Maria O'Connell, PhD
Associate Professor of PsychiatryCards
About
Titles
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Biography
Maria O’Connell, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Research and Evaluation at the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH). Dr. O’Connell has provided oversight and quality assurance for collaborative research and evaluation projects conducted at PRCH since 2002. She has an extensive background in conducting research on recovery-related topics, including psychiatric advance directives, self-determination and choice, recovery-oriented services, housing and other community based programs, as well as expertise in the development of data management systems, statistical analysis, and program evaluation. Dr. O’Connell currently has an NIMH R01 examining the adoption and diffusion of person-centered and recovery-oriented practices among community mental health centers nationwide.
Last Updated on October 19, 2024.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Bowling Green State University (2002)
Research
Publications
2025
Community-Based Intensive Treatment (CBIT): Meeting the Needs of Rural Adults With Serious Mental Illness
Costa M, Evans M, Nulton L, Fiffick A, Selak T, Reis G, O’Connell M, Bellamy C, Flanagan E. Community-Based Intensive Treatment (CBIT): Meeting the Needs of Rural Adults With Serious Mental Illness. Rural Mental Health 2025, 49: 344-353. DOI: 10.1037/rmh0000313.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMental illnessSocial determinants of health needsSpecialty mental health careMental health careMental health providersSerious mental illnessCommunity-based servicesHealth care organizationsStrategic community partnershipsHigh-intensity programsAssertive community treatmentBehavioral health care organizationsCare coordinationWeekly huddlesRural adultsHealth staffSocial determinantsHealth providersHealth needsCare organizationsProvider accountabilityHealth careCommunity partnershipsRural PennsylvaniaCommunity treatmentPeer online motivational interviewing and affirmative care for sexual and gender minority men who are survivors of sexual trauma: A randomized clinical trial
Cook J, Ellis A, Simiola V, Martino S, Bellamy C, O'Connell M, Livingston N. Peer online motivational interviewing and affirmative care for sexual and gender minority men who are survivors of sexual trauma: A randomized clinical trial. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2025 PMID: 40444426, DOI: 10.1002/jts.23170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSurvivors of sexual traumaSexual traumaMotivational interviewingPosttraumatic stress disorder symptomsReducing posttraumatic stress disorder symptomsStress disorder symptomsMental health service utilizationExperience of sexual traumaMental health treatmentGender minority menEffectiveness of motivational interviewingAffirming careMental health servicesDisorder symptomsPsychiatric symptomsRandomized clinical trialsHealth care seekingBetween-group differencesHealth service utilizationHealth treatmentMinority stressOnline group sessionsMinority menCare-seekingService utilizationCase Study Analysis of a Decision Coaching Intervention for Young Adults with Early Psychosis
Thomas E, Lucksted A, Siminoff L, Hurford I, O’Connell M, Penn D, Casey I, Smith M, Suarez J, Salzer M. Case Study Analysis of a Decision Coaching Intervention for Young Adults with Early Psychosis. Community Mental Health Journal 2025, 61: 874-889. PMID: 39746883, DOI: 10.1007/s10597-024-01425-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDecisional Conflict ScaleEarly psychosisCoaching interventionYoung adultsQualitative interviewsConflict ScaleDecision support interventionsCollective case study designEvidence-based treatmentsPeer specialistsDecision coachingSupport interventionsCSC programsIntervention impactService engagementCase study designDecision-making needsMixed-methodsEvidence-basedVariable engagementStudy designProtocol recordsControlled TrialsDecision-makingIntervention
2024
Diverse elements comprising studies of peer support complicate evidence synthesis
Evans M, Cuddeback G, Golin C, Muessig K, Bellamy C, Costa M, O’Connell M, Fisher E. Diverse elements comprising studies of peer support complicate evidence synthesis. Journal Of Mental Health 2024, 34: 207-221. PMID: 38556804, DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2024.2332798.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStudy of peer supportPeer support servicesIntervention componentsPeer supportSystematic reviewSelf-ManagementEvidence synthesisLinkage to clinical careSupport servicesMeta-narrative Evidence SynthesesMeasured outcomesIndividual intervention componentsCategories of outcomesMental healthcareRealist reviewCare utilizationMental illnessFindings of effectivenessSynthesize evidenceCommunity resourcesPRISMA guidanceEmotional supportClinical careIntervention approachesSystems advocacy
2023
Care integration goes Beyond Co-Location: Creating a Medical Home
Flanagan E, Wyatt J, Pavlo A, Kang S, Blackman K, Ocasio L, Guy K, O’Connell M, Bellamy C. Care integration goes Beyond Co-Location: Creating a Medical Home. Administration And Policy In Mental Health And Mental Health Services Research 2023, 51: 123-133. PMID: 38015324, DOI: 10.1007/s10488-023-01317-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrimary care centersMental health centerCare integrationMedical homeHealth centersMental healthMental health center staffCommunity mental health centerPrimary care servicesPeer health navigationUrban northeastern cityMedical recordsMortality of peopleCo-located servicesStudy investigates integrationHealth navigatorsPrimary careCare servicesOn-line surveyMental illnessFocus groupsCareCare centerStaffTreating peopleBreaking through social determinants of health: Results from a feasibility study of Imani Breakthrough, a community developed substance use intervention for Black and Latinx people
Jordan A, Costa M, Nich C, Swarbrick M, Babuscio T, Wyatt J, O'Connell M, Guy K, Blackman K, Anderson R, Reis G, Ocasio L, Crespo M, Bellamy C. Breaking through social determinants of health: Results from a feasibility study of Imani Breakthrough, a community developed substance use intervention for Black and Latinx people. Journal Of Substance Use And Addiction Treatment 2023, 153: 209057. PMID: 37207836, DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209057.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSocial determinants of healthCommunity-based participatory researchDepartment of Mental Health and Addiction ServicesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationDeterminants of healthSocial determinantsDimensions of wellnessPromote health equityMental Health Services AdministrationConnecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction ServicesHealth Services AdministrationDrug overdose ratesLatinx peopleWeeks of educationHealth equitySubstance use interventionsDisparity gapEthnic disparitiesIntervention designParticipatory researchRate of deathServices AdministrationChurch settingsIntervention programsAddiction servicesTraining Male Sexual Abuse Survivors as Peer Leaders to Deliver Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Informed Affirmative Care
Ellis A, Martino S, Simiola V, Bellamy C, O’Connell M, Cook J. Training Male Sexual Abuse Survivors as Peer Leaders to Deliver Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Informed Affirmative Care. Journal Of Child Sexual Abuse 2023, 32: 494-512. PMID: 37080178, DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2023.2203691.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSexual abuse survivorsMotivational interviewingAbuse survivorsSexual abuseHistory of sexual abuseMI-ACESexual assault historyAffirming careMental health servicesSexual traumaAssault historyWeekly supervisionSelf-reported learningDelivering MIPost-trainingMI trainingPeer leadersAudio sessionsTrauma-informedDepressionRole-playAbuseGender minoritiesMale survivorsHealth servicesImplementing Person-Centered Recovery Planning: New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report
Stanojlović M, O’Connell M, Asby D, Lanteri S, Davidson L, Tondora J. Implementing Person-Centered Recovery Planning: New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report. Global Implementation Research And Applications 2023, 3: 173-181. PMID: 37304056, PMCID: PMC10088648, DOI: 10.1007/s43477-023-00078-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPerson-centered recovery planningMental Health Technology Transfer CenterBehavioral health settingsLearning CollaborativeHealth settingsImplementation effortsDeliver quality health careQualitative key informant interviewsHealth system transformationQuality health careElectronic health recordsStaff buy-inKey informant interviewsImplementing process changesHealth recordsLeadership investmentHealth careStaff trainingEvidence baseInformant interviewsBuy-inOrganizational investmentTechnical assistanceImplementation processTechnology Transfer Center
2022
Beyond Supported Housing: Correlates of Improvements in Quality of Life Among Homeless Adults with Mental Illness
O’Connell M, Tsai J, Rosenheck R. Beyond Supported Housing: Correlates of Improvements in Quality of Life Among Homeless Adults with Mental Illness. Psychiatric Quarterly 2022, 94: 49-59. PMID: 36538200, DOI: 10.1007/s11126-022-10010-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsQuality of lifeImprove quality of lifeImprove qualityEnhance quality of lifeComparing case managementAssociated with improvementsSocial well-beingMental illnessCorrelates of improvementMental healthSocial supportSupportive housingCase managementHomeless adultsEnhance qualityPsychiatric symptomsWell-beingFollow-up dataExit homelessnessHousing vouchersDrug useFive-year follow-up dataHousing programsHousing resourcesContribution of factorsA Qualitative Study to Support Future Implementation of Peer Support in a Psychiatric Emergency Room Service in Campinas, Brazil
dos Santos D, do Carmo Reis G, Costa M, Banzato C, Bellamy C, O’Connell M, McDonald-Bellamy H, Davidson L, Onocko-Campos R. A Qualitative Study to Support Future Implementation of Peer Support in a Psychiatric Emergency Room Service in Campinas, Brazil. Journal Of Recovery In Mental Health 2022, 5: 5-18. DOI: 10.33137/jrmh.v5i2.38178.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSerious mental illnessImplementation of peer supportHospital-based psychiatric servicesPeer supportPsychiatric emergency room serviceEmergency room servicesMental illnessProfessionals' perceptionsPsychiatric unitFocus groupsClient perceptionsPositive impacts of peer supportImpact of peer supportRoom servicesImplementing peer supportPeer support roleMental health servicesMental health workersAdherence to treatmentThemes of challengesPeer-based modelHealth workersHealth servicesPerceptions of opportunitiesPsychiatric services
News
News
- July 23, 2025Source: APA PsycNet
Community-Based Intensive Treatment (CBIT): Meeting the Needs of Rural Adults with Serious Mental Illness
- May 23, 2023Source: Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment
Breaking Through Social Determinants of Health: Imani Breakthrough
- November 03, 2022
PRCH Affiliates Awarded NIH Research Grant
- November 01, 2022
PRCH Receives $2.8M Grant to Launch Compassionate School Leadership Academy Project
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