Multicultural Outreach Project (MCO)
Principal Investigator: Michael Polgar, Ph.D.
Funder: St. Louis Mental Health Board funding via Alliance for the Mentally Ill (AMI)
Timeframe: Funded 7/98- 6/00
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)Project Staff: Enola Proctor, PhD, Consultant
Robert Pierce, PhD, Consultant
Kim Carter, AMI, Coordinator
Participating Organizations: not described on this page
Project Contact: Kim Carter, MSW (Coordinator)
Email: Kac2@wustl.eduProject Update as of 12/17/2007
Stage: Project completedDescription
The Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) at Washington University helped to expand family support services of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of St. Louis to multicultural communities. The center undertook a community needs assessment, involving a survey of family members of persons with mental illness, meeting with community leaders to gather information about existing and future needs, and holding focus groups with volunteer family members in minority communities. This project’s goals included the development and promotion of culturally appropriate and need-specific family support services in locations accessible to minority communities. It also promoted the participation of family members in mental health treatment and community support. The survey was translated into Korean and used in a comparison sample in Seoul.