CSS Approved for $4.86 Million in Research Funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
August 16, 2021 - The funding will support a 5-year study on the evaluation of telehealth services on mental health outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
START Talks
Building Community Through Storytelling
The 2021 START Talks feature six 10-minute stories from a diverse group of leaders representing professionals, people with lived experience, and family members.
The START Model
The START program model was implemented in 1988 by Dr. Joan B. Beasley and her team to provide community-based crisis intervention for individuals with IDD and mental health needs. The model is evidence-informed and utilizes a national database. It is a person-centered, solutions-focused approach that employs positive psychology and other evidence-based practices.
START is a comprehensive model of service supports that optimizes independence, treatment, and community living for individuals with IDD and behavioral health needs. In the 2002 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on mental health disparities for persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities, START was cited as a model program. In 2016 START was discussed as a best practice at a Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity planned by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine.
In order to be a certified START program, the team must be trained, participate in data collection and reporting, and effectively employ the methods of the START model.
To learn more about START, watch this START Overview presentation by Dr. Joan B. Beasley and the START Film Documentary "Now We Have Hope: The Strength of the START Community".
