Implementing a public – academic research partnership in correctional mental health

This paper outlines the implementation processes of a developing practice-based correctional health research partnership between multiple academic health schools, a correctional health care provider and a state department of correction. The partners are undertaking a transformational process in which the desired end result is that practice-based research is well understood, accepted, and integrated into daily institutional practices of the state correctional system with an expected outcome of improving patient care. Based upon transcript data, surveys and expert interviews, the organizational readiness of the correctional system to implement practice-based research and the perspectives of researchers were assessed to achieve the collaboratively defined goals. The formative evaluation findings are presented.