About Us
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 seeks to:
Target
obstacles that prevent people with psychiatric disabilities from fully participating in their communities.
Develop
the services and supports consumers and communities need to promote full integration into all aspects of community life.
Expand
the range of opportunities for people who have psychiatric disabilities to participate in their communities as active, equal members.
Our Staff
Mark Salzer, PhD
Director
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
Associate Director
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.
Eugene Brusilovskiy, MUSA
Director of Data Analytics
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.
Richard Baron, MA
Director of Knowledge Translation
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
Investigator
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.
Bryan McCormick, PhD, CTRS, FDRT
Investigator
Dr. McCormick is a professor in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Department at Temple University. Â 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.
Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA
Investigator
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).
Greg Townley, PhD
Investigator
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.
Liz Thomas, PhD
Investigator
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.
Nev Jones, PhD
Investigator
Dr. Jones is a mental health services researcher and assistant professor at the University of South Florida.  A community psychologist by training, her research and work with the Collaborative focuses on early intervention in psychosis, as well as interventions and supports designed to support the full inclusion of youth and young adults with psychiatric disabilities in school, work, and the community.
Laysha Ostrow, PhD
Investigator
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.
Matthew Federici, MS
Investigator
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.
Katy Kaplan, PhD
Investigator
Dr. Kaplan conducts research and training activities with the Collaborative in the area of parenting
Loran Kundra, JD, MSS, LSW
Research Associate
Loran Kundra is a research associate for the Collaborative. Her research focus is on parenting with mental health challenges and issues that mental health professionals with lived experience face in the workplace.
Shinichi Nagata, Ph.D., CTRS
Investigator
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.
Stephany Wilson
Research Coordinator
Stephany Wilson serves as a research coordinator at the Collaborative. She oversees several research projects and is involved with subject recruitment, data collection, KT content editing, and supervision of research assistants.Â
Kyra Baker
Community Inclusion Specialist
Kyra Baker is the Collaborative’s community inclusion specialist, performing both interventionist and research assistant duties for multiple studies. She also hosts Collab Chats podcast and is involved in the creation of numerous documents and KT products.
John Suarez, MA
Research Assistant
John Suarez is a research assistant whose responsibilities include subject recruitment, enrollment and retention, IRB submissions, data entry, data editing, and other research related tasks.
Wei Song, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Song is a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Public Health at Temple University and works with the
Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion to examine community participation among
adults on the autism spectrum. She received funding from the Eagles Autism Challenge Fellowship to
conduct this research.
Crystal M. Slanzi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Slanzi is a postdoctoral fellow with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion and is focusing on understanding opportunity costs associated with community participation and precursors of participation.
Petra Kottsieper, PhD
Investigator
Dr. Kottsieper has worked for many years in Philadelphia’s behavioral health system and works with the Center to examine service engagement, wounded healers/prosumers and creating welcoming work environments for people with mental health concerns, hope installation and meaning making, and cross service systems issues for individuals with complex issues.
Kathy Arazawa, B.S.
Investigator
Kathy is a research assistant at the Collaborative. She is involved with participant coordination and data collection for several research projects and supports various KT activities.