Help@Hand Evaluation Overview
iTEQC program directors, Dara Sorkin and Dana Mukamel, received a $10.2 million contract from the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) to perform the statewide evaluation of the Help@Hand Project between 2018-2024.
This five-year demonstration project was funded and directed by the following counties/cities in California: City of Berkeley, Kern County, Los Angeles County, Marin County, Modoc County, Mono County, Monterey County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Barbara County, Tehama County and Tri-City.
The California statewide collaborative project was designed to bring interactive technology-based mental health solutions into the public mental health system through a highly innovative set, or “suite,” of mobile applications. The counties/cities tested and adopted several mental health apps, including iPrevail, Headspace, myStrength and others. The counties/cities also engaged in many activities designed to lower barriers to adoption of these technologies, particularly with vulnerable populations, such as individuals with low digital literacy, LGBTQ+ community members, older adults and Transitional Age Youth (TAY). The counties/cities employed several strategies to reach these groups, such as employing Peers and developing different models of Peers engagement.
The objectives of the project were to:
- Detect and acknowledge mental health symptoms sooner
- Reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by promoting mental wellness
- Increase access to the appropriate level of support and care
- Increase the purpose, belonging and social connectedness of individuals served
- Analyze and collect data to improve mental health needs assessment and service deliver
iTEQC conducted the evaluation, which involved a large team of faculty and researchers from several schools and departments at UCI and UC San Diego. The evaluation team worked closely with the Help@Hand counties/cities and used a formative evaluation model that allowed sharing findings and lessons learned as the evaluation was underway to improve implementation of the project.
Interim Evaluation Reports
Regular evaluation reports were provided to the counties/cities.
Final Evaluation Reports
Final evaluation reports were also provided to the counties/cities.
Help@Hand Collaborative
Additional Appendices
Appendix B- Conceptualizing and Measuring Mental Health Stigma
Appendix C- Making Devices and Internet Available in Help@Hand Counties/Cities Learning Brief
Appendix D- City of Berkeley: Help@Hand Evaluation Final Report
Appendix E- Kern County: INN Tech Suite (Help@Hand) Final Report
Appendix H- Marin County: myStrength Pilot Report
Appendix I- Modoc County: INN Tech Suite (Help@Hand) Final Report
Appendix L- Monterey County: WellScreen Monterey Evaluation Final Report
Appendix M- Orange County: INN Tech Suite (Help@Hand) Final Report
Appendix O- Riverside County: Help@Hand Innovation Project Evaluation Report
Appendix P- San Mateo County: MHSA INN Final Report
Appendix Q- Santa Barbara County: Mommy Connecting to Wellness Presentation
Help@Hand Orange County
Journal Articles
Journal articles were published to share findings and lessons learned with broader audiences.
Individual and Organizational Outcomes of Engaging Peers in the Co-Creation of Digital Mental Health Interventions
Mental Illness, Problem, Disorder, Distress: Does Terminology Matter when Measuring Stigma?
Understanding Mental Health App Use Among Community College Students: Web-Based Survey Study
Variability in the Integration of Peers in a Multi-site Digital Mental Health Innovation Project
iTEQC Research Program
The iTEQC research program is involved in numerous high-profile research projects that have garnered support from National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and private foundations, including the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These projects aim to create personalized information technology solutions to increase the delivery of high-quality healthcare.