TY - JOUR
T1 - Community mental health agency views of research
AU - Gonzalez, Jodi M.
AU - Cortés, Dharma E.
AU - Reeves, Tamara
AU - Whitley, Rob
AU - Lopez, Linda
AU - Bond, Gary R.
AU - Velligan, Dawn I.
AU - Miller, Alexander L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work presented here is supported by a grant from National Institute of Mental Health under the Interventions and Practice Research Infrastructure Program, a collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and the area’s community mental health agency, the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS). The project objective is to develop a research infrastructure that is sustainable, focuses on shared research-related goals, and fosters incorporation of research-based practices into clinical care.
Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research was supported by NIMH grant #R24MH072830.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - We examined community mental health center staff perceptions of ongoing research within their agency. We interviewed upper management and conducted focus groups with medical staff, non-medical clinicians, and administrative staff. Participants were asked about (1) their attitudes towards research in general, agency research and towards the principal academic institution doing research with clients, (2) their perceptions of the value of research and (3) ideas for improving the collaboration. We identified 5 overarching themes: inter-agency communication, shared goals and equality in research, researchers adding knowledge to the agency, improving attitudes toward research, and agency involvement in research. Under these domains, specific suggestions are made for how to improve the collaboration across all stakeholder groups. Lack of shared values and inadequate communication processes can negatively impact community-based research collaborations. However, clear strategies, and adequate resources have great potential to improve community mental health collaborations.
AB - We examined community mental health center staff perceptions of ongoing research within their agency. We interviewed upper management and conducted focus groups with medical staff, non-medical clinicians, and administrative staff. Participants were asked about (1) their attitudes towards research in general, agency research and towards the principal academic institution doing research with clients, (2) their perceptions of the value of research and (3) ideas for improving the collaboration. We identified 5 overarching themes: inter-agency communication, shared goals and equality in research, researchers adding knowledge to the agency, improving attitudes toward research, and agency involvement in research. Under these domains, specific suggestions are made for how to improve the collaboration across all stakeholder groups. Lack of shared values and inadequate communication processes can negatively impact community-based research collaborations. However, clear strategies, and adequate resources have great potential to improve community mental health collaborations.
KW - Academic-community partnerships
KW - Health services research
KW - Mental health services
KW - Qualitative research
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U2 - 10.1007/s10597-011-9397-6
DO - 10.1007/s10597-011-9397-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 21424543
AN - SCOPUS:84859859910
VL - 48
SP - 223
EP - 231
JO - Community Mental Health Journal
JF - Community Mental Health Journal
SN - 0010-3853
IS - 2
ER -