ACER Clinical Research

Bridging the gap between research and the real world.

ACER is committed to offering an environment that supports clinical research in a real-world setting. Treatment innovations developed through research offer renewed hope to our neighbors who are served in public mental health. The Center’s access to thousands of patients assures an adequate trial for almost any new idea. Contact us to obtain patient application forms for upcoming research trials

Trainees who wish to be involved in community-based clinical research have the opportunity to collaborate with current studies or to develop new ones with the assistance of Center staff. Grant development staff is also available to pursue funding.

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Clinical Research

The Center has a strong track record of research collaboration with many academic institutions, including these studies with faculty from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

ACER research endeavors with trainees

  • Enhanced Program for Early Psychosis ( ePEP) (Texas Depaitment of State Health Services funding)

  • Disaster mental health (NIMH and Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism/US Dept. of Homelai1d security grants)

  • Homelessness (NIDA-funded SUNCODA service use study, Bridge study)
  • Domestic violence (Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support)
  • Suicide risk screening (Parkland emergency depaitment [ED]/hospital, University of Texas System Patient Safety Committee grant)
  • Cohen Veterans Network Clinic (Cohen funded; descriptive data)
  • Psychoeducation and hepatitis C (NIAAA grant)
  • Paul Quinn College (PQC, systematic psychiatric evaluation and clinic)

  • Monday Psychiatty Clinic (MPC, psychiatric screening, medical students)

  • Lethal injection (literature review)
  • Wellness program for housestaff(development, implementation, quality improvement)

Peer-reviewed published articles acknowledging Metrocare Services

  • North CS. Gaps in knowledge about personality disorders in homeless populations (commentary for article by Whitbeck, Almenta, and Welch-Lazoritz, “Borderline personality disorder and Axis I psychiatric and substance use disorders among women experiencing homelessness in three US cities”).
    Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2015; 50(8):1293-1295 (ePub 5/20/15 as doi:
    1007/s00127-015-1066-6). PMID: 25989954
  • Triantafyllou D, North CS, Zaltman A, Roediger HL III. A ORM study of trauma memory among employees of New York City companies affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 2015; 27(3):165-174. PMID: 26247215
  • North CS. The classification of hysteria and related disorders: historical and phenomenological considerations. Behavioral Sciences, 2015; 5:496-517 (ePub 11/6/15 as doi: 10.3390/bs5040496). PMID:26561836
  • King RV, Polatin PB, Hogan D, Downs DL, North CS. Needs assessment of Hurricane Katrina evacuees residing temporarily in Dallas. Community Mental Health Journal, 2015; 52(1 ): 18-24 (ePub 10/27 /15 as doi: 10. l 007/sl0597-015-9938-5). PMID: 26507550
  • Pfefferbaum B, North CS, Pfefferbaum RL, Jeon-Slaughter H, Houston JB. Reactions of Oklahoma City bombing survivors to media coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2015; 65:70-78 (ePub 9/25/15 as http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.09.0!0). PMID: 26773993
  • Pfefferbaum B, North CS. Child disaster mental health services: a review of the system of care, assessment approaches, and evidence base for intervention. Current Psychiatry Reports, 2016; 18(1), 1-7 (ePub 12/30/15 as doi: 10.1007/s11920-015-0647-0). PM1D: 26719308
  • Surls AM, Holliday R, North CS. The evolution of the classification of psychiatric disorders. Behavioral Sciences, 2016; 6(1):5 (ePub 1/18/16 as doi:10.3390/bs6010005)
  • Zhang G, Pfefferbaum B, Narayanan P, Lee S, Thielman S, North CS. Psychiatric disorders after terrorist bombings among rescue workers and bombing survivors in Nairobi and rescue workers in Oklahoma City. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 2016; 28(1):22-30. PMID: 26855982

Peer-reviewed journal articles in press acknowledging Metrocare Services

  • Simpson EW, Sims OT, North CS, Hong BA, Pollio DE. Family psychoeducation for hepatitis C patients and their families: recommendation for clinicians. Social Work with Groups, 2016; 40(4), accepted for publication.
  • North CS, Brown ES, Pollio DE. Expanded conceptualization of multimorbidity to encompass substance use disorders and other psychiatric illness. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 2016; accepted for publication.
  • North CS, Surls AM, Smith RP, King RV. The evolution of PTSD criteria across editions of the DSM. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 2016; in press.
  • Pollio DE, Durkin D, North CS. An exploration of content in multifamily psychoeducation groups: the impact of consumer choice in a flexible curriculum. Families in Society, 2016; accepted for publication.
  • Roy W, Roaten K, Downs D, Khan F, Pollio DE, North CS. Suicide risk assessment and management: real-world experience and perceptions of emergency medicine physicians. Archives of Suicide Research, 2016; accepted for publication.
  • North CS. Disaster mental health epidemiology: methodological review and interpretation of research findings. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 2016; 79(2):1-17 (ePub as doi:
    l 0.1080/00332747.20 l 6.1155926).

Book chapters acknowledging Metrocare Services that are published

  • North CS. The mental health sequelae of major disasters. In Directions in Psychiatry, 2016; 35(3):183- 198. Hobart, NY: Hatherleigh.
  • North CS. Epidemiology of disaster mental health: the foundation for disaster mental health response. In Ursano RJ, Fullerton CS, Weisreth L, & Raphael B (eds.): Textbook of Disaster Psychiatry, 2nd ed., 2017; 27-43. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • May G, North CS. Postdisaster psychopathology among rescue workers responding to multiple-shooting incidents. In Wilson LC (ed.): The Wiley Handbook of the Psychology of Mass Shootings, 1st ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2017; 229-246 (ePub as doi: 10.1002/9781119048015).

Three academic grant applications

  • ROI: Motivational Interviewing for Alcohol and Hepatitis C (NIAAA)
  • T32 postdoctoral training grant: Research Training Program to Address Addiction and Multimorbidities in Communities (NIDA)