Research Parnership with UCD
Since November 2009, St. Michael’s House Research Department has partnered with University College Dublin in a collaborative Teaching & Research Partnership, through its association with the UCD Centre for Disability Studies at the UCD School of Psychology.
This partnership represents an innovative, effective and mutually beneficial initiative between an organisation providing services for people with disabilities and a research intensive university.
The objectives of the partnership are to:
- Enhance and facilitate service-based research in disabilities,
- Support the research and teaching strategies of both organisations,
- Support St. Michael’s House service users and staff to carry out research,
- Support the UCD Centre for Disability Studies in its teaching and research activities,
- Foster national and international cooperation and collaboration.
As part of this collaboration, St. Michael’s House awards an annual scholarship to one student on the Master of Psychological Science programme at UCD. This student works with staff members and researchers at both UCD and St. Michael’s House to conduct a piece of research, which they submit as their Masters thesis, as well as producing an organisational report on the findings.
Service Evaluation
Some service developments and innovations that have been evaluated through St. Michael’s House / UCD scholarship include:
- Evaluation of the Positive Behavioural Support Policy (SMH/UCD Scholarship);
- Evaluation of a new Hub Day Service (TURAS) in St. Michael’s House South (SMH/UCD Scholarship).
- Evaluation of the new Mental Health of Intellectual Disability (MHID) Team (SMH/UCD Scholarship).
