Faster access and better matches to mental health therapists for adults
Official title: Consumer-Therapist-Connector: Increasing Access to Quality Behavioral Healthcare
Funded at Outcome Referrals INC · NIH-11178045 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A digital system to help adults quickly find, schedule, and get matched with therapists who are more likely to improve their mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Outcome Referrals INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Framingham, United States) |
| Project start | March 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,102,380 |
| NIH project number | 2R44MH132156-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178045 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults age 21 and over seeking outpatient mental health therapy, especially those on waitlists or looking for better therapist matches.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 21, people needing emergency or inpatient psychiatric care, or those seeking non-therapy medical treatments are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
You would use a tool called Express Access that helps adults find and book behavioral-health appointments and pairs people with therapists based on measured therapist strengths. The team will build on their earlier TOP Match method, which matched patients to therapists with problem-specific skills. Phase I used focus groups with patients, therapists, and staff to shape scheduling, preferences, and features for the prototype. This project will finalize the tool, customize it for clinics, and pilot it with real patients and therapists to improve access and treatment outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could shorten waitlists and improve therapy outcomes by matching patients to therapists who are most likely to help them.
How similar studies have gone: Their prior randomized trial of TOP Match roughly doubled patient improvement, so this builds on promising, previously successful methods.
Where this research is happening
-
Outcome Referrals INC
Framingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kraus, David R. — Outcome Referrals INC
- Study coordinator: Kraus, David R.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.