The CIRC Center Products
In addition to creating knowledge that can improve community participation outcomes among young adults with serious mental health conditions from populations that have been marginalized, the CIRC Center employs innovative dissemination strategies to share relevant information with interested individuals and groups.
From podcasts to blogs, to webinars and written products, you can find all our CIRC Center outputs on this page. Of course, don’t forget to check out all the great publications created by the Transitions ACR at www.umassmed.edu/TransitionsACR/publication.
Manuals:
New Resource: Civic Advocacy Workshop Series Facilitator Manual Available Upon Request
A Facilitator Manual is now available to accompany the Fostering Disability Justice Leadership and Civic Engagement among Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions project. The manual provides guidance for implementing the civic advocacy workshop series that was developed as part of this project, including session outlines and activities that support young adults with developing the skills and knowledge that enable them to advocate for issues of importance to them.
Webinars:
Webinar: Enhancing Community Participation among Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Community participation across various domains — including employment, education, social relationships, and leisure activities — is essential during young adulthood yet can be challenging for those who experience a serious mental health condition and other sources of disadvantage.
During the presentation, Drs. Sabella and Thomas introduced the newly established CIRC Center which serves as a national leader in state-of-the-art research and knowledge translation activities dedicated to fostering community participation among young adults with serious mental health conditions from disadvantaged backgrounds. Download the webinar slides here. Watch it on our YouTube Channel
Tip Sheets:
Tip Sheet: Get Involved, Get Inspired: How to Start Volunteering Now
Volunteering offers individuals a meaningful way to engage with and contribute to their communities while also supporting personal and professional development. This tip sheet highlights the benefits of volunteering, addresses common barriers to participation, and provides a five-step guide to help young adults begin their volunteer journey. Whether pursuing academic credit, leadership experience, or social connection, volunteering can be a valuable pathway to growth and opportunity.
Tip Sheet: What Is Community Participation?
The Center for Community Inclusion and Reflective Collaboration (the CIRC Center) is a research and training center that aims to significantly advance community participation outcomes among young adults (14–26) with serious mental health conditions from populations that have been marginalized or minoritized. The term community participation is used in mental health services and research to refer to community-based activities that promote overall health and wellness. However, many people find this concept to be confusing, vague, and hard to understand. This tip sheet will define “community participation,” describe relevant experiences of young adults (ages 14–26) with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) from populations that have been marginalized, and provide reflections from our various advisory boards of young adults, family members, and professionals in the field.
Tip Sheet: Demystifying Civic Engagement: How to Make Your Voice Heard (Beyond Voting!) & 5 Tips to Get Started
The term “civic engagement” is less intimidating than it sounds! Civic engagement describes the process taken by individuals or groups to identify and address issues of concern within their communities. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual events such as working the polls, to longer-term, sustained efforts such as joining an advocacy group and educating others around issues that matter to you. This tip sheet outlines 5 ways to get involved in civic engagement that are in addition to voting OR that can be done before you’re old enough to vote.
Blogs:
From Escapism to Belonging: My Journey with Volunteering
Volunteering is a type of community participation where people gather for a cause and commit themselves to acting until the goals are met. Sometimes volunteering can be a paid experience or an unpaid experience. Either way, there are both personal and professional benefits to participating in volunteer programs.
From Isolation to Inspiration: How Creative Communities Saved My Mental Health
The sun sank behind the empty street like a fading flame, casting long dreary shadows across shuttered windows and vacant malls - the pandemic caused many physical spaces of community to vanish into thin air. As the evening deepened, I logged onto a virtual Zoom gathering, greeted by a colorful mosaic of eager faces glowing in little windows—each person bright like a compassionate lantern against the darkness of pandemic isolation.
Queering Connections: (Re)building Community and Self after a Breakup
This blog explores the concept of queering connections—reframing relationships beyond the monogamous romantic paradigm—to build meaningful, diverse social networks after a breakup. Whether you identify as queer or not, these ideas can help you foster deeper, more fulfilling connections that hopefully facilitate your transitions to the next chapter of your life.
Podcast Episodes:
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 26: Body Talk and Belonging: Eating Disorder Recovery in a Social World
In this inspiring episode, Jamie Yang, a graduate student and mental health advocate, shares her journey of resilience and growth in navigating recovery from an eating disorder. She highlights the powerful role of community in fostering healing through friendships and hobbies. Through her journey, Jamie explores how recovery involves unlearning toxic messages about food and bodies, setting boundaries, and intentionally choosing communities that nourish rather than deplete. With honesty and insight, Jamie shows how surrounding yourself with supportive, values-aligned people can build strength, shift focus toward wellness, and create space for lasting recovery. Listen on Spotify. Read the Transcript
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 25: The Journey Within, Together: Spiritual Exploration and Community
In this episode, Micah Webster shares his journey of living with anxiety, supporting a sibling with serious mental health conditions, and finding healing through both therapy and his faith. As a behavioral health researcher and person with lived experience, Micah offers a unique perspective on the intersection of mental health, spirituality, and community.
Micah discusses how supportive, inclusive faith communities can offer a space of grace, flexibility, and belonging, especially for those navigating mental health challenges or feeling socially disconnected. He explores how spirituality is not just a personal journey but can be a communal experience rooted in shared growth. We also talk about how faith can support emotional resilience, the importance of universal design in religious spaces, and how newcomers to spirituality can begin exploring questions of meaning and purpose, especially when they don’t know where to start. Whether connected to a spiritual tradition or seeking new ways to engage with community and inner healing, this episode offers insight, encouragement, and practical wisdom. Read the Transcript. Watch it on our YouTube Channel.
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 24: Roots and Change: Youth Advocacy in Rural Communities
In this episode, we sit down with Wyatt Wagner - a dynamic 21-year-old youth peer advocate, nonprofit founder, and newly announced candidate for his district's board of legislators. Wyatt shares the powerful story behind Youth of Lewis County, the nonprofit he started to create safe spaces and supports for young people in his rural community. We dive into the challenges and triumphs of building youth-led programming in areas with limited infrastructure, strong religious influences, and limited funds. From organizing the county's first youth-run Renaissance Fair to advocating for safe and inclusive spaces, Wyatt speaks candidly about why youth voice is critical to community development and what he is doing to encourage youth and young adults to participate in their communities. Read the Transcript. Watch it on our YouTube Channel.
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 21: Improving mental health through community-based music, writing, and art programs
In this episode, we sit down with Davy, a musician and member of our young adult advisory board who shares his experience of using creativity and music to support his mental health. We discuss the transformative power of creative communities and their impact on mental health. Davy talks about discovering creative writing groups, and musician groups in both virtual and hybrid communities. He shares how structured environments, like virtual writing sessions and local art events, fostered accountability, inspired creativity, and provided a sense of belonging. Ready to get more creative? This episode offers practical tips on finding local resources, connecting with like-minded individuals, and enhancing your well-being through creativity. Read the Transcript. Watch it on our YouTube Channel
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 17: Leveling Up Together: Gaming, Community, and Mental Health
There is a stereotype that gaming is a waste of time, but this episode with Derek Lewis, a member of our Young Adult Advisory Board challenges that notion head-on. Derek shares his personal journey, revealing how gaming became a lifeline for him while growing up in a gang-prone LA neighborhood. We talk about how gaming helped Derek build meaningful relationships, including one with a gamer friend who stood by him as his best man at Derek's wedding! Tune in to learn how virtual worlds can become real sources of support and community, proving that sometimes, the best friendships can be found behind a controller. Read the Transcript. Watch it on our YouTube Channel.
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast Episode 13: Salsa Dancing, a Youth Advisory Board and Peer Support for Mental Health
Today we talk with Joshua Calarino, a member of our Youth Advisory Board, about ways getting involved in his community has helped his mental health. Joshua shares his journey from someone who struggled with their mental health in high school to the discovery of the different things he found that helped him feel better and more connected to his community. His story of recovery started when he said “yes” to an invite to a salsa dance class. We talk about Youth Move, peer support, and Joshua’s experience as a member of our Youth Advisory Board where he joins other young adult members to provide valued feedback from the youth perspective to our research team at Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research. Joshua highlights the impact that a strong sense of community can have on young adults’ mental health. Watch it on our YouTube Channel. Read the transcript.
