University of Illinois Chicago
Study of Mental Health And RelaTionships (SMART)
SMART is a randomized controlled research trial (RCT) conducted by the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and funded by the WoodNext Foundation, a component fund administered by Greater Houston Community Foundation.
This RCT is assessing the impact of Great Life Mentoring (GLM) on the mental health and well-being of youth receiving publicly funded mental health care.
SMART
A total of 180 youth are being enrolled in the study and randomly assigned in equal numbers to GLM or treatment-as-usual (i.e., formal mental health care only). Annual youth and parent surveys and treatment records will assess outcomes in the areas of mental health challenges and wellness, parent and family functioning, and treatment adherence (e.g., session attendance). Depending on the timing of study enrollment, each youth will be followed for 1 to 4 years.
All study participants (parents and youth) will receive $25 each, per annual survey completed. Parents of youth who are not assigned to the GLM group will receive an additional $50 per year of their study participation.
The study is being led by Dr. David DuBois, a professor at UIC who has led numerous studies of mentoring and other youth programs. All study procedures have been approved by the UIC Institutional Review Board to ensure they are ethical and safe.
Great Life Mentoring
Great Life Mentoring™ (GLM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and mental health intervention that utilizes community volunteers who provide 1-to-1 mentoring to school-age youth who are from low-resource families and are receiving outpatient mental health treatment. GLM has worked in partnership with mental health organizations for more than two decades.
After rigorous screening and training, mentors are carefully paired with mentees and meet for 2-3 hours a week at various locations of their choosing. Program staff provides ongoing support and supervision. The mentor is part of the youth’s therapeutic treatment plan and can function as a form of aftercare once formal treatment ends. GLM relationships last an average of four years—well exceeding the average of most mentoring programs in the field.
Meet the Team
David DuBois, PhD
Principal Investigator
David L. DuBois, PhD, is a professor of Community Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago. He received his doctorate in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research seeks to both identify and promote factors that contribute to resilience and holistic positive development among youth. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed studies on these topics and is lead editor of the Handbook of Youth Mentoring (Sage Publications). He also has been a mentor himself in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
Carla Herrera, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator
Carla Herrera, PhD, Herrera Consulting Group LLC, has published numerous reports and articles on school-based, community-based and group mentoring over the past 25 years. Her studies have helped inform the field about the relationships that develop in these programs, the experiences of youth and mentors, how and which youth benefit and how program practices may shape these experiences and benefits. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan.
Svetlana Mitric
Research Assistant
Svetlana Mitric is a College of Education Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. During her academic and professional career, Svetlana has gained research experience and published articles in areas such as education, bilingual literacy, public health and educational technology.
Hannah Bergman
Research Assistant
Hannah Bergman, MPH, is a Community Health Sciences Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois Chicago. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health from the George Washington University. Throughout her academic and professional career, Hannah has gained knowledge and research experience in areas such as psychology, public health, community engagement, and health policy.
Karen Burchwell
Research Assistant
Karen Burchwell has worked in the mentoring field for almost 25 years. She worked with a Big Brothers Big Sisters agency for 18 years, serving as Executive Director for much of that time, and has contributed to numerous studies assessing the potential benefits of mentoring.