NRT Projects

Team: SMILES
(Supportive services, Mindful outreach, Inclusive programs, listening networks, Empathetic Care, Simplified Access)

Our multidisciplinary team consists of students from the Bioengineering, Clinical Psychology and Linguistics  departments. Our aim is to increase access to mental health resources for historically underrepresented communities in Alexandria, VA. We aim to do this by conducting qualitative interviews and focus groups within the community with the help of respected community leaders.  

Team: IMPACT-PD
(Improving Messaging between Patients and their Care Team in Parkinson’s Disease)

IMPACT-PD is a project dedicated to improving communication between people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP), their care partners, and healthcare professionals. Initially focusing on improving interactions between PwP and neurologists due to the limited frequency and brief duration of appointments, the project now aims to expand to include other healthcare providers such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. We hope to address the mismatch between symptom fluctuations and infrequent clinic visits through the development of quantitative metrics that allow the care team to better assess changes and adjust treatment for individual patients accordingly. Additionally, IMPACT-PD seeks to understand and optimize the benefits of various therapies available to PwP, including speech therapy and movement therapies like dance. The overarching goal of this project is to enhance the quality of life for PwP by learning from their experiences and facilitating better communication within their healthcare team. 

Team: Community Catalysts

iConnect+ is a bridge between George Mason Scholars, community health organizations, and clients in Northern Virginia. We empower action by providing a user-friendly digital platform that connects individuals struggling with substance abuse to evidence-based, client-centered, culturally sensitive, and just-in-time care, resources, and support.

Team: Health Influencer Network

The Health Influencers Network (HIN) team is working on the Transitioning-Age Young Adults with Disabilities project, which aims to improve access to resources for both young adults with disabilities and school-aged minoritized youth within underserved communities. The project’s broader goal is to enhance the overall well-being of these populations by developing a model that facilitates quicker and easier access to necessary services. HIN is also creating a network of health influencers who assist these communities, promoting collaboration and improving the quality of support provided. The team is composed of experts from Clinical Psychology, Neuroscience, and Information System Technology, ensuring a comprehensive approach that addresses both the health and technological needs of these underserved populations.

Team: FIRE (First-responders, Innovation, Research, and Exploration)

Team FIRE’s research goal is to support and improve the mental and physical health of first responders in innovative, holistic ways that incorporate the community and promote transparency within departments to improve healthier outcomes.  FIRE will leverage current best practices of peer mentorship, resources accessibility, and enhance family relationships with the hope of influencing firehouse culture, mindset, and overall health from the bottom-up with the support of leadership at the top.  This approach will explore the impact of grassroots community engagement to make inclusive changes that lead to empowerment for first responders and their families.  

Team: SMILES
(Supportive services, Mindful outreach, Inclusive programs, listening networks, Empathetic Care, Simplified Access)

Team SMILES is focused on expanding work from Team BRIDGE (NRT 2022-2023 cohort) on addressing inequities and improving mental health access for minoritized underserved communities. We aim to further develop relationships with our community partner, the City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan (CHIP), to better serve the diverse communities in Alexandria. SMILES will pursue this goal to improve mental health access by conducting community needs assessments through focus groups and surveys in groups with unique language access needs; Arabic, Amharic, and Spanish-speaking communities. Ultimately, we will present this information back to the community through both evidence-based academic products and more importantly, community-accessible resources and presentations to inform local mental health access policy. 

Team: VIRTUE (Violence Intervention and Resolution through Unifying Efforts)

Team VIRTUE is focused on addressing barriers to domestic violence prevention and management in the broader Northern Virginia community through partnerships with community organizations. We aim to help foster the integration of support services for survivors of domestic violence in both secular and religious institutions. Ultimately, we hope to increase awareness for the impacts of domestic violence and the services available in our community in order to enhance care available for survivors of domestic violence.

Team: IMPACT-PD (Improving Messaging between Patients and their Care Team in Parkinson’s Disease)

IMPACT-PD is a project focusing on improving communication between people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) , care partners, and health care professionals. Our current focus is on helping PwP and neurologists communicate better, due to the few yearly visits as well as the neurologists’ busy schedule. In the future, we would like to see this project incorporate other health care professionals, such as physical therapists, occupational therapist, speech therapists, registered nurses, etc. The overall goal of IMPACT-PD is to learn from those in the community who are affected by Parkinson’s disease and help improve their quality of life.

Team: BRIDGE

A data visualization dashboard developed in partnership with the City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan (CHIP) to address inequities in mental health access.   

Team: IMPACT-PD (Improving Messaging between Patients and their Care Team in Parkinson’s Disease)

The IMPACT-PD team aims to impact two areas of life for a person with Parkinson’s Disease:

1. Improve continuing medical education for non-movement disorder specialists and non-neurologists; and
2. Improve communications within the triad of Person with Parkinson’s, their care partner, and their medical team.

Team: PAVES (Promoting Alliances through Visualization of Expectations and Solutions)

This project aims to support members of our community during re-entry after incarceration and help prevent substance abuse. The goal was to provide a technological solution that would be a source of continuity and help individuals anticipate challenges and brainstorm solutions, as well as combat stigma and distrust in our community.

Team: Physical-Mental Solutions

This project seeks to understand navigation issues faced by individuals with mobility impairments on the George Mason University campus, and develop technological solutions to create a more accessible environment. Major problems explored are the lack of accessible routes and the lack of obstacle-reporting mechanisms. This team worked on developing autonomous rovers to detect obstacles and report the accessibility of proposed routes to street mapping databases and navigational smartphone apps.

Team: The Social Justice League

This project seeks to understand the unmet mental health needs of graduate students at George Mason University. The short-term goals were to raise awareness of these needs through a digital story shared with the public, clinicians, and policymakers. The long-term goals were to advocate for policy solutions to meet these needs.

Team: Good Troublers

A partnership with the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board and Chris Atwood Foundation to develop a technology-based resource for individuals in recovery from opioid misuse and their support network. Also supported by APDS and Insight on the Inside.

This smartphone-based app was called iConnect (Coordinating Opioid Network Needs with Expert Clinical Teams). Read an article about this project, and check out their website.

Team: The Justice League

A partnership with the District of Columbia Department of Corrections and Friends of Guest House to develop a whitelisted website that can be accessed by inmates in DC jails to help them prepare for reentry into the community.

Team: IMPACT-PD (Improving Messaging between Patients and their Care Team in Parkinson’s Disease)

This project aims to improve communication between patients, their families, caregivers, and their doctors. The goal is develop a technology platform that enables data-rich messaging between patients and their care-team, which may also serve as a blueprint for other patients with chronic illnesses. Performed in partnership with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the PD Avengers, Vibrent Health, and INOVA hospitals.

Team: RISE OUT (Risks and Socio-Ecological factors associated with Opioid Use Treatment)

This project seeks to reduce opioid misuse in northern Virginia by investigating the environmental factors and patterns of overdose in our community, as well as investigating the interpersonal treatment factors that influence misuse.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools in the United States to an online learning format. This study aims to investigate how COVID-19 has impacted students with disabilities and their families. Performed in partnership with Fairfax County Special Education PTA, the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA), and the Total Family Care Coalition (TFCC).