Learning from Lived Experience for Better Psychosocial Research
Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC), University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC) is unique in its focus on public sector mental health research, built on the foundation of strong research partnerships.
What sets them apart from other research centers are their research partnerships with state agencies, as well as research partnerships with individuals with lived experience of serious mental health conditions. These partnerships strengthen SPARC’s research and make it more relevant to the lives of those with lived experience.
The center has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for 23 years, and is a designated “Center of Research Excellence” for the Commonwealth. This long standing relationship has shaped SPARC’s research focus on highly vulnerable individuals who come into contact with public systems.
Because public systems, like state mental health authorities, courts, or foster care systems serve populations that are often without power or voice in those systems, the research of SPARC aims to emphasize their voice, and their experiences, regardless of specific diagnosis or co-occurring disorders.
www.umassmed.edu/SPARC