Thank You for Your Interest in the Study

The Vanguard Research Group

About the Vanguard Research Group (VRG)

• VRG is an academic organization specializing in behavioral health research and clinical trials. Our mission is to improve the circumstances of people with mental illness by partnering with community mental health centers across the US and providing them opportunities to be involved in research programs and clinical trials. VRG conducts many types of research projects such as evaluating new technologies, implementing new types of psychosocial treatments, and testing new medications or medication algorithms. The sponsors of these projects may be federal and/or state governments, non-profit organizations, and pharmaceutical companies

The VRG Network

• Currently VRG is working with over 50 mental health sites in 28 states. We would like to expand our network to over 100 sites including representation from every state. There is no requirement for a center to have had any previous research experience prior to joining the network.

What are the advantages tobe part of the VRG Network

• By joining the VRG network, your site will be provided information about future research projects. As a research opportunity becomes available, VRG staff will inform all sites in the network about the upcoming project. If your site thinks it would be a good fit and is interested in learning more about the project, you will inform the VRG staff and complete the next steps in the site selection process. If your site is not interested, they will still be included in future announcements.

VRG also partners with its members to provide educational opportunities. VRG will provide its members with opportunities to attend free webinars. The webinar topics are based upon the requests of the member sites and may include training on a new treatment, results from a recent study, a review of recent published article and its impact on clinical treatment, etc..

What positions are required to participate in a project?

• Most projects will require the role of a part-time research coordinator which will be funded by the project. Each site will need to identify a colleague that can be trained as a research coordinator. This position’s typical responsibilities are overall project management, recruitment of patients, collection of research questionnaires, and completion of data entry. The amount of time needed for this role is dependent upon the research projects in which you elect to participate and the requirements of the project. Typically sites identify an existing colleague who is interested in research, whose current role could be modified to allow them time to work on each project. If your site participates in 2-3 projects, this could be a full time position.
• Additional roles may be needed depending upon the project. Each research opportunity presented to your site will list the required roles for that project. These roles may include case managers, therapists, employment specialists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, etc… You do NOT need to have each of these positions at your site to join the network.

Funding for sites

• Each project comes with a different amount of funding that is based on the requirements of the project. Typically the project will provide the site some reimbursement for a research coordinator and any other role that is not reimbursable under normal means. In addition to the roles, the project will normally pay the sites to complete all research procedures and provide a stipend for the clients who participate. The amount of funding will be provided in the project announcement sent to the sites.

Next Steps to join the network

• Please complete the VRG Site Information Questionnaire and return it to Vivianne Dillon at .
• If you want to speak more to someone more about this opportunity please contactVivianne Dillon by email: at or by phone at: 347-738-2449

Version August 6th, 2015