Making Sense of Employment Research

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The Making Sense of Employment Research webinar was produced by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, in collaboration with the Journal for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

  1. May 28

    "Supporting the Young Adult Peer Support Workforce: Insights from a Survey Study"

    The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is pleased to present "Making Sense of Employment Research", a webinar series designed to discuss a recent published research study, in a clear and relevant way, even for those who know little or nothing about research. This Session: Supporting the Young Adult Peer Support Workforce: Insights from a Survey Study Young adult peer support workers (YPSWs) – trained professionals typically aged 18-30 with lived experience of behavioral health conditions – are an essential and growing part of the behavioral health workforce. However, research on their workplace experiences remains limited, with existing studies largely relying on qualitative methods and small samples drawn from a narrow range of service settings. This webinar will present findings from a survey study examining the workplace experiences of YPSWs across the United States. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, we will explore key domains including job satisfaction, supervision, intergenerational workplace climate, and experiences of stigma. We will also highlight important differences by certification status, including disparities in perceived opportunities, rewards, and supervision. Elizabeth Thomas, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Temple University’s Barnett College of Public Health. She serves as co-Director of the UMass Chan-Temple Community Inclusion and Reflective Collaboration (CIRC) Center and an investigator within the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. Haley Payne is a graduate student in the clinical psychology department at the School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Presently, she serves as a practicum student at Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital servicing individuals with serious mental health conditions.

    46 min

  2. Mar 2

    "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individual Placement and Support Services for Young Adults" with Dr. Ana Carolina Florence

    The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is pleased to present “Making Sense of Employment Research”, a webinar series designed to discuss a recent published research study, in a clear and relevant way, even for those who know little or nothing about research. Presentation: "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individual Placement and Support Services for Young Adults" with Dr. Ana Carolina Florence Individual placement and support (IPS) is an evidence-based model designed to help individuals with mental health conditions secure and maintain competitive employment. Young adults are a particularly vulnerable group in need of these services. The COVID-19 pandemic led many public institutions to curtail face-to-contacts, which affected IPS service delivery. This webinar describes a qualitative descriptive analysis of interviews with IPS team leaders across five states. Two major themes were created from 29 interviews with 30 participants: adaptations and challenges. Adaptations centered on transitioning to virtual communication and remote IPS delivery. Challenges included reduced referral rates and difficulties in building rapport and maintaining engagement. Despite these challenges, the need for adaptation spurred innovation, fostering positive changes, some of which may become permanent in the future, showcasing the resilience and creativity of IPS programs. Dr. Ana Carolina Florence is a mental health services researcher specializing in implementing and evaluating the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. Her work examines how evidence-based supported employment can improve competitive integrated work outcomes and overall well-being for diverse populations.

    52 min

  3. 09/10/2025

    “Key Stakeholder Perspectives on the Use of Research About Supported Employment for a Variety of Patients with Mental Illness” with Margarita Alegria, PHD

    The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is pleased to present “Making Sense of Employment Research”, a webinar series designed to discuss a recent published research study, in a clear and relevant way, even for those who know little or nothing about research.Presentation: “Key Stakeholder Perspectives on the Use of Research About Supported Employment for a Variety of Patients with Mental Illness”This webinar discusses stakeholder responses to evidence on supported employment, emphasizing the importance of tailoring programs to individual needs which are often overlooked in current initia- tives. Qualitative data were collected from three stakeholder groups — people with lived experience of mental health challenges, community health advocates, and state health policy makers. Results highlight the necessity of gathering diverse research input to enhance the effectiveness of sup- ported employment programs and underscores the need for collaboration and knowledge transfer among stakeholders to maximize mental health and employment resources.Dr. Margarita Alegría, PhD, is the Chief of the Disparities Research Unit at Massachu- setts General Hospital and the Mongan Insti- tute, the Harry G. Lehnert, Jr. and Lucille F. Cyr Endowed MGH Research Institute Chair at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She has spent her career examining how to reduce health disparities for minoritized populations, immigrants, and linguistic minorities.This event is supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

    52 min

  4. 01/28/2025

    "Once a Peer Always a Peer" with Elizabeth Siantz, PhD

    "’Once a Peer Always a Peer’: A Qualitative Study of Peer Specialist Experiences With Employment Following State Certification.” with Elizabeth Siantz, PhD. The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is pleased to present “Making Sense of Employment Research”, a webinar series designed to discuss a recent published research study, in a clear and relevant way, even for those who know little or nothing about research. This presentation qualitatively explores recently certified Peer Specialists’ experiences with navigating the job market to find post-certification employment, experiences with employment once in the workforce, and reflections on CPS training. Dr. Siantz is an assistant professor at the University of Utah College of Social Work. Her research aims to improve health equity and quality of life among persons with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders through the implementation of self-management education, integrated behavioral health services, and peer support specialists. Dr. Siantz is currently PI of a K01 award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the adaptation and implementation of a peer-led chronic disease self-management program for primary care patients with opioid use disorder and SMI. She is also a VA-funded Implementation Research Institute (IRI) fellow at Washington University St. Louis. This event is supported by funding from the National Institufe on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACI), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDIL, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

    56 min

  5. 05/21/2024

    “Thriving at Work While Living with Mental Illness" w. Dr. Uma Chandrika Millner

    The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is pleased to present “Making Sense of Employment Research”, a webinar series designed to discuss a recent published research study, in a clear and relevant way, even for those who know little or nothing about research. This interactive webinar will highlight the conditions necessary for thriving at work among individuals living in challenging mental health situations. We will emphasize fairness as the foundation to thriving and the importance of (re)storying multiple perspectives, centering decent work as a basic human right, and identifying the psychological, social, and structural systems necessary for thriving. We will highlight the specific needs of Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC) and Transgender individuals with lived experience. Dr. Uma Chandrika Millner (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Applied Therapies at Lesley University and part-time faculty at Boston College. Her overall professional approach is grounded in anti-colonial frameworks and intersectionality. Dr. Millner’s research focuses on work and wellness for marginalized and minoritized communities including individuals with psychiatric disabilities and Asian Americans. This event is supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

    57 min

  6. 02/28/2024

    Benefits and Challenges of Employment for Individuals Diagnosed with Mental Illness: Qualitative Findings and Ongoing Research w/ Marta Elliott

    During this Webinar, Dr. Elliott will present qualitative findings from interviews she conducted with working professionals who self-identified as having mental illness. The results will be drawn primarily from this publication, co-authored with Jordan Reuter. The presentation will highlight benefits and challenges people reported about being employed, and about having mental illness on the job. It will also explore policy implications of the findings and a preview of her ongoing related research. Marta Elliott is a Foundation Professor of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Reno who graduated with a PhD in Sociology from The Johns Hopkins University in 1995. She specializes in the social determinants of mental health, the causes and consequences of mental illness stigma, and the subjective perspectives of people diagnosed with mental illness. She is writing a book entitled Borderpolars that features perspectives of people diagnosed with and bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Jordan Reuter is a PhD candidate in Social Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno with interests in religion and non-religion in a family context. He was recently awarded a Bilinski Fellowship to support his dissertation research. He also recently received the Jessie Bernard Outstanding Research Proposal from a Feminist Perspective Award by the National Council on Family Relations for his proposal entitled “Of Course I Can Parent My Child: A Mixed-Method Intersectional Study of Nonreligious Parents’ Parenting Values. This event is supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

    54 min

  7. 11/27/2023

    Making Sense of Employment Research: IPS Supported Employment in the 2020’s: NY State Experience

    The world was a different place when IPS was introduced more than three decades ago. Yet despite changes in the economy, employment opportunities, hiring practices, evolution of the Internet and the ubiquity of mobile devices, and our experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, IPS has continued to be the gold standard. Today’s webinar will explore two papers based upon data collected through New York State’s extensive IPS initiative which focus on successful IPS implementation in the 2020’s. Two questions addressed are whether digital platforms (e.g., employers’ websites and online application processes) have diminished the importance of IPS employment specialists’ time spent in the community, and what has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on IPS implementation and outcomes? Paul J. Margolies, Ph.D. is Associate Director for Practice Innovation and Implementation at the Center for Practice Innovations at Columbia Psychiatry (CPI), located at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Margolies is a licensed psychologist who received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. I-Chin Chiang, M.S. is Director of Data Analytics at the Center for Practice Innovations at Columbia Psychiatry (CPI), located at New York State Psychiatric Institute. Ms. Chiang received her training in computer science from the California State University, Fullerton and the University of California, Irvine, and considers herself as a generalist with experience in database development, data analysis & reporting, and quality assurance testing. This event is supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of HHS.

    54 min

  8. 09/21/2023

    Developing a Peer Workforce for Provision of IPS: What Can Research Tell Us? W/ Dr. Judith Cook

    This webinar draws on findings from a project in which vocational staff of a peer-run program were trained to deliver IPS along with work-focused health and wellness supports. Recipients of peer-delivered IPS plus health promotion achieved higher rates of competitive employment compared to those receiving peer-delivered generic supported employment services. The peer IPS team also achieved high fidelity to the IPS model's principles and practices. Discover the benefits of integrating peer support into the delivery of evidence based IPS, and what research reveals tells us about how this can be done.Dr. Cook is an internationally recognized authority on mental health services research, specifically the study of clinical and rehabilitation outcomes of children and adults receiving community-based care. She directs a federally funded research center along with numerous grants and contracts focused on intervention science, psychiatric epidemiology, and outcomes research. She designs and implements innovative programs to enhance the health and behavioral health of vulnerable populations. She works with federal, state and local authorities on behavioral health service system redesign and alternative financing strategies. Her recent work focuses on randomized controlled trials of evidence-based practice treatments for serious mental illness, and outcomes of individuals with co-occurring mental illness and chronic medical conditions. She consults with federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, Social Security Administration, Department of Labor, Government Accountability Office, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Veteran’s Administration.  This event is supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90RTEM0004). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    1 hr
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The Making Sense of Employment Research webinar was produced by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, in collaboration with the Journal for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

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