For more than twenty years, the Center of Behavioral Health Research conducted nationwide studies in mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice organizations in an effort to understand how these organizations can become more effective. The center’s organizational research has gained an international reputation for its work on assessing and changing organizational culture and climate. Organizations throughout the United States and in other countries have used the center’s
Organizational Social Context Measure to assess the cultures and climates of mental health and social service organizations and provide norms-based profiles of organizational culture, climate, and morale based on nationwide samples of both mental health and child welfare systems.
The center developed the only organizational change strategy to date that has been shown in multiple Randomized Controlled Trials to significantly reduce staff turnover; support the implementation of evidence-based treatments; and improve clients’ outcomes. Studies of this change strategy, called ARC, have been supported by the National Institutes of Health and other funders, and published in leading mental health and social science research journals.
Glisson, C., Williams, N.J., Hemmelgarn, A., Proctor, E., & Green, P. (2016). Increasing clinicians’ EBT exploration and preparation behavior in youth mental health services by changing organizational culture with ARC. Behaviour Research and Therapy.76: 40-46
Glisson, C. (2015). The role of organizational culture and climate in innovation and effectiveness. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership and Governance 39 (4), 245-250 doi:10.1080/23303131.2015.1087770
Glisson, C., & Williams, N. J. (2015). Assessing and changing organizational social contexts for effective mental health services. Annual Review of Public Health. 36: 507-523 doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122435
Olin, SS., Hemmelgarn, AL, Madenwald, K, & Hoagwood, K. (2015). An ARC-informed family-centered care intervention for children’s community based mental health programs. Journal of Child and Family Studies. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10826-015-0220-9.
Williams, N. J., & Glisson, C. (2014). The role of organizational culture and climate in the dissemination and implementation of empirically-supported treatments for youth. In R. Beidas, & P. Kendall (Eds.), Child and Adolescent Therapy: Dissemination and Implementation of Empirically-Supported Treatments. New York: Guilford Press.
Williams, N. J., & Glisson, C. (2014). Testing a theory of organizational culture, climate and youth outcomes in child welfare systems: A United States national study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 38(4), 757-67 doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.09.003.
Glisson, C., Williams, N. J., Green, P., Hemmelgarn, A., & Hoagwood, K. (2014). The organizational social context of mental health Medicaid waiver programs with family support services: Implications for research and practice. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research.41:32-42 doi: 10.1007/s10488-013-0517-1.
Olin, S.S., Williams, N. J., Pollock, M., Armusewicz, K., Kutash, K., Glisson, C., & Hoagwood, K. (2014). Quality indicators for family support services and their relationship to organizational social context. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research.41:43-54 doi: 10.1007/s10488-013-0499-z.
Williams, N. J., & Glisson, C. (2013). Reducing turnover is not enough: The need for proficient organizational cultures to support positive youth outcomes in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review, 35:11, doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.09.002.
Powell, J.P., Proctor, E.K., Glisson, C.A., Kohl, P.A., Raghavan, R., Brownson, R.C., Stoner, B.P. Carpenter, C.R., & Palinkas, L.A. (2013). A mixed methods multiple case study of implementation as usual in children’s social service organizations: study protocol. Implementation Science, 8:92 doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-8-92
Glisson, C., Hemmelgarn, A., Green, P., Williams, N. (2013). Randomized Trial of the Availability, Responsiveness and Continuity (ARC) Organizational Intervention for Improving Youth Outcomes in Community Mental Health Programs. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(5), 493-500.
Glisson, C., Green, P., & Williams, N. (2012). Assessing the Organizational Social Context (OSC) of child welfare systems: Implications for research and practice. Child Abuse & Neglect, 36(9), 621-632.
Glisson, C., Hemmelgarn, A., Green, P., Dukes, D., Atkinson, S., & Williams, N. (2012). Randomized trial of the ARC organizational intervention with community-based mental health programs and clinicians serving youth. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(8), 780-787.
Glisson, C.A. (2012). Interventions with organizations. In C.A. Glisson, C.N. Dulmus, & K.M. Sowers (Eds.). Social work practice with groups, communities and organizations (pp.159-190). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Aarons, G.A., Glisson, C., Green, P., Hoagwood, K., Kelleher, K.J., & Landsverk, J.A. (2012). The organizational social context of mental health services and clinician attitudes toward evidence-based practice: A United States national study.Implementation Science, 7(1):56.doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-56.
Glisson, C., & Green, P.D. (2011). Organizational climate, services and outcomes in child welfare systems. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 582-591.
Glisson, C., Schoenwald, S.K., Hemmelgarn, A.L., Green, P.D., Dukes, D., Armstrong, K.S., & Chapman, J.E. (2010). Randomized trial of MST and ARC in a two-level evidence-based treatment implementation strategy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78 (4),537-550.
Glisson, C. (2010). Organizational climate and service outcomes in child welfare agencies. In M.B. Webb, K. Dowd, B.J. Harden, J. Landsverk, & M.F. Testa (Eds.), Child welfare and child well-being: New perspectives from the national survey of child and adolescent well-being (pp. 378-406). New York: Oxford University Press.
Glisson, C. (2009). Organizational climate and culture and performance in the human services. In R.J. Patti (Ed.), Handbook of human services management (2nd ed., pp.119-142). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Glisson, C., Landsverk, J., Schoenwald, S.K., Kelleher, K., Hoagwood, K.E., Mayberg, S., & Green, P. (2008). Assessing the Organizational Social Context (OSC) of mental health services: Implications for implementation research and practice. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 35(1), 98-113.
Glisson, C., Schoenwald, S.K., Kelleher, K., Landsverk, J., Hoagwood, K.E., Mayberg, S., & Green, P. (2008). Therapist turnover and new program sustainability in mental health clinics as a function of organizational culture, climate, and service structure. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 35(1), 124-133.
Glisson, C. (2008). Interventions with organizations: The ARC model. In K. Sowers, & C. Dulmus (Eds.), The comprehensive handbook of social work and social welfare (pp.556-581). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Glisson, C. (2007). Assessing and changing organizational culture and climate for effective services. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 736-747.
Glisson, C., Dukes, D., & Green, P.D. (2006). The effects of the ARC organizational intervention on caseworker turnover, climate, and culture in children’s service systems. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 855-880.
Glisson, C., & Green, P. (2006). The effects of organizational culture and climate on the access to mental health care in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 33(4), 433-448.
Hemmelgarn, A. L., Glisson, C., & James, L.R. (2006). Organizational culture and climate: Implications for services and intervention research. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 13(1), 73-89.
Glisson, C. (2006). Studying the organizational context of social services. In L.B Alexander, & P. Solomon (Eds.), The research process in the human services: Behind the scenes. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Inc., 88-97.
Glisson, C., & Schoenwald, S.K. (2005). The ARC organizational and community intervention strategy for implementing evidence-based children’s mental health treatments. Mental Health Services Research, 7(4), 243-259.
James, L.R., McIntyre, M.D., Glisson, C., Green, P.D., Patton, T.W., LeBreton, J.M. et al. (2005). A conditional reasoning measure for aggression. Organizational Research Methods, 8(1), 69-99.
James, L.R., McIntyre, M.D., Glisson, C., & Mitchell, T.R. (2004). The conditional reasoning measurement system for aggression: An overview. Human Performance, 17(3), 271-295.
Glisson, C. (2002). The organizational context of children’s mental health services. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 5(4), 233-253.
Glisson, C., & James, L.R. (2002). The cross-level effects of culture and climate in human service teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(6), 767-794.
Hemmelgarn, A.L., Glisson, C., & Dukes, D. (2001). Emergency room culture and the emotional support component of family-centered care. Children’s Health Care, 30(2), 93-110.
Glisson, C. (2000). Organizational climate and culture. In R.J. Patti (Ed.), Handbook on social welfare management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Glisson, C., & Hemmelgarn, A.L. (1998) The effects of organizational climate and interorganizational coordination on the quality and outcomes of children’s service systems. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22(5), 401-421.
Glisson, C. (1992). Structure and technology in human service organizations. In Y.Hasenfeld (Ed.) Human services as complex organizations (pp. 184-202). Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.
Martin, P., & Glisson, C. (1989). Perceived structure: Welfare organizations in three societal cultures. organization studies, 10(3), 353-380.
Glisson, C., & Durick, M. (1988). Predictors of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in human service organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33(1), 61-81.
Glisson, C.A., & Martin, P.Y. (1980). Productivity and efficiency in human service organization as related to structure, size, and age. Academy of Management Journal, 23(1), 21-37.
Glisson, C.A. (1978). Dependence of technological routinization on structural variables in human service organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23(3), 383-395.