Announcements & Updates
Welcome new team members!
August 20th, 2024
We’re excited to welcome our newest research assistants to the team: Caroline Harris, MSW, Bernardo Gomez-Meza, BS, and Jessica Igollo-Ogele! They will be contributing to a variety of impactful projects, including studies on specialty mental health probation, needs assessments for co-victims of crime, and a workforce wellness initiative. Their work will play a crucial role in advancing our understanding and support of mental health, criminal justice, and community wellness. We're eager to see the positive impact they'll have on our ongoing efforts!
Van Deinse builds community collaborations through social work research
July 9th 2024
Our School of Social Work is proud to highlight the impactful work of Dr. Tonya Van Deinse. From her days volunteering with Americorps to being awarded $550,000 from the National Institute of Mental Health, Tonya has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to social work and community partnership.
As a faculty member at UNC, Tonya applies implementation science methods to complex interventions within these public systems. Her work is shaped by her personal experiences and a passion for research and community partnership. Reflecting on her approach, she emphasizes the importance of long-term relationships with communities, saying, “When I go into a community or partner with an organization, it’s the same approach: listen to them and then figure out how to do the thing that they think ought to be done.” This philosophy underscores her dedication to truly collaborative and community-driven work.
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NC Health News reports on Specialty Mental Health Probation
May 30th, 2024
Research team member, Ally Waters, receives 2024 Seed Grant Award
May 23rd, 2024
Serious mental illness can significantly impact someone’s ability to meet their community supervision requirements. That is why North Carolina has spent the past 10 years working on implementing and expanding Specialty Mental Health Probation (SMHP). SMHP is currently in 56 counties across the state. Dr. Tonya Van Deinse has been involved in the program since it was piloted. She continues to partner closely with NC Department of Adult Corrections Division of Community Supervision to enhance coordination and collaboration with other community resources.
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Congratulations to our research team member, Ally Waters, for receiving the Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research 2024 Seed Grant Award! Ally has played an integral part on the HILS Lab over the years and we are extremely excited to see her hard work being recognized by others in the UNC community. Her proposal, titled “Using Participatory Research Methods to Identify Assets and Opportunities for Diversion and Reentry Services in Rural North Carolina,” aims to enhance reentry services in the Chatham County area.
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