Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) was a year of great growth for iSPARC. Our Center continued to adapt to the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and not only sustained our work but began to flourish again. We welcomed six new members to our faculty. With each new addition to our Center, we were attentive to engaging colleagues who embody the mission and values of iSPARC and DMH.

Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) has been a uniquely challenging year – for our Center, for the surrounding community, and for the world at large. In March 2020, most of us never would have predicted that, a full year later, the COVID-19 pandemic would still be dictating our work and personal lives. The continuation of the pandemic has meant that iSPARC staff and faculty spent this entire fiscal year working on a primarily remote basis. Not only did our Center survive these newly imposed conditions, but we have thrived at moving forward our programs of research while simultaneously adapting to our new standard of work life. In essence, this year has been a critical lesson for iSPARC in how to effectively “work together, apart.”

Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) was a strong year for the Center. We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) for its support of the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s (UMMS) DMH Research Center of Excellence, the Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC). We continue to leverage the DMH investment to support DMH and its stakeholders in rapidly translating findings from mental health services and implementation research into best practices for individuals with lived experience and their families across our great Commonwealth, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

Annual report for fiscal year 2017 from the Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC). We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) for its continued support of the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s (UMMS) DMH Research Center of Excellence, the Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC). We continue to leverage the DMH investment to support innovative, recovery-oriented, state-of-the-art psychosocial and systems research. The Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center conducts research to enhance services, improve the quality of life, and promote recovery for people with behavioral health conditions. Our research involves, informs, and advises individuals with lived experience, their families, providers, administrators and policymakers navigating the behavioral health landscape in the Commonwealth and beyond. SPARC was created in 1993 when it was designated a Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systems Research by the Massachusetts DMH. Our mission mirrors the DMH commitment to collaborating with other state agencies, individuals with lived mental health experience, families, advocates, providers, and communities. DMH and SPARC are aligned in their vision of promoting mental health through early intervention, treatment, education, policy, and regulation to provide opportunities for citizens of the Commonwealth to live full and productive lives.

We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) for its continued support of the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s (UMMS) DMH Research Center of Excellence, the Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC). We continue to leverage the DMH investment to support innovative, recovery-oriented, state-of-the-art psychosocial and systems research. Highlights of Fiscal Year 2015 include another increase in research dollars awarded through new grants and contracts, and the end of our three-year Strategic Plan to guide our growth and trajectory over the coming years. The Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center conducts research to enhance services, improve the quality of life, and promote recovery for people with behavioral health conditions. Our research informs and advises individuals with lived experience and their families, providers, administrators and policy-makers navigating the behavioral health landscape in the Commonwealth and beyond. SPARC was created in 1993 when it was designated a Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systems Research by the Massachusetts DMH. Our mission mirrors the DMH commitment to collaborating with other state agencies, consumers, families, advocates, providers, and communities. DMH and SPARC are aligned in their vision of promoting mental health through early intervention, treatment, education, policy, and regulation to provide opportunities for citizens of the Commonwealth to live full and productive lives.

Annual report for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) from the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR). We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for its continued support of the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s (UMMS) DMH Research Center of Excellence, the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR). We continue to leverage the DMH investment into innovative, recovery-oriented, state-of-the-art psychosocial and systems research. Highlights of Fiscal Year 2013 include an increase in research dollars awarded through new grants and contracts and launching our three-year Strategic Plan to guide our growth and trajectory over the coming years.

Annual report for Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) from the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR). We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for its continued support of the UMMS DMH Research Center of Excellence. Fiscal Year 2011 was another successful year for external funding. Our ratio of DMH investment dollars to research award funding continues to grow. Highlights of FY 2011 include: 3.3 million dollars in new research funding; 15 new research grants awarded; 29 grant submissions.

Annual report for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) from the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR). We are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for its continued support of the UMMS DMH Research Center of Excellence which led to an excellent Fiscal Year 2009 for CMHSR. Highlights include: 5.4 million dollars in new research funding awarded, an increase from 2.7 million dollars in Fiscal Year 2008; 13 new research grants awarded; 31 grant submissions, including eight Federal ARRA Grants.

Fiscal year 2007 has been a year of transition and great progress for the University of Massachusetts DMH Research Center for Excellence - The Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR). It was a year in which our contract with DMH ended and was again put out to bid. The bidding process was an opportunity for us to rethink and strengthen our work with DMH and our priorities. The DMH RFR emphasized the importance of consumer involvement in research as well as addressing the many multicultural issues that affect the delivery of and access to mental health services. Our response to the RFR highlighted our considerable consumer involvement both as staff at the Center and as staff and advisors to individual projects, and the creation of new structures within the Center to protect and emphasize the consumer voice in our work. DMH’s investment in the multicultural issues of mental health services provides great opportunity for us to expand our work in this area with new faculty and research projects. Most notably, we have hired three full-time faculty members whose research focuses on multicultural issues. Thus, in addition to the full-time multicultural specialist that the RFR requested, we recruited both a full-time psychiatrist whose research focuses on trauma and the Latina population, and a faculty researcher working on addiction problems among Asian-Americans with mental illness.

We are extremely pleased to present this annual report to DMH on the activities of its UMass Center for Excellence in Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05). The Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) has continued to flourish and expand its scope of work with DMH, its vendors, and other public sector agencies both within Massachusetts and beyond. The reputation of the Center and its faculty has also continued to grow locally, nationally and internationally. Our work with DMH leadership has become increasingly fruitful and beneficial to our research and service goals. And, of course, our basic research has continued to expand with a series of major new grants applied for during 2005, several of which have come to fruition since the end of the year.