Section: Research

Maryann Davis, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Research Associate Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Psychiatry

Dr. Maryann Davis is a nationally recognized expert on service for youth with significant mental health needs during the transition to adulthood. In 1996 she brought the problems of transition aged youth to public attention when she published the cornerstone papers reviewing the research on the transitioning population, and summarizing the conflict between the developmental needs of the transitioning population and policies and practices at the federal, state, and local levels of human service and education agencies. In 2000 she co-edited the first comprehensive book about services for this population. In 2004 she has testified before the U.S. Congress on the transitioning population. She recently worked with members of Congress to develop legislation to better address the needs of this population. Dr. Davis has received several federal research grants and has published her own findings about both characteristics of this population and the service systems they are involved with. More recently she has received federal funding to work with treatment developers to adapt evidence based practices for use in this age group.

Dr. Davis received her doctorate in Psychology (psychobiology) from Emory University in 1990 and completed her clinical psychology certification in 1992. She completed postdoctoral research training (NIMH RSA) at Emory University. She has worked in private and public mental health agencies to examine how mental health services for children and adolescents can be improved. Dr. Davis designed and implemented a transition support program (Project Nexus) funded by the Van Ameringen Foundation. Her current work focuses on justice system involvement of the transitioning population, and public mental health efforts in transition supports.

Curriculum Vitae  

General Research Interests:

• Describe the development of adult role functioning among those with serious mental health conditions and individual, family, and community factors that facilitate or hinder healthy development,
• Describe the service systems that support or hinder the development of thse youths, and the policies that shape those service patterns,
• Develop approaches that improve service systems for those in this developmental stage.

Ongoing Projects:

1. Adaptation of Multisystemic Therapy for Transition Age Youth (National Institute of Mental Health;  R34 MH081374-01, $720,088; 9/07-8/10; Principal Investigator). This randomized clinical trial feasibility study adapts an effective treatment for juvenile antisocial behavior for use in young adults with serious mental health conditions who have recent justice system involvement.  In addition to reducing antisocial behaviors, the approach seeks to treat mental health conditions, any co-occurring substance use, and increase positive transition age role functioning.  The goal is to determine the feasibility of this adapation and research approach for a full scale clinical trial.  Secondary goals include examining factors that contribute to client engagement and role of significant others in supporting behavior change.

2. Use of Mental Health and Primary Care Services Among Disadvantaged Young Adults (National Institute of Mental Health; R34MH081303,  $726,238; 9/07-8/10; Principal Investigator Slade). This administrative database study examines the relationship between access to specialty mental health services and access to primary care in young adult Medicaid recipients.  The goal is to determine the role that primary care can play in facilitating access to specialty mental health services in this age group.

3. Social Network Analysis of Transition System (U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services; Task Order 57; $43,678; 10/06-9/08;Principal Investigator).  This naturalistic study examines changes in the relationships between organizations that can provide supportive services to transition age youth that occurred after implementation of a grant to improve transition age youth services.  The study also explores the reasons for the observed change or stability. The goal is to determine factors that should be examined in the future to determine their role in facilitating or impeding service system change related to transition age youth.

Office: State Hospital-Rm. 8C-3
Phone: 508-856-8718
E-mail: Maryann.Davis@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Child Mental Health, Mental Health and Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health Issues, Serious Emotional Disturbance, Mental Health Services

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