Current and Recent Projects

I lead an active program in organizational and workforce development focused on employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for people with mental health challenges. My research and development uses Participatory Action Research frameworks, and focuses on building capacity for financial wellbeing and healthy workplaces, including support to start and sustain small business and nonprofit enterprises that promote wellness and connection.

Entrepreneurship

Make your journey work for you: preparing users for the logistics and the emotional ups and downs of self-employment.

  • Reclaiming Employment offers self-employment education and support for people with mental health challenges around work. It includes:

    • REcoach, a structured, 12-week Peer Business Coaching curriculum

    • Applied, self-paced courses on business startup

    • A library of curated self-employment resources

    • Community forum for mutual support between users

    Our approach to developing Reclaiming Employment used Universal Design for Learning, goal-oriented coaching, and the principles of peer support to help users achieve their vision of small business success. The resources were developed by people who’ve run their own businesses while facing major life challenges.

    • Participatory curriculum development

    • Online course creation

    • Universal Design for Learning

    • Single group pre/post intervention study

    • Randomized controlled trial

    • Stakeholder involvement and large team engagement

    • Transtheoretical Model of Change

  • Entrepreneurial self-efficacy is a person’s confidence about their ability to perform the various tasks relevant to self-employment. Users’ scores on measures of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction changed significantly between baseline and post-intervention follow-up. The biggest gains were seen in overall self-efficacy scores and self-efficacy related to planning a business.

    Pilot study results were used to inform development of REcoach Peer Business Coaching. As of 2025, REcoach is being studied using a randomized controlled trial, with results forthcoming.

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Workforce

Qualifications, competencies, and expertise gained through lived experience and the credentialing process influence career trajectories.

  • Peer specialists are allied health workers who use their lived experience plus training gained in the credentialing process to support people with behavioral health challenges. They are an important part of expanding the behavioral health workforce. However, we don’t know what happens after they complete training.

    The goal of this study was to understand their experiences at work, and how the peer specialist certification process contributed to workers’ employment outcomes and opportunities for career advancement.

    • Observational prospective cohort design

    • Survey research

    • Qualitative research methods

    • Engagement of state agencies

    • Human capital theory

  • Post-certification wages and employment opportunities were lacking, leading many of the participants to consider leaving the field for other occupations – despite having completed the credential.

    This has potential impacts on gainful employment of these individuals, as well as access to services in the face of a nationwide behavioral health workforce shortage.

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Evaluation

Program evaluation is a formal process to assess a program’s impact and inform decisions about future programming based on results.

  • This Phase I project determined the feasibility of an affordable, online platform to build capacity among small community-based organizations to conduct program evaluation.

    Program evaluation links processes to outcomes in real-world settings, and helps organizations invest in evidence-based services.

    • Needs assessment surveys

    • Focus groups with target users

    • Website wireframing and content architecture

    • Automation of data analysis

  • We asked 44 CBOs across 21 states about their current experiences, competencies, and needs around program evaluation, as well as their interest in using a product such as Elevate, Evaluate.

    Most of these organizations were small in terms of staff, service recipients, and budgets. They were frequently staffed by people with lived experience and provide essential social and behavioral services to underrepresented populations, such as peer support and community outreach.

    The survey results showed that 57% of CBOs had conducted evaluations in the past, and the other 43% were interested in doing so. Sixty-four percent of organizations reported having program evaluation, quality improvement, or program analyst staff, but many still required training in evaluation methodology.

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Consulting and Advising

    • UCSF Department of Psychiatry

    • UCSF Department of Nursing

    • Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion

    • UIC Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy

    • University of New Mexico Department of Behavioral Health

    • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

    • National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

    • California Department of Health Services (Medi-Cal EQRO)

    • SAMHSA Statewide Consumer Networks

    • San Luis Obispo County Library Services

    • Trinity County, California

    • Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc.

    • California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations

    • Heart & Soul, Inc. San Mateo

    • The Social Changery

    • Portland State University, Department of Psychology

    • University of Southern California, School of Social Work

    • Yale University/RMIT Australia, Fulbright Scholars Program

    • Rutgers University, Department of Public Policy and Administration

    • SCORE small business mentoring

    • The Literacy Connection SLO

    • Point-in-Time Unhoused Count

    • GALA Pride & Diversity Center

    • County of SLO Office of the Clerk-Recorder (elections clerking)