UMass SPARC

10/26/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Check out the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research October newsletter below👇 to learn about accommodations, rights, job retention, and other tools that can help employees, employers, caregivers, and service providers foster inclusive and supportive work environments.

Work is more than a paycheck. It can also be a place where support really makes a difference 🩵 October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and our latest newsletter is out now. We are sharing resources for employees with mental health conditions, including workplace accommodations and other tools that can help support success at work.

Read it here: https://buff.ly/r3Auxbj

10/13/2026

Hot off the press — we’re proud to share iSPARC’s FY26 Annual Report! 📣

In fiscal year 2026, we continued working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to help translate research into practice for individuals with lived experience, their families, and the providers who support them across the Commonwealth.

This year’s report highlights work across technical assistance, implementation support, and research in prevention, early intervention, and behavioral health. Key areas include inpatient aggression management, ACCS implementation, peer workforce development, perinatal mental health equity, youth violence prevention, early intervention, and supports that promote education, employment, and independence for young adults with serious mental health conditions.

We’re deeply grateful to our DMH partners, collaborators, community members, trainees, and faculty for their partnership and commitment to this work.

Read the full report in our eLibrary: https://doi.org/10.13028/s273-8a82

UMass Chan Medical School

09/30/2026

Hot off the press, our September Newsletter is out! 📧 📣

This month's issue features...

Law & Psychiatry Program Receives $3.8 Million SAMHSA Grant
Drs. Ellison and Mullen Named Co-Leaders of the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research
Upcoming Transitions ACR Webinar: Different by Design
New Research Program: Social Contexts and Behavioral Health Research Program under Dr. Kathryn Sabella
New Research Findings: Key Characteristics of Mental Health Clubhouses: Findings from the 2025 CPQ
New Research Brief: Federal and Employer Policies Positively Impacting the Employment Outcomes of People with Disabilities
Hot off the Press: iSPARC Researchers in Print

https://www.umassmed.edu/sparc/publications-and-products/newletter/

09/23/2026

Community storytelling offers us a pathway to connect with each other using one of humanity's most time-tested methods. At The CIRC Center and Youth MOVE's Storytelling Workshop, young adults in leadership roles can learn how to tell powerful, real-life stories, facilitate storytelling spaces, host their own StorySlams, and create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and amplified. Interested in joining? Register for the 2-part series here: https://buff.ly/sr31Fl6

And don't forget to follow iSPARC and the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research for more CIRC Center content!

09/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Edwin Boudreaux on being named the inaugural holder of the Dickson Family Chair in Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School!

During ***dePreventionMonth, we’re especially grateful for his leadership of CAPES Su***de Prevention and its contributions to su***de prevention research and care.

***dePrevention

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees approved new endowed chairs at UMass Chan Medical School today, bringing the total number up to 86: https://direc.to/pUg6

The following faculty will be invested at the annual Convocation and Investiture event on Thursday, Sept. 17:
• Jennifer Wang, MD
• Samir Malkani, MD
• Johanna M. Seddon, MD, ScM, FARVO, FASRS
• Edwin D. Boudreaux, PhD
• David Michael Dosa, MD, MPH
• Andrew R. Tapper, PhD

These endowments were made possible by the generosity of Betty Brudnick of Needham; the estate of Herman G. Berkman, PhD; the Meyers Primary Care Institute; John P. Mordes, MD, professor emeritus of medicine, and Regina M. Yando, PhD; the estates of Eileen L. Berman, EdD, and Stanley I. Berman; and UMass Memorial President and CEO Eric Dickson, MD’95, and Catherine E. Dickson, MD’93.

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!

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to iSPARC and the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research for more CIRC Center content!

08/14/2026

Congratulations to iSPARC Center Director, Dr. Megan Kelly, and colleagues Dr. Phoebe Moore, and Dr. Yael Dvir on their recent article in The Conversation US! 🥳

Their piece explores how teens are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for emotional support and how adults can help keep kids safe. It is based on their tip sheet, “Tips for Clinicians to Help Manage Adolescent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot Use for Mental Health,” which offers practical advice for clinicians, families, and caregivers.

The guidance focuses on opening nonjudgmental conversations, understanding the risks and benefits of chatbot use, and knowing when to seek additional support.

Read The Conversation US Article and companion tip sheet Tips for Clinicians to Help Manage Adolescent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot Use for Mental Health. Links in the comments below👇

08/03/2026

Thank you, Dr. Uruj Kamal Haider, for using your voice and expertise to bring national attention to postpartum psychosis in this important TIME article.

We are proud to highlight Dr. Haider’s leadership and her work with MCPAP for Moms, supporting providers who care for pregnant and postpartum people with mental health and substance use concerns.

Her piece is a powerful reminder that awareness must be paired with preparation, early screening, and timely access to treatment.

Through Lifeline for Moms, an iSPARC research program, we are grateful to be part of ongoing efforts to strengthen perinatal mental health care for providers, families, and communities.

We encourage you to read and share.

Early screening can serve as prevention, but only if we connect at-risk patients to care, writes Dr. Uruj Kamal Haider.

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