About CHRT

Current Projects

In addition to CHRT’s cornerstone programs–the health policy fellowship, the Washtenaw Health Initiative, and the physician and consumer surveys–CHRT regularly manages mission-relevant research, demonstration, and educational projects with funding from public sector partners, as well as paid consulting projects for public and private sector clients.

Brown dry field with standing door opening on a green pasture.

Evaluating and communicating about Washtenaw County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection (LEADD) program

Client(s): Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health
Need: In October of 2021, Washtenaw County launched an evidence-based Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection (LEADD) program in response to data that revealed stark disparities between the general incarcerated population and the incarcerated…
CHRT's Role: CHRT is evaluating Washtenaw County’s LEADD Initiative to assess its effects on individual client outcomes as well as on the criminal justice and legal systems. CHRT will use a combination of evaluation methods including surveys, interviews, and analysis of existing data sources. Concurrently, CHRT’s communications…
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A globe covered in a grid

Promoting social, behavioral, and economic research on COVID-19

Client(s): Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
Need: The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), a consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations, has been selected by the National Institutes of Health to coordinate social, behavioral,…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will support ICPSR and the consortium grantees by developing reports, research briefs, infographics, and other publications to share research findings, activities, and resources. CHRT will deliver two pieces of communication material: Annual meeting report sharing findings from the NIH-sponsored researchers …
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Ambulances in a parking lot

Understanding health disparities through improving EMS data

Client(s):
Need: Emergent Health Partners and CHRT are working to implement EMS clinician training modules across all six EHP EMS agencies in Michigan. These modules will train clinicians to accurately collect sensitive demographic data pertaining to race, ethnicity,…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will be responsible for convening the community advisory board, implementing clinician training, and analyzing EMS data post-implementation. Convening the community advisory board CHRT will recruit CAB members through EHP's existing community partners, the Washtenaw Health Initiative…
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Abstract representation mental health crisis system with connected knobs

Applying complex systems modeling to understand and strengthen Washtenaw County’s local acute mental health crisis care system

Client(s): University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry
Need: Communities across the state and nation are struggling to respond to mental health crises quickly and with positive outcomes for those in crisis. A shortage of mental health providers, staffed inpatient beds, and other systems problems create…
CHRT's Role: The CHRT team will 1) assist in identifying the sources of local data–from community mental health, law enforcement, education, and other organizations–to help UNC researchers build the Washtenaw-specific model, and 2) serve as project manager for the research.
Staff:
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Infectious disease control: Doctor signaling stop

Lessons learned from the Pfizer Foundation’s community health innovation grant program for infectious disease control in underserved communities

Client(s): Direct Relief
Need: With funding from the Pfizer Foundation, Direct Relief runs a community health innovation award program for infectious disease control in underserved communities across the U.S. To improve the program and share…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will collaborate with Direct Relief staff members to monitor, track, and analyze the progress of grantees over a two-year period. Throughout the two-year evaluation, CHRT will: Review grantee…
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A photo showing the room where Michigan's legislators meet in Lansing.

Health education opportunities for Michigan legislators and legislative staff, Phase II

Client(s):
Need: Due to the substantial turnover and subsequent loss of subject matter expertise in health issues in both the state House and Senate each election cycle, there is a need to support of both legislators and their staff. This project will help build…
CHRT's Role: In Phase I of this project, CHRT, IPPSR, and Health Fund staff gathered input from legislators and legislative staff on topics of interest for primers, discussions, and forums. To date, CHRT has developed three primers to coincide with two discussion forums: The…
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Black mother with her young child

Evaluating and sustaining mom circles with early childhood education

Client(s): Children of the Rising Sun
Need: The overall mission of Children of the Rising Sun (CRS) is to strengthen early childhood educational opportunities and services to improve the quality of life for Detroit families. In many cases, the mothers of…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will assist CRM in evaluating the nine-month pilot program, which concluded in June 2024, and implementing a Year Two evaluation plan. Specifically, CHRT will: Develop organizational capacity,…
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