Completed Research

The research studies below were funded by the US Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (NIDRR grant H133B090018).  The research does not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

The Transition to Adulthood Center for Research (Transitions ACR) focuses on the school-to-work transition for transition age youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions, thus our studies inform interventions that support successes in this critical transition.  Because this field of research is in its infancy there is little research upon which to base the design of new interventions. Additionally, system issues often present many barriers to offering appropriate interventions for this population. Thus, part of our research framework is to conduct studies that simultaneously contribute to intervention development from three approaches;

1. population studies of transition age youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions and their circumstances,
2. studies of systems in which interventions are placed, and
3. direct studies of interventions themselves

Our studies also reflect recognition that within the school-to-work transition there are many smaller and often overlapping steps. Therefore this program of research examines two stages of education/training:

• completion of secondary education and postsecondary schooling/training, and
• two stages of employment: initiation of work life, and establishment of work life