Research: Postdoctoral

Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program

Zlatka Russinova, Ph.D.
Principal Co-Investigator
zlatka@bu.edu | see profile

E. Sally Rogers , Ph.D.
Principal Co-Investigator
erogers@bu.edu | see profile

Overview

The purpose of the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program is to prepare a cadre of six advanced level researchers in the area of psychiatric rehabilitation.

In the last two decades, psychiatric rehabilitation has established itself as a vital approach in the treatment of people with severe mental illness. The advancement of the psychiatric rehabilitation field has been based on a growing body of empirical research requiring the presence of qualified professionals with research competencies in the delivery and outcomes of rehabilitation services.

The growing importance of providing evidence-based treatment to people with psychiatric disabilities further emphasizes the need for training researchers capable to conduct program evaluation and rehabilitation outcomes studies.

Program Goals

The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program will carry out two consecutive cycles of 2-1/4 year postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric rehabilitation research. Six fellows will be recruited over the course of the project.

In order to optimize the training experience, three fellows will be in residence for two years during each cycle. While the fellowship is designed to provide a broad-based intensive training in psychiatric rehabilitation research, the six fellows will develop a particular expertise in conducting recovery oriented research given the current research profile of the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University.

Through a variety of training modalities fellows will acquire competencies in the following areas: psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery framework; consumer issues; research design/methodology; statistics; computer literacy; conduct of applied rehabilitation research; and grant and professional writing. More specifically, the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program will achieve the following goals:

Goal One: Recruit six individuals with doctoral-level clinical training who are committed to pursue a career in psychiatric rehabilitation research.

Goal Two: Provide fellows with intensive state-of-the-art graduate level and in-house didactic experience as well as exposure to collegial collaboration relevant to psychiatric rehabilitation research.

Goal Three: Provide fellows with a research practicum consisting of a mentored participation in an ongoing project in psychiatric rehabilitation or recovery and of preparation of a grant submission and/or publication relevant to each fellow's area of research interest.

Goal Four: Evaluate the overall research training program, including recruitment, didactic training, and research practicum.

Over the last decade, the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation has been the only academic institution in this country providing research training in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation through NIDRR's Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program. Thus, the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program is expected to further continue to successfully prepare qualified researchers who are committed to optimizing the effectiveness of psychiatric rehabilitation.

This project is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) within the Department of Education.