Building Solutions and Breaking Barriers: Advancing Behavioral Health through Community Collaboration

May 6, 2026

Building Solutions and Breaking Barriers: Advancing Behavioral Health through Community Collaboration

May 6, 2025, Wednesday, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm, Zoom

12:30 – 12:35

Welcome (Cori Cather, PhD, and Megan Kelly, PhD)

12:35 – 12:40

Opening Remarks (DMH Commissioner)

12:40 – 1:20

A Collaborative Approach to Managing Aggression in the Hospital and the Community

Megan M. Kelly, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director, Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC)
UMass Chan Medical School

Marsha Langer Ellison, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director of the Technical Assistance Program,
Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC)
UMass Chan Medical School

Alex Khoury, MPA 
Senior Strategy Manager, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

Julianne H. Flynn, LICSW
Clinical Training Specialist – Office of Inpatient Management, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

1:20 – 2:00

Panel: Perspectives on Aggression Management in the Hospital and Community

2:00 - 2:10

Break

2:10 - 2:50

No Wrong Door: A Statewide Partnership to Expand Medication Access and Use for People with Serious Mental Illness

Cheryl Y. S. Foo, PhD 
Associate Director, Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systemic Research & Director of Family Services, First Episode and Early Psychosis Program, Massachusetts General Hospital; Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School

2:50 - 3:30

Strengthening Statewide Implementation of an Alternative to Incarceration Program

Dara C. Drawbridge, PhD
Assistant Professor & Co-Director of The Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, National Collaborative for Implementation Support, iSPARC, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School

Michelle N. Crist, PhD
Instructor, National Collaborative for Implementation Support, iSPARC, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School

Vincent Lorenti, Esq 
Executive Director, Massachusetts Probation Service - Office of Community Corrections

3:30 - 4:10

Promoting positive aging for people with SMI living in the community: The Hopeful Healthy Living Program

Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D.
Professor of Occupational Therapy and Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University
Faculty Member, Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systemic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
 

Jasen Coole, M.A.
Assistant Integrated Team Director, Adult Community Clinical Services, Bay Cove Human Services

4:10 - 4:20

Wrap Up and Synthesis
(Cori Cather, PhD, and Megan Kelly, PhD)

4:20 - 4:30

Complete Evaluations


This event is jointly sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

                        

   

Course summary
Registration opens: 
01/01/2023
Course closes: 
05/26/2026
Event starts: 
05/06/2026 - 12:30pm EDT
Event ends: 
05/06/2026 - 4:30pm EDT
Rating: 
0

Presenters:

- Cori Cather, PhD
- Megan Kelly, PhD
- DMH Commissioner – Emily Bailey
- Marsha Ellison, PhD
- Alex Khoury, MPA
- Julianne Flynn, LICSW
- Cheryl Foo, PhD
- Dara Drawbridge, PhD
- Michelle Crist, PhD
- Vincent Lorenti, Esq.
- Kim Mueser, PhD
- Jasen Coole, MA

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