Mary Acri, PhD

Developing Evidence-Based Interventions to Address Poverty
The McSilver Institute‘s research focus involves developing evidence-based interventions to address the consequences of inequality, racism and poverty. Our research efforts are guided by an understanding of the links between individuals, families, and communities to their external environments, as well as the interrelatedness of race, gender, sexual orientation and poverty.

Featured projects

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Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC)
This intervention seeks to reduce the risk of repeat child maltreatment through a multi-pronged intervention that enhances the identification, case management, and treatment of mothers receiving preventive services. The study intervention is adapted from Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), which is designed to treat post-traumatic stress dis-order (PTSD) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy […]
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Family and Food Matters Family Program (FFM)
Family and Food to Pregnant Women aims to create awareness of the unique effect of food insecurity on pregnant women and their developing child; promote overall access to and intake of appropriately nutrient-dense
Read more Family and Food Matters Family Program (FFM)
Making Connections Intervention (MCI)
The goal of The Making Connections Intervention (MCI) is to increase the likelihood that adolescents with serious psychiatric illness successfully participate in targeted mental health care. The MCI consists of one or two primer sessions intended to “front load” adolescents with the support and skills they need to begin mental health treatment. Addressing factors that influence treatment acceptability (i.e., engagement, perceived relevance, and service satisfaction) prior to treatment participation is a powerful concept that has the potential to enhance help-seeking behaviors. Thus, with support of caregivers, we intend to empower adolescents to identify perceptual and actual barriers that influence their treatment acceptability and equip them with the skills to overcome these barriers.
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Family Groups for Urban Youth (MFG)

McSilver Institute is conducting the MFG study across New York State’s licensed child behavioral health clinic system to examine the short- and long-term impact of Multiple Family Groups (MFG) on urban youth with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder.

The study also examines family-level mediators of child outcomes, as well as clinic and provider level moderators of MFG implementation and integration.

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
Principal Investigator: Mary M. McKay, PhD
Co-Investigator: Mary Acri, PhD

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