Overview of Our Center

Mission
To be an internationally recognized academic center that conducts research on the nature, structure, effectiveness, and regulations of services for individuals with mental health conditions, and develops and disseminates knowledge to improve the lives of these individuals, their families, and other community members.

Goals
To conduct research and develop knowledge to:
– Improve services for people with mental health conditions
– Improve the quality of life and promote the recovery of people with or at risk of mental 
   health conditions, and their families.

To disseminate knowledge through a range of activities that include teaching, publishing, speaking, consulting, and training.

Strategic Plan

Highlights of Fiscal Year 2011 include:

– 3.3 million dollars in new research funding awarded,
– 15 new research grants awarded
– 29 grant submissions

Click here to learn more about our funding portfolio in our FY 2011 report

The Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) conducts research to enhance services, improve the quality of life, and promote recovery for people with behavioral health conditions. CMHSR was created in 1993 when it was designated a Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systems Research by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). DMH has a second Center of Excellence at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-Harvard – the Commonwealth Research Center  – that focuses on neurobiology and psychopharmacology research.

Our mission mirrors DMH's commitment to collaborating with other state agencies, consumers, families, advocates, providers, and communities. We strive for the broadest possible dissemination of our research with the goal of informing all stakeholders as to the state of the science. DMH and CMHSR are aligned in their vision of promoting mental health through early intervention, treatment, education, policy and regulation to provide opportunities for citizens of the Commonwealth to live full and productive lives.

Our Center has internationally recognized expertise in program development, services research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, forensic/legal and human rights issues, child and family mental health issues, transitional youth, and co-occurring disorders.

Financial support is provided by Commonwealth Medicine, the health care consulting division of University of Massachusetts Medical School. Government agencies, nonprofits and managed care organizations benefit from Commonwealth Medicine's expertise in clinical service delivery, health care financing strategies, policy management and quality improvement.