.46 million over two years to support the development of a Research Core Center, entitled the USF Center on Co-Occurring Disorders, Justice, and Multidisciplinary Research (CJM Center).  The grant is designed to support recruitment and development of three junior investigators in areas of biomedical research relevant to NIH, to enhance existing innovative programs of excellence.  The three junior investigators (see below) hired under the grant will have joint appointments on tenure-earning faculty lines at USF, each with affiliations to the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy.  Two of the investigators will have primary faculty appointments in the BCS College (MHLP serves as the home department for both; one with a joint appointment to COPH’s Department of Community and Family Health, and one with a joint appointment to the Department of Criminology), and one faculty member will have a primary appointment in the College of Arts and Sciences (Psychology serves as the home department, with a joint appointment to MHLP).  The grant provides a rich infrastructure of research support, including both internal mentors at USF, external mentors at NIDA-supported Research Centers (CJDATS-2 Network), conference travel, pilot research funds, limited requirements for teaching assignments during the first four years, and involvement in a ‘Virtual Collaboratory’ research network. 

NIDA P30 Research Core Center Grant Highlighted in USF Magazine

Three highly skilled and talented junior investigators have been successfully recruited to join USF’s Department of Mental Health Law and Policy (and affiliated departments), selected from a pool of 89 applicants.  These new CJM Center and USF faculty members are expected to strengthen and complement the Department’s expertise in the area of co-occurring disorders in the justice system. 

New USF Faculty Members Hired Through the CJM Center: 

Dr. Marina Bornovalova (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Psychology): Dr. Bornovalova completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota after receiving her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland.  Her research focuses on the interrelationship between personality disorders and substance use disorders.  Dr. Bornovalova’s work includes examination of underlying vulnerabilities/risk factors related to emotional dysregulation, and the efficacy of related cognitive-behavioral treatment interventions.

Dr. Amy Cohn (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Criminology):  Dr. Cohn completed post-doctoral fellowships at Brown University and at Rutgers University, after receiving her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia.  Dr. Cohn’s research examines the intersection between alcohol/substance abuse, aggression, and intimate partner violence.  Her work also explores the effects of psychiatric co-morbidity on treatment efficacy, use of technology to enhance treatment engagement, and cognitive-behavioral substance abuse interventions to prevent violence.

Dr. Sarah Desmarais (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Community and Family Health):  Dr. Desmarais completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia after receiving her Ph.D. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University.  Dr. Desmarais’ research focuses on risk assessment and management among mentally disordered offenders, including structured short-term risk assessment techniques.  Her work also examines criminal justice responses to victims of partner violence, including use of prevention strategies.

Principal Investigator: Roger H. Peters, PhD
Affiliated Research Faculty / Staff: Kathleen Moore, PhD
                                                             Paul Stiles, JD, PhD

Non MHLP PI: Richard Dembo
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Award Amount: $1,460,000
Dates: 10/01/2009 - 08/31/2012

Pre-service training and certification for newly hired YMCA staff.

Principal Investigator: Laurie Cunningham, MS
Award Amount: $506,700
Dates: 07/01/2007 - 06/30/2008

The Department continues to serve as the hub of research and dissemination for the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), an instrument designed to assist professional evaluators in assessing and managing a juvenile's risk for violence. The SAVRY is widely used in the U.S. and around the world, with ongoing studies in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Spain.

Principal Investigator: Randy Borum, PsyD
Dates: 01/01/2003 - 12/31/2004

The use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy is considered a major public health problem in the United States. Approximately 10% of all infants born have been exposed to illegal drugs by survey estimates (DHHS, February, 1990; Chasnoff, 1989). Major maternal health organizations (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health) recommend that women be fully assessed for current and historical substance use at their first prenatal visit (Morse, Gehshan, & Hutchins, 1997). Despite this awareness, standardized methods for identifying individuals ‘at-risk’ for use during pregnancy have not been widely adopted in public obstetrical settings. This project describes a collaborative partnership that improved identification of substance use risk and offered immediate engagement in education, support, and treatment services.

Principal Investigator: Holly Hills, PhD
Award Amount: $28,500
Dates: 03/01/2005 - 04/30/2010