Through collaboration, the center aims to conduct state-of-the-art research and knowledge translation activities to improve opportunities for community inclusion of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
The center is directed by expert researchers in partnership with policymakers, providers, and individuals who have lived experience with serious mental health issues.
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion:
- Targets obstacles that prevent people with mental illnesses from being full members of their communities;
- Identifies the supports consumers and communities need to enhance the prospects for community integration; and
- Expands the range of opportunities for people who have mental illnesses to participate in their communities as active and equal members.
This work supports United States laws and policies, especially those associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court Olmstead Decision.
We provide evidence-based resources that consumers, agencies, and policy makers can use to increase community participation across varied life domains. Use this website to keep track of the Temple University Collaborative’s work, follow our research and training activities, access tool-kits and monographs, explore exemplary program descriptions focusing on key issues, and contact us for additional information and targeted training and technical assistance.
Temple University Collaborative Staff
Mark Salzer, PhD
Dr. Salzer is a professor of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Temple University and the Principal Investigator and Director of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities.
Gretchen Snethen, PhD, CTRS, FDRT
Dr. Snethen is the Associate Director for the Temple University Collaborative and an associate professor in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University. Her research focuses on using community-based recreation and transportation to increase community participation.
Temilola Adepoju, BA
Lola is a research assistant at the Collaborative. Her primary roles include participant recruitment, research survey administration, and data collection for multiple studies.
Kathy Arazawa, B.S.
Kathy is a Research Coordinator at the Collaborative and MSW candidate at Temple. She supervises some of the research staff and oversees IRB activities at the Collaborative. In addition, she supports research activities such as recruitment, data collection and data management for various studies.
Kyra Baker-Short, MSRT
Kyra currently serves as the community inclusion interventionist for the ConnectionsRx research study. Additionally, as the owner of PACE College Coaching, Kyra provides individualized supports to current and hopeful college students with significant mental health challenges.
Eugene Brusilovskiy, MUSA
Eugene is the Director of Data Analytics at the Collaborative and the director of the Laboratory on Geography, Mobility and Disability at Temple University. His research focuses on how various environmental factors are associated with community participation.
Sabrina Giaimo, BA
Sabrina is a research assistant with the Collaborative. She works on participant recruitment and data collection and management for various studies. She also helps with the development and creation of knowledge translation products.
Maggie M. Kane, BGS
Maggie is a Community Navigator with the Collaborative. She recently graduated from Temple University’s General Studies program. Maggie is working to become a Certified Peer Specialist.
Liz Knight, BS
Liz is a research assistant at the Collaborative mainly assisting with subject recruitment and data collection as well as creating Knowledge Translation products.
Paige Laxton, PhD, CTRS
Paige is a postdoctoral fellow with the Collaborative. Her research interests include reducing sedentary behavior in group home settings for adults with dual-diagnosis, developing place-based interventions, and leisure time physical activity.
Gillian MacDonald, BA
Gillian is a research associate with the Collaborative. She works with the principal investigators to recruit participants, conduct surveys, and collect data. She also helps with the write-up of manuscripts and other tasks related to ongoing research studies. She is attaining her Master’s from Temple in Applied Research and Evaluation.
Anya Masindet, B.S.
Anya is a research assistant at the Collaborative. She works alongside our principal investigators to recruit participants, administer research surveys, and collect data. Additionally, she assists with creating Institutional Review Board documents, Knowledge Translation products, and other tasks related to ongoing research studies.
Bryan McCormick, PhD, CTRS, FDRT
Dr. McCormick is a professor in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Department at Temple University. His research focuses on the role of everyday social and community functioning in health and well-being for adults with serious mental illnesses. His work with the Collaborative focuses on the interrelationships of body functions, activities and community participation.
Raye Narra, CHW/P.
Raye joined the Collaborative as the Peer Supporter for ConnectionsRx after participating in the pilot study in 2020. Raye’s prior experience as a participant in two distance-based studies with the Collaborative has sparked greater interest in how academic research might serve to further expand access to community participation for individuals with mental health conditions, and how researchers might be able to serve as allies and partners in the mental health peer movement. They are a certified Community Health Worker based in California with experience in outreach, informal counseling, and case management.
Tabea Neumann, M.Sc, CAAP, BABCP-reg.
Tabea serves as an assistant research scientist at the Temple University Collaborative and focuses on understanding risk and protective factors of loneliness and social isolation in individuals with serious mental illness. She is also interested in advancing therapeutic interventions to increase mattering and to reduce loneliness and the sense of emptiness in mental health clients.
Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA
Dr. Pfeiffer is an associate professor in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University and a licensed Occupational Therapist. Her current Collaborative research includes a study which applies her prior sensory and transportation research with individuals on the autism-spectrum to individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI).
Medha Saharya, MA
Medha is a Community Inclusion Interventionist for the Collaborative. She works on participant recruitment, needs assessment and designing interventions for people with mental health challenges to increase their social connectedness and community participation
Crystal M. Slanzi, PhD, BCBA-D
Dr. Slanzi is a research scientist with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion and is focusing on understanding opportunity costs associated with community participation and precursors of participation. She is also interested in reducing stigma and increasing inclusionary practices through behavioral interventions.
Liz Thomas, PhD
Dr. Thomas is an investigator with the Collaborative and research assistant professor in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University. Her research interests include early intervention in psychosis and implementation and outcomes related to peer support services.
Hannah Wells, MS, CTRS
Hannah is a Knowledge Translation and Intervention Coordinator at the Collaborative. She works as an interventionist and supports our peer specialists for various studies. She also supports the development of knowledge translation products.
Meet some of our Collaborators!
Richard Baron, MA
Richard Baron is the Director of Knowledge Translation at the Collaborative and focuses his current work on the knowledge translation activities of the Collaborative, including delivery of training, technical assistance, and consultation services to provider agencies, consumer groups, advocacy associations, and county and state mental health authorities.
Jeffrey Draine, MSW, PhD
Dr. Draine is a professor emeritus of Temple University. His primary research interests are rehabilitation, empowerment, and recovery oriented services for people involved with the justice system who also live with behavioral health concerns.
Katy Kaplan, PhD
Dr. Kaplan conducts research and training activities with the Collaborative in the area of parenting.
Matthew Federici, MS
Matthew Federici is the Executive Director of the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery and works with the Collaborative to study applications of community inclusion through peer support practices and translating research for models of peer specialist practices and programs. He specializes in developing peer training and train-the-trainer models, creating community awareness on the importance of participation to recovery, and advocacy approaches to remove systematic barriers to community participation.
Greg Townley, PhD
Dr. Townley is an associate professor at Portland State University and and Co-Director of the Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative. He works with the TU Collaborative on studies examining social and physical environmental factors associated with community participation of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and his research interests include community inclusion, supported housing, and homelessness.
Laysha Ostrow, PhD
Dr. Ostrow is the founder and CEO at Live & Learn, Inc. and a researcher working with the Collaborative on studies related to peer support, community participation, and social welfare systems. Her research investigates grassroots innovations that present safe and effective pathways to independence from the mental health system by promoting equity and empowerment.
Shinichi Nagata, Ph.D., CTRS
Dr. Nagata is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at University of Tsukuba. His research interests include the mental health outcomes of active participation in the community.