CURRENT PROJECTS

  • Objectives: 1) Identify multilevel factors that inhibit specialty mental health probation (SMHP) officers’ capacity to link individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) to treatment providers; 2) Conduct a process evaluation of the NETWORC implementation approach; 3) Evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and cost of the collaborative implementation toolkit

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Julia Metz

    Current research assistants: Allison Waters, Caroline Harris

    Funders: National Institute of Mental Health

    Key Partners: North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Managed Care Organizations/Local Management Entities, Behavioral Health Service Providers

  • Objectives: 1) Develop policies and protocols for using validated assessment tools to identify and prioritize individuals with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment services; 2) Build resource capacity for the Department of Community Supervision (DCS) to target individuals with mental health disorders and mental health/substance use disorders at risk of recidivism through collaboration with local behavioral health service providers; 3) Adopt a clinical case consultation model; 4) Identify strategies for enhancing DCS’s data structures

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse (via subaward with the Georgia Department of Community Supervision)

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Andrea Murray-Lichtman, Julia Metz

    Current research assistants: Allison Waters, Caroline Harris, Bernardo Gomez-Meza

    Funders: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance; Georgia Department of Community Supervision

    Key Partners: Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

  • Objectives: 1) Examine whether changes in the program improved referral, assessment, engagement, and enrollment processes; 2) Assess program access (referral, assessment) and engagement (enrollment, participation) across participants; 3) Identify factors that impacted implementation of MHCEI and examine staff perspectives about the program; 4) Examine the association between program participation and: a) mental health outcomes, b) material stability, c) criminal justice outcomes

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse (via subaward with Durham County Government), Taylor Baldwin

    Current research assistants: Allison Waters, Bernardo Gomez-Meza, Jessica Igollo-Ogele

    Funders: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Durham County Government

    Key Partners: Durham County Justice Services Department

  • Objectives: 1) Describe the implementation of process of the ATLAS Mobile Clinic; 2) Identify implementation determinants associated with project initiation and sustainment; 3) Identify best practices for engaging clients in program evaluation activities to examine program efficacy

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Alicia Freeman, Jessica Lambert Ward, Amelia DeFosset, Julia Metz

    Current research assistants: Allison Waters

    Funder: N.C. Collaboratory

    Key Partners: UNC Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine; UNC School of Social Work; ATLAS Mobile Clinic

  • Objectives: 1) Collaboratively review, inventory, and revise the assessment methods used by NC DAC’s Office of Employee Engagement; 2) Provide ongoing consultation to the Office of Employee Engagement as new assessment methods are being implemented and data are analyzed; 3) Co-design a relevant and feasible needs assessment with and for the SHIELD program; 4) Conduct a needs assessment with and for the SHIELD program and present deliverables

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Julia Metz

    Current research assistants: Caroline Harris, Leslie Vespermann, Bernardo Gomez-Meza

    Funders: North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships

    Key Partners: North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections

  • Objectives: 1) Enhance the capacity of PPOs to use trauma-informed engagement supervision with individuals on their caseloads; 2) Improve the quality of supervision relationship between PPOs and supervisees (e.g., trust, caring, and fairness); 3) Assess the impact of the program on community supervision outcomes; 4) Assess factors impacting program implementation and long-term sustainability of the model

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Julia Metz

    Current research assistants: Caroline Harris, Allison Waters, Leslie Vespermann, Bernardo Gomez-Meza

    Funder: Bureau of Justice Assistance

    Key Partners: North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections

  • Objectives: 1) Operationalize the NC STAR Network model to lay the groundwork for rigorous evaluation and a blueprint for implementation; 2) Identify programmatic data collection objectives and assess the network’s current needs and resources; 3) Develop protocols for process and outcome evaluation

    Principal Investigator: Tonya Van Deinse

    Co-investigators, research associates, program staff: Julia Metz

    Funder: N.C. Collaboratory

    Key Partners: UNC Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine; UNC School of Social Work