The Brief Intervention for School Clinicians (BRISC) has been the subject of two research studies funded by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES). In the most recent study, 48 high schools in three states (WA, MD, MN) were recruited and assigned to BRISC (n=23) or school-based services as usual (SAU; n=25). Clinicians working in schools assigned to BRISC gave positive ratings of BRISC feasibility, learnability, and acceptability. Students receiving BRISC (n=259) were more likely to receive SMH services at 2 months, more likely to have discharged from SMH by 6 months, and less likely to have received other MH services at 6 months. BRISC students showed greater rates of resolution of their self-reported problems and were more likely to move out of the clinical range for anxiety.
Targeted Condition: Suicide Prevention
Workforce for Student Well-being Initiative (WSW)
In 2023, Washington state was awarded $6 million from the U.S. Department of Education to create a pipeline from Washington state’s five accredited Masters in Social Work training programs to K-12 schools. Called the Workforce for Student Well-being Initiative (WSW), 100 aspiring school social workers will receive conditional scholarships based on their financial need so the cost of getting an education is not a barrier to their getting an advanced degree and then committing to working in a high-need public or tribal school. The goal of the WSW is to help all K-12 students in Washington to thrive by advancing the careers of skilled school social work professionals through training and mentorship.
Washington State Behavioral Health-Student Assistance Program
The Washington State Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (BH-SAP) is a research-based, statewide model that places trained Student Assistance Professionals (SAPs) in schools to deliver prevention, early intervention, and referral support within Washington’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Through our collaboration with the Assocation for Educational Service Districts, the UW SMART Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Core supports this project through program evaluation efforts including overseeing collection of student, school, and district outcome data, analyzing data, and producing reports to inform continuous improvement.
Global Health Experiential Fellowship
The Global Health Experiential Fellowship (GHEF) is a Global South–North simultaneous training program that prepares students and early-career professionals to become global health researchers. Based in rural Uganda, the fellowship offers immersive, mentored experience in study design, data collection, implementation science, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Fellows contribute to ongoing community-based research alongside local partners, gaining practical skills in ethical engagement, cross-cultural research, and field-based methods. GHEF provides a distinctive opportunity to build research capacity, strengthen career development, and contribute to locally led global health initiatives through Empower Through Health.
Empower Through Health
Empower Through Health (ETH) is a healthcare, research, and education 501c3 organization operating in rural eastern Uganda. ETH runs a health center that provides general medical care for surrounding communities and delivers psychiatric and neurological services across Buyende District (population >400,000). ETH’s research focuses on reducing demand-side barriers to care and partnering with existing community structures to improve mental health outcomes and support recovery after mental health crises. ETH hosts the Global Health Experiential Fellowship (GHEF), a hands-on training program that pairs Ugandan and U.S. trainees on community-engaged research. ETH is also expanding its education mission by launching a primary school to strengthen long-term community wellbeing.
AMPERE (Augmented Momentary Personal Ecological Risk Evaluation)
Death by suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young adults in the United States. While most patients who die by suicide have had recent contact with their health care providers, the medical delivery system is poorly equipped to address this preventable issue. EMA (ecological momentary assessment) systems show promise as indicators of suicide risk and as a means of enhancing existing resources. However, little is known about how to apply these methods in the context of clinical care. The AMPERE study leverages existing work on EMAs and human-centered design principles to develop and pilot a prototype suicide risk monitoring system to support suicide risk management for adolescents and young adults (ages 16-30) within the UW Medicine Primary Care system.
