Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research

09/03/2026

Do your students struggle with managing their time, prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines? These skills and strategies are affecting their performance and your retention rates. If you are looking for new ways to support students facing academic difficulties then we may have a solution.

We're recruiting U.S. college academic support offices, including tutoring centers, academic success centers, and student learning programs, to participate in FSST on Campus, a hybrid research trial of Focused Skill & Strategy Training (FSST).

FSST is a 12-session, evidence-based, one-on-one coaching intervention designed to help college students with mental health conditions strengthen planning, organization, follow-through, and academic persistence. By addressing the skills that support academic success, FSST aims to help students stay engaged and on track toward their educational goals.

📅 Join us for an Information Session on September 10, 2026, from 12:00 to 12:30 PM ET

This webinar will provide an overview of the FSST on Campus study, application process, participation requirements, and what involvement would look like for your campus.

❓ An optional 30-minute office hours session (12:30 to 1:00 PM ET) will follow for attendees who have additional questions or would like to discuss feasibility and fit for their institution.

Learn more about FSST on Campus and the application process: 🔗 https://www.umassmed.edu/TransitionsACR/fsstoncampusstudy

08/26/2026

Investing in intergenerational relationships can be a wonderful way of building community. Coming together with those from different generations can provide opportunities for exchanging skills, perspectives, and experiences.

Let us know your experiences with intergenerational relationships in the comments!

And don’t forget to follow and subscribe to UMass SPARC TransitionsACR for more CIRC Center content!

08/24/2026

Hot off the Press is our August Newsletter! 📧📣

This issue features resources for students w/mental health conditions, our upcoming webinar, recruitment for a new research advisory board and more!

Read it on our website, link is in the comments below 👇

07/22/2026

Interested in supporting academic persistence and student success? Partner with us to bring executive functioning coaching intervention to your campus. Go to our website to learn more about this research study.

https://buff.ly/XeFH33h

&TaskManagement

07/15/2026

Do you want to learn more about FSST? Check us out here! https://buff.ly/pWCgzeM

If you know of a college or university that would be interested in bringing FSST on Campus, let them know about this upcoming research opportunity: https://buff.ly/7InvSEw

&TaskManagement

07/08/2026

What if skills, not symptoms, is the real challenge? The White-Knuckle Effect shows us that students often leave school not because they can’t do the work, but because managing the competing and unrelenting demands becomes unsustainable without the necessary skills and strategies.

Persistence isn't about grit; it's about strategy. FSST is designed to directly address this gap with a proven, individualized approach. We help students move from 'surviving' to 'thriving' by building compensatory executive functioning strategies that reduce cognitive overload and the additional stress it creates. Are you ready to champion student success?

Learn how your institution can join the FSST national study. Visit our website for more information and application details. Let’s make a difference together.

https://buff.ly/7InvSEw

05/22/2026

NAMIWalks 2026 was a blast and we were so glad The CIRC Center had a chance to get out in the community and show up for those navigating mental health challenges. Thank you, NAMI, for putting on a wonderful community building event! For more ways to get connected with your community, follow and subscribe to TransitionsACR for more CIRC Center content.

NAMI Massachusetts UMass Chan Medical School Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

05/11/2026

Calling all Career & Technical Education (CTE) students & families WE NEED YOU!

The Learning & Working RRTC at UMass Chan Medical School is recruiting participants to help improve support for students with mental health conditions in CTE programs.

We are currently scheduling focus groups for the month of May. Keep reading to learn more about Fueling Success and sign up to participate.

Who Can Participate?
Students over 18 with lived experience of an emotional disturbance or mental health condition who have taken at least one CTE class in high school
Parents/caregivers of students with an emotional disturbance or mental health condition who have taken at least one CTE class in high school

What’s Involved?
Join a 1-hour virtual focus group—choose from:
Students only
Parents/caregivers only
Students and families together
Participants who complete the focus group will receive a $50 gift card for their time!

Visit our website to learn more and complete the interest form. https://www.umassmed.edu/TransitionsACR/research/center-grants/learning-working-rrtc-2024-2029/lw-study-recruitment/cte/

04/29/2026

There is still time to register for our upcoming webinar with Dr. Michelle Mullen:
Wait...What’s Due Now? Inside Cognitive Overload and the White-Knuckle Effect Among College Students with Mental Health Conditions

Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. EDT

Learn how executive functioning challenges contribute to higher dropout rates among students with mental health conditions, and discover the evidence-based FSST program—designed to build compensatory skills, enhance self-regulation, and boost academic persistence for student success.

Join Us for our Virtual Webinar via Zoom: Wait...What’s Due Now? Inside Cognitive Overload and the White-Knuckle Effect Among College Students with Mental Health Conditions

Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. EDT

Presented by Michelle G. Mullen, PhD

This webinar highlights how under-refined executive functioning skills affect academic persistence for students with mental health conditions. Dr. Mullen will introduce The White Knuckle Effect, an alternate explanation for why students with mental health conditions experience higher dropout rates than other student groups and Focused Skills & Strategies Training (FSST), a 12-session, evidence-based intervention that builds compensatory executive functioning strategies.

Register Today using the registration link: https://umassmed.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1iNoyN2AQMWymjC2xqyPDw

04/14/2026

We are so excited to be at the NARRTC 2026 Conference to share about our How Do YOU Do Community research study. Thank you to those who attended our presentation!

And don't forget to follow TransitionsACR for more CIRC Center content!