About

In the ensuing two years, state legislators, scientists, businesses and community leaders met to explore the creation of the Institute. In 2001, success was achieved with the passage of Senate Bill 1391 by the Arizona Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. Senate Bill 1391 provided for $5 million in State funds to the Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR) to be matched by the private sector.

In June 2002, IMHR was established as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofiit corporation. It was the only statewide, nonprofit organization of its kind in the U.S. and charged with the evaluation of mental health services and funding of local scientists, encouraging them and their research to remain in the state. Initial funds came were disbursed through the Arizona Department of Health Services. Health Services was scheduled to appropriate $2.5M from the Medical Services Stabilization Fund in each of FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003, for dollar-for dollar matching grants from the private sector for startup costs, but ultimately, due to changes in legislators, policies and budgets, the majority of the promised $5M was not distributed , resulting in a reliance on the private sector for future funding.

IMHR fits into Arizona’s mental health ecosystem in a unique way, focusing on the research and discoveries that provide innovative scientific solutions to mental health challenges.  We are complementary to the mental health organizations focusing on services and education, and also look to work with them in a cooperative fashion.

Translating Research to Treatment
In 2010, IMHR began exploring strategies to bring specialized clinical services for first episode psychosis (FEP) to Maricopa County. These efforts were motivated by several factors, including a glaring lack of specialized FEP care in one of the country’s major metropolitan areas, and a growing interest among community donors to support clinical services. IMHR partnered with the Early Psychosis Intervention Center (Epicenter), a research center for FEP at the University of Arizona, to establish the IMHR Epicenter clinic. IMHR managed an ambitious campaign to secure funds to support the unique community-academic clinic, and establish a board of directors to oversee the program through three years of operations and growth. At that time, Epicenter was the first clinic of its kind; it has since become self-sufficient and been replicated across the nation. In September 2018, PSA Behavioral Health (now Resilient Health) acquired Epicenter, fulfilling IMHR’s mission to expand the presence of FEP outpatient services in the Valley and beyond.

Advancing the Future of Mental Health Research
After successfully transitioning Epicenter in 2019, IMHR returned its focus to its original mission of seed funding mental health research. The Board recognized changes in Arizona’s mental health sector, and the need to reestablish IMHR’s community footprint, as well as take some time to invest in updating infrastructure, policies and fundraising strategies. IMHR continues today to build relevant opportunities for donors, funders and community partners to engage in a mutual passion for improving mental health through research. Most recently, those efforts have addressed the notable mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.