Annual Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Centers of Excellence Conference
The 2025 Annual Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Centers of Excellence Conference took place on May 29, 2025. This year's theme is "Promoting Youth Mental and Behavioral Health: Understanding and Addressing Risk and Protective Factors to Improve Youth Well-Being and Outcomes". ASL interpreter services will be provided.
Opening Remarks by: Brooke Doyle, MEd, LMHC, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (Mass DMH)
Featured speakers included: Gina Vincent, PhD, UMass Chan; Cheryl Y.S. Foo, PhD, Mass General Brigham & Harvard Medical School; Daphne Holt, MD, PhD, Mass General Brigham & Harvard Medical School; Michelle Mullen, PhD, UMass Chan; and Vanessa Iroegublem, BA, Mass General Brigham
Hosted by: UMass Chan Medical School Implementation Science & Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC) and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center of Excellence (CoE) for Psychosocial and Systemic Research
About: DMH funded two new centers of research excellence in October 2018. The goal of the conference is for DMH clients, their family members, DMH staff, and providers to learn more about the work these two centers are doing and for these centers to learn how their research can best support DMH, its mission, and the people served by DMH. The conference emphasizes community-engaged research, including the importance of engaging persons living with mental health challenges, their family members, and the providers and staff who serve them in all phases of the research process. Perspectives of people with lived experience will be included.
2025 CoE Conference Agenda
Welcome
Megan Kelly, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of iSPARC and Cori Cather, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director MGH CoE
Opening Remarks: starts at the 0:10:00 minute mark
Brooke Doyle, MEd, LMHC, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
Effective Interventions for Reducing Youth Violence: starts at the 0:17:50 mark
Gina Vincent, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of Law & Psychiatry Program, iSPARC
View the presentation slides
Watch the video on slide 24
Effects of Legalizing Cannabis Sales on Use among Youth Presenting for a Psychiatric Emergency: starts at the 0:54:30 mark
Cheryl Y. S. Foo, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Associate Center Director, MGH CoE
View the presentation slides
Watch the video on slide 51
Break
Living In Families with Emotions (LIFE): Training Community Organizations to Deliver a Resilience-Enhancing Intervention for Youth: starts at the 1:33:29 mark
Daphne Holt, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, MGH CoE
View the presentation slides
Watch the video on slide 59
Watch the video on slide 62
Watch the video on slide 64
Watch the video on slide 70
Watch the video on slide 73
Helping Youth on the Path to Employment (HYPE): Enhancing Career Development Outcomes Among Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions: starts at the 2:08:15 mark
Michelle Mullen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director & Founder of HYPE, iSPARC
View the presentation slides
Watch the video on slide 93
Watch the video on slide 94
Watch the video on slide 97
Treating Nicotine Dependence in Youth: Integrating Pharmacotherapy & CBT Strategies for Vaping Cessation: starts at the 2:53:20 mark
Vanessa Iroegbulem, BA, Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, MGH CoE
View the presentation slides
Watch the video on slide 113
Wrap-Up and Synthesis
Megan Kelly, PhD, iSPARC, and Cori Cather, PhD, MGH CoE
CMEs for physicians and CEUs for Psychology, RN, Social Work, OT, and LMHC were available.
