Projects

Projects

ADVICE Project Logo

ADVICE Project (Assessment Decision-making and Validating Intervention Cost Effectiveness)

The ADVICE project is intended to increase research usage and improve decision for school team facilitating school-based mental health programs with the development of the ADVICE system. The ADVICE system can simulate different research-based intervention programs to proactively determine the impact and cost for school teams. The first two years of the project focus on gathering school-based decision-makers’ perspectives on school mental health decision-making processes and the ADVICE system. The final year focuses on school teams trialing the ADVICE system as a part of their normal practices.

Principal Investigator: Nathaniel von der Embse, Ph.D.
Project Dates: 2024-2027
Grant Amount: $950,000
Funder: William T. Grant Foundation
Project Director: Joseph Latimer Ph.D.

i-begin logo

I-BEGIN (Identifying Behavioral and Emotional Growth Indicators and Needs)

The I-BEGIN project is to develop and validate an early childhood universal screener that focuses on young children's social, emotional, and early learning behaviors. I-BEGIN will be an application-based screener that features automated scoring and data aggregation. Through years of development and validation, I-BEGIN will be an efficient tool for early childhood educators to identify young children who need additional support systematically and accurately.

Principal Investigator: Nathaniel von der Embse, Ph.D.                                                                Project Dates: 07/01/2024-06/30/2028
Grant Amount: $2,000,000
Funder: Institute of Education Sciences
Project Director: Qunshan Zheng, Ph.D.

project SOAR strength optimism achievement relationships

S.O.A.R. (Strengths, Optimism, Achievement, and Relationships)

Project S.O.A.R. evaluates the efficacy of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), as well as the fidelity, feasibility, acceptability of implementation and training, and cost-effectiveness of the WBPP. The WBPP is an innovative Tier-2 intervention to increase student subjective well-being (SWB), intended for use by school mental health teams that is integrated within a multi-tiered system of support for student mental health. 

Principal Investigator: Shannon Suldo, Ph.D. 
Co-Principal Investigators: Sarah Fefer, Ph.D., John Ferron, Ph.D., and Sarah Kiefer, Ph.D. Project Dates: 7/01/2020 – 6/30/26
Grant Amount: $3,300.000
Funder: Institute for Education Sciences (IES) 
Project Director: Kristen Mahony-Atallah, Ph.D. 

projects smarts, schol mental health, assessment, response, and training for suicide prevention

SMARTS (School Mental health Assessment, Response, and Training for Suicide prevention)

Project SMARTS reduces suicide in Florida middle schools by involving multiple stakeholders including school leaders, educators, parents, and community behavioral health agencies to deliver prevention services for youth. 

Principal Investigator: Nathaniel von der Embse, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigators: Kimberly Gryglewicz, Ph.D., Marc Karver, Ph.D. 
Project Dates: 8/31/2022 – 2027
Grant Amount: $3,500,000
Funder: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) 
Project Director: Alton Honors II, M.A.