A Handbook for Participatory Action Researchers

Summary: This handbook provides guidelines for conducting participatory action research (PAR) with people who have psychiatric disabilities. PAR has gained prominence as a method for insuring the relevance and utility of research by involving the people the research is intended to impact in a co-learning process with investigators. The handbook supplies principles and strategies that can be modified to respond to different purposes and contexts of conducting PAR, i.e., program evaluation, experimental, and qualitative research. Although the examples and learnings are drawn from a particular PAR project with people who have psychiatric disabilities, the strategies described are applicable to PAR projects with any other population

Supporting Employment for Young Adults Living with Mental Health Conditions [English and Portuguese versions]

A Portuguese translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files. Having a job as a youth or young adult is a predictor of long-term work success. Having a job has also been related to improved self-esteem, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. However, there is a significant gap in work experience for many young adults living with mental health conditions. This tip sheet has information on 1) why work is especially important for young adults; 2) the impact of receiving disability benefits rather than employment early in life; 3) how to cultivate motivation toward employment goals; 4) ways to promote work experiences; 5) tips on helping young adults with mental health conditions get a job; 6) and resources to learn more

You Got This: Taking a Leadership Role in Your IEP Meeting

This tip sheet provides tips for how students (ages of 3 to 21) who receive special education services in public schools can take a leadership role in their individualized education programs (IEP) and transition planning. Learn more about IEPs and transition services in our Teens on IEPs: Making My “Transition” Services Work for Me tip sheet. Learn about the Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST) project here

I’ve Got My Crew: Inviting Community Partners to Your IEP Meeting

A community partner is a person from an organization outside of a student\u27s high school that can help students plan for life after graduation. A community partner should be a person or organization that can help high school students receiving special education services with their post-high school goals. This tip sheet provides high school students with tips on how to identify community partners, how they can help students, and how to students can include them in the student\u27s Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings

Supporting the Education of Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions: Part 2: State of the Practice

The majority of college students with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) do not finish school, jeopardizing their long-term employment. Can supported education services help? Marsha Ellison, Michelle Mullen and Kathleen Biebel, researchers and trainers of supported education services, hosted a 2-part webinar series presenting the state of the science of the practice of supported education and related strategies for achieving post-secondary education goals of young adults with SMHC. What are the education support needs of youth and young adults with mental health conditions? What are the practices and services that meet those needs? Part 1 - State of the Science is also available

Self help programs: A description of their characteristics and their members

User-run programs have proliferated in the past 10 years, yet there are few empirically-based studies about them. A survey of self-help programs was undertaken to increase our understanding about the users of such programs, their demographics, and their perceptions of how such programs have affected the quality of their lives. Respondents were also asked about their satisfaction with user-run programs. The study was conducted using a Participatory Action Research paradigm (Whyte, 1991), using an advisory committee of persons who have used such pro­grams, and with the intention of developing an evaluation methodology that could be replicated in future studies of user-run programs. Despite limitations in representativeness, these survey results are useful in understanding the perceptions of self-help members. Results of the survey and the methodology are discussed

RPRS Manual: Recovery Promoting Relationships Scale

Summary: Mental health and rehabilitation professionals represent an important factor that can either facilitate or hinder the recovery process of people with psychiatric disabilities. Practitioners can inspire hope and empower mental health consumers in their efforts to overcome the disabling effects of a mental illness or they can instill hopelessness, dependence, and helplessness. The Recovery Promoting Relationships Scale (RPRS) instrument focuses on identifying and reliably measuring the competencies of mental health providers that have a particular impact on the recovery process beyond the management of psychiatric symptoms

Blueprint for Building Inter-Agency Collaboration through Strategic Planning: Supporting the Employment of Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files. This tip sheet is based on the Transitions RTC’s work with the disability serving state agencies of Delaware. It provides guidance to states on how to develop a strategic plan to bridge disconnected agencies to support youth and young adults with mental health conditions

Supporting the Educational Goals of Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions

College education or training can be the passport to economic self-sufficiency for young adults with a mental health condition. Research has shown that young adults with mental health conditions struggle to complete high school and college more so than any other disability group. However, post-secondary education or training is possible for anyone, especially accompanied by the proper accommodations, assistive technology, and strategic supports. This tip sheet providers information on 1) Why it’s important to support the educational goals of young adults; 2) ways to cultivate motivation toward educational goals; 3) some strategies to help young adults achieve educational goals; 4) acquiring educational accommodations; and 5) balancing school and work

Partnering with Community Agencies in Transition Planning for Students with Emotional Disturbance

Young adults with mental health difficulties are capable of successfully engaging in school, training, and employment. The support these individuals receive as they progress through secondary education can help them realize their potential in life after high school. Many times teachers see different results for these students such as high school drop-out, lower rates of post-secondary education and employment, and even higher rates of involvement with law enforcement, poverty, and homelessness upon their exit from high school; however, with the right information, resources, and determination teachers can make a lasting impact on these students. To help students with emotional disturbance (ED) to obtain post-secondary success, teachers need resources to assist them with planning and preparing for students’ transition from high school into education and training programs and employment in young adulthood. This practice guide will offer practical ways to plan for these students’ successful transition from high school to post-secondary life, which can lead to positive outcomes for students with ED. To learn more about the Translating Evidence to Support Transitions project, please visit our website