Bruce Lubostsky Levin

Building a virtual library

The organization, functioning and the role of libraries in university communities continue to change dramatically. This volume addresses the issue by providing insight into the current changes and developments within the area of library science.

A public health perspective of women's mental health

Overview & Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Women.- Public Health and Womens Mental Health.- Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Girls and Female Adolescents.- Mental Conditions in Adult Women: Epidemiology and Impact.- Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Older Women.- Physical Illness and Medical Needs of Women with Mental Disorders.- Selected Disorders.- Depression and Postpartum Disorders.- Eating Disorders.- Menopause.- Substance Abuse.- HIV/AIDS and Mental Disorders.- Services Delivery & Emerging Research.- Services in an Era of Managed Care.- Evidence-Based Medicine.- Mental Health Issues of Incarcerated Women.- Services in the Workplace.- Organizational Stress and Trauma-Informed Services.- Services in Rural Areas.- Social and Community Contexts.- Racial and Ethnic Disparities.- Parenting and Recovery for Mothers with Mental Disorders.- Navigating the Worlds of Information.

Innovative Graduate Research Education for Advancement of Implementation Science in Adolescent Behavioral Health

An innovative approach to research education that integrates the theory and principles of implementation science, participatory research, and service learning in the area of adolescent behavioral health is presented. Qualitative interviews and surveys of program participants have been conducted to assess the program’s curricula, service-learning partnerships, student (scholar) satisfaction, and views of community partnerships and academic mentors. The Institute has experienced the successful completion of its first and second cohorts and enrollment of a third cohort of scholars. Community partners are utilizing results of service-learning projects to influence agency operations. Institute scholars have identified research and service learning experiences as key factors in the decision to apply to the Institute graduate certificate program. The availability of tuition support is identified as valuable but not ranked as the most important reason for scholar interest in the program. Academic mentors report positive relationships with community agencies. Future iterations of the program will expand options for distance learning and alternatives to traditional graduate education for community-based scholars. Community partner agency capacity for participation is expected to change over time. Methods are being identified to both sustain existing partnerships and develop new community partnership relationships.

Broadening measures of success: results of a behavioral health translational research training program

BackgroundWhile some research training programs have considered the importance of mentoring in inspiring professionals to engage in translational research, most evaluations emphasize outcomes specific to academic productivity as primary measures of training program success. The impact of such training or mentoring programs on stakeholders and local community organizations engaged in translational research efforts has received little attention. The purpose of this evaluation is to explore outcomes other than traditional academic productivity in a translational research graduate certificate program designed to pair graduate students and behavioral health professionals in collaborative service-learning projects.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews with scholars, community mentors, and academic mentors were conducted regarding a translational research program to identify programmatic impacts. Interviews were transcribed and coded by the research team to identify salient themes related to programmatic outcomes.ResultsResults are framed using the Translational Research Impact Scale which is organized into three overarching domains of potential impact: (1) research-related impacts, (2) translational impacts, and (3) societal impacts. This evaluation demonstrates the program’s impact in all three domains of the TRIS evaluation framework. Graduate certificate participants (scholars) reported that gaining experience in applied behavioral health settings added useful skills and expertise to their present careers and increased their interest in pursuing translational research. Scholars also described benefits resulting from networks gained through participation in the program, including valuable ties between the university and community behavioral health organizations.ConclusionsThis evaluation of the outcomes of a graduate certificate program providing training in translational research highlights the need for more community-oriented and practice-based measures of success. Encouraging practitioner involvement in translational research is vital to translate knowledge into practice and to enable practice-based needs to inform research and policy. A more flexible approach to measuring programmatic success in research training programs can help bridge the knowledge translation gap.