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Eliminating Mental Health Disparities

The Eliminating Mental Health Disparities project is an initiative that supports the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Transformation Agenda by reflecting the Center's values that mental health systems transformation must include strategies to reduce and eliminate disparities in care. Funded by CMHS, this undertaking serves as a vehicle to develop and implement strategies to eliminate disparities at the federal, state and local levels.

The mission of the project is to ensure that services and supports are accessible, and culturally and linguistically competent to meet the mental health needs of culturally, racially and ethnically diverse populations. This effort is designed to address three critical areas: disparities associated with racial and ethnic groups, disparities created by geography (e.g., rural, remote and frontier communities), and disparities inherent to special populations (e.g., refugees, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and inter-sexed individuals).

HumRRO has been contracted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) through an interagency agreement with SAMHSA to carry out the various tasks that will be required to accomplish this effort. CMHS is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the implementation of this initiative within SAMHSA.

For an overview of the projects associated with the CMHS initiative click here

The Group on Lifespan Domains (GOLD)

In order to continue certain aspects of the work related to the EMHD Initiative, HumRRO has established the Group on Lifespan Domains (GOLD). GOLD represents the first collaborative effort across HumRRO’s program areas focusing on the multifaceted, interdisciplinary and integrative aspects that are related to human aging and the experiences of growing older in today’s society.  GOLD concentrates its activities in three primary areas and its mission includes:

  • The reduction of mental health disparities in service delivery and quality of care;
  • The application of leaning theory, training expertise and program evaluation in order to maintain older individuals in the workforce and to increase the communication and transfer of knowledge between younger and older workers; and
  • The use of information technology (IT – computers and the Internet) by older adults to promote independent aging.

GOLD seeks to develop strategic alliances with academia, Federal agencies, and commercial entities in order to achieve its overarching goal which is to help society prepare for an aging population.  Although primarily focused on gerontology, members of GOLD include HumRRO staff who are focused on issues related to human development across the lifespan.

Services

  • Content Development on Lifespan Issues
  • Assessment of Training Needs
  • Development and Implementation of Training Programs
  • Program Evaluation
  • Survey Development and Administration (Online, Paper and Pencil, Telephone and in a Focus Group Environment)
  • Nationwide data collection capability through in-person interviews
  • Development and Implementation of Data Collection Plans, Procedures, and Protocols
  • Design and Implementation of Data Processing Strategies and Procedures
  • Data Documentation and Utilization of Data from Pre-Existing Datasets (government personnel, archival, and administrative databases)
  • Implementation of Stringent Procedures to Ensure Client Data Security
  • Development of Web-based Materials
  • Statistical Analyses
  • Usability Testing


For additional Information on the EMHD Initiative and GOLD, please contact:
Roger W. Morrell, Ph.D.
Senior Staff Scientist
HumRRO
66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 700
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703.706.5665
FAX: 703.549.9025
rmorrell@humrro.org