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Research Roundup: December 2024

Ph.D. student Dicky Baruah was chosen to participate in the stimulating training and access to HIV Research Experiences (STAR) Designathon in February 2025.

Publications

Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi, Connor Sullivan (UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research), Maria Gaiser (UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research), Evan Galloway (UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research) and Brad Wright (University of South Carolina) co-authored “Identifying Factors Associated With Variation in Telemental Health Delivery at Federally Qualified Health Centers” for Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. The use of telemental health by federally qualifed health centers was increased dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the authors note that some factors associated with telemental health are still unclear. The authors utilized data from the 2021 Uniform Data System to study telemental health by “clinician type and mental health workforce composition across the U.S. to understand how staffing and other organizational characteristics are related to telemental health delivery at health centers.” The authors found that in 2021, health centers distributed 43% of their mental health visits via telemental health, on average. The authors concluded that “Access to telemental health varies by state and across health centers based on mental health workforce composition. Future work is needed to examine funding and workforce strategies to increase telemental health service availability.”

Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi, Ph.D. student Danya K. Krueger, Maria Gaiser (UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research) and Nelson Spence (Faces and Voices of Recovery) co-authored “Retaining peers in the behavioral health workforce: Factors associated with peer recovery support specialists intent to remain or leave current position” for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal.

Assistant Professor Sonyia Richardson and Laura H. Gunn (UNC Charlotte) co-authored “Factors Associated With Suicide Risk Behavior Outcomes Among Black Middle School Adolescents” for Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Presentations & Trainings

Research Associate Professor Tonya Van Deinse, Doctoral Student Ally Waters, Clinical Research Assistant Julia Metz, Faye Taxman (George Mason University) and Bryan Weiner (University of Washington) presented “Leveraging Bridging Factors to Increase the Pace of Service Connection: Implementation Science Methods in the Criminal Legal System” at the Academy Health and National Institutes of Health’s 17th annual conference on the science of dissemination and implementation.

Assistant Professor Sonyia Richardson, Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden and Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi participated in an invited Policy Summit with SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity from Dec. 12-13. The Summit is titled: Re-Envisioning the Behavioral Health Workforce Focusing on Underserved Communities Meeting in Bethesda, Md. Zerden presented “The Harm Reduction Workforce and Behavioral Health” and Lombardi presented “Key Workforce Datapoints to Influence Policy.”

Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden
Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi (speaking at podium)

Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden and Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi presented at the 52nd annual North American Primary Care Research Group Conference in Canada in November. Their presentations are listed below.

  • “Trends in the Physician Workforce Treating Commercially Insured Patients with Perinatal Mental Health Disorders” by Brianna Lombardi
  • “Interprofessional Education and Practice Among HRSA-funded Rural Residency Programs” by Lisa de Saxe Zerden and Brianna Lombardi
  • “Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care: Interruptions and Innovations to Practice in Response to” by Lisa de Saxe Zerden and Brianna Lombardi

Awards, News & Recognition

Ph.D. student Dicky Baruah was chosen to participate in the stimulating training and access to HIV Research Experiences (STAR) Designathon in February 2025. The Designathon will give Dicky the opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas on HIV research and prevention. If selected, Dicky will become a STAR Scholar and participate in a 6-week hybrid summer innovation bootcamp at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a year-long STAR Institute participatory learning community.

UNC Cares, through a contract with the North Carolina Division of Aging, recently completed the Dementia Friendly Toolkit. The Dementia Friendly Toolkit is an in-depth document that provides information and resources that support the creation of dementia-friendly initiatives in hospitals and communities. To view the toolkit and share with your networks, visit here.

The Spring 2025 Mental Health First Aid training schedule is now available for faculty, staff and students. The 8-hour training will give participants the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. You can register here. Requests for group trainings can be found here.