A Systems for Action study evaluates the effectiveness of a multisector task-sharing collaborative in addressing the inter-related problems of mental health disorders, poverty, and housing instability among racial and ethnic minority communities residing in Harlem, New York. The collaborative trains the staff at low-income housing agencies and primary care practices to engage in mental health task-sharing. The staff deliver basic mental health support services such as screening, psychoeducation, peer support, and referral to mental health specialists. Community health workers are placed at these same sites to help connect clients with needed social services beyond housing and primary care. The team is evaluating the impact of the task-sharing model on mental health, social functioning, employment, and quality of life.

The study is conducted by the Harlem Strong Mental Health Coalition, led by the City University of New York (CUNY) in partnership with the Harlem Congregation for Community Improvement, and Healthfirst Managed Care.

__  

This webinar is hosted by Systems for Action (S4A). S4A is a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that is housed in the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy. S4A research builds a Culture of Health by rigorously testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems.