Principal Investigator(s):
Grace Lee Simmons, Ph.D.
Grant Type:
Applied Research
Funding:
49,994
Organization:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Year Awarded:
2025
Status:
In Progress
Location:
Chapel Hill, NC
Topics:
Social and Communication Skills; Education and School Aged Children; Behavior, Emotions, Mental Health; Families
Abstract
Autistic youth and their families frequently seek mental health services (MHS) from community mental health clinicians (CMHCs) to treat anxiety and depression. CMHCs report reluctance to serve this population due to limited knowledge about how to tailor MHS to autistic youth. We aim to develop and evaluate an accessible virtual toolkit designed to train CMHCs in evidence-based practices to support their delivery of MHS to autistic youth. Our community-partnered approach includes a community advisory board (CAB), inclusive of autistic voices, to support toolkit development and implementation. Additionally, toolkit development will integrate qualitative feedback from key stakeholder groups including autistic individuals and CMHCs (NIH Grant, PI: Storch). We will conduct a pilot trial with 12 CMHCs to evaluate mixed-methods evidence of feasibility, acceptability, usability, CMHC fidelity, and clinical efficacy (e.g., treatment engagement; CMHC MHS delivery) of the toolkit. Qualitative feedback from the CAB, CMHCs, autistic youth, and caregivers will inform toolkit refinement and future community-based partnerships. This project aligns with the OAR’s objectives addressing community-engaged research which improves access to and effectiveness of existing community-based MHS for autistic youth. We anticipate this toolkit will ultimately improve access to and quality of MHS provided by CMHCs.
More Information
This project is sponsored by the OAR’s Changing Lives Fund.
