Cutting-edge, practical research to raise the standard of mental health care

The Consortium advances real-world research that aims to directly improve the mental and behavioral health care Texans receive.

Our statewide research networks and targeted research funding investigate the causes, prevention, and treatment of childhood mental illness—and translate those findings into real-world services and clinician care in and beyond Texas.

These research initiatives are part of our interconnected efforts to expand the knowledge, skills, confidence, and capacity of clinicians, schools, and systems to care for children, youth, and perinatal women.

Research Networks

Our research networks aim to:

Improve the delivery of child and adolescent mental health services in Texas in alignment with the state Behavioral Health Strategic Plan.
Strengthen the statewide response to youth trauma, depression, and suicide by deepening understanding of effective mental health services.
Identify regional and statewide gaps in service delivery to inform policy decisions and care improvements.

Learn More

Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (YDSRN) – focused on improving the evaluation of and response to the increasing problem of youth depression and suicide in Texas. Visit the network web page or contact ydsrn@utsouthwestern.edu.

Learn more about YAM

Childhood Trauma Research Network (CTRN) – focused on identifying the mental health outcomes of acute and chronic pediatric trauma for children and adolescents as well as identifying risk factors, protective factors, and best practices to address trauma. Visit the network website or contact: texasctrn@austin.utexas.edu.

Learn more about CTRN

Research Publications

Our research networks have made substantial, peer-recognized contributions to the academic literature in child and adolescent mental health. To explore the full scope of this work, please review our research publications.

Research Publications

Research Grants

The Consortium provides research grant funding to support post-doctoral fellows and trainees, research career development, and innovative research projects. Through the New and Emerging Children’s Mental Health Research (NECMHR) initiative, we aim to cultivate junior researchers and trainees at HRI institutions by offering mentorship, guidance, and structured opportunities to build successful research careers. This initiative also prioritizes producing impactful research that directly strengthens mental health care for children, youth, and perinatal women.

NECMHR Funding and Awardees