People with serious mental illness (SMI) die approximately 10–25 years earlier than the general population, irrespective of geography or race and ethnicity. Poor health behaviors are identified as the prominent contributors to preventable early mortality. As such, self-management interventions were developed to promote positive health behavior change to address these modifiable risk factors in people with SMI. Yet, after billions of dollars and decades of research dedicated to developing interventions and disseminating evidence, the mortality gap between those with SMI and the general population is increasing. A new paradigm must be explored. 

Join us as Karen Fortuna, PhD, LICSW and Robert Walker, MS, co-founders of the Collaborative Design for Recovery and Health and Andrew Bohm, PhD, discuss the first-ever research agenda to address early mortality led by people with SMI. As an international collaborative of patients, peer support specialists, caregivers, policymakers and payer systems, the Collaborative uses community-based participatory research to facilitate the development, evaluation, and implementation of digital tools that leverage mobile health to address needs identified by community members from vulnerable populations.

Attendees will learn about a new paradigm led by people with lived experience of severe mental illness (SMI) that may advance basic, behavioral, and social sciences research, as well as reveal innovative and practical avenues for addressing early mortality in people with a diagnosis of a severe mental illness. 

The presenters will be speaking via Zoom but you are welcome to join us virtually or in person in McGuinn 521 to watch together. Pizza will be served for those joining in person.

Join via Zoom at https://bccte.zoom.us/j/4216398002

1 CEU will be offered. 

Please RSVP if planning to join in person or seeking CEU. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsLrqZswEe4VCtRdJzuJlyvRq_TPD4LCvDglGrxx5CWhDgrQ/viewform