Research Projects & Grants

College/University

  • Expanding a clinical practicum training experience for graduate students to deliver universal DBT skills in an underserved continuation high school, Role: PD/PI, Varda Shoham, (05/2020 - 04/2021) Status: Closed

Federal

  • Graduate Psychology Education Programs FY23-25, Role: Sierra High School Practicum Coordinator, Bureau of Health Professions/Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, (07/2023 - 06/2025) Status: Awarded
  • Primary Care Training and Enhancement - Residency Training in Mental and Behavioral Health, Role: Integrated Care-Online Certificate, Bureau of Health Professions/Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, (12/2022 - 09/2027) Status: Awarded
  • Unpacking the Black Box of Problem-Solving: Dosage, Delivery, Culture, and Impact on Internalizing Problems for Adolescents, Role: PD/PI, National Institute of Mental Health/NIH/DHHS, (01/2022 - 12/2024) Status: Closed
  • Implementation of a Problem-Solving Skills Training for underserved youth, Role: PI, National Institute of Mental Health/NIH/DHHS, (11/2021 - 12/2024) Status: Completed
  • Behavioral Health Workforce and training at LLU SBH, Role: Co-Investigator, Bureau of Health Professions/Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, (07/2021 - 06/2025) Status: Awarded
  • Primary Care Psychology Pipeline Program (4P), Role: 4P Diversity Faculty Member, Bureau of Health Professions/Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, (07/2020 - 06/2025) Status: Awarded
  • Graduate Psychology Education Program, Role: Substance Disorders Lead, Bureau of Health Professions/Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, (09/2019 - 08/2023) Status: Closed

Internal

  • Behavioral Treatment of Sleep in Youth with Autism, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (04/2022) Status: Approved
  • Teacher Knowledge and Perceptions of Social Deficits in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Brief Web-based Intervention, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (07/2021) Status: Approved
  • Stress and Burnout Among Community Health Workers: Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Live Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (06/2021) Status: Approved
  • Sleep behaviors and its contribution to cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in neurodevelopmental disorders, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (06/2021) Status: Approved
  • Coptic Perceptions on Psychotherapy, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (04/2021) Status: Approved
  • Testing the effectiveness of an innovative program to reduce juvenile justice and substance use involvement in youth living in an underserved community, Role: PI, LLU - GRASP, (04/2020) Status: Approved
  • Helping those who help others: Reducing stress and burnout among community health workers providing services to underserved children and families, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (04/2020 - 06/2024) Status: Completed
  • Youth Alternative Solutions Program: Developing and testing the effectiveness of an innovative program to reduce substance use involvement in youth living in an underserved community, Role: PD/PI, LLU - GRASP, (01/2020 - 06/2025) Status: Awarded
  • School-based Opportunities for Adolescent Recovery (SOARing): Implementing School-based Core DBT-based programming to promote mental health for at-risk adolescents residing in an undeserved community, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (12/2019 - 06/2024) Status: Completed
  • Mental health trainee perspectives on the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual health agent to treat alcohol abuse, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Psychology, (04/2019 - 06/2023) Status: Completed

Other Research

  • Magazines, Newsletters, Blogs and Other Publications   *Marin, D., *Blank, C., & Boustani, M.M. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable youth. Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health blog. https://behavioralhealth.llu.edu/blog/impact-covid-19-vulnerable-youth   *Blank, C. & Boustani, M. M. (2020). Stay-at-home orders disproportionately impact youth in or at-risk for foster care. Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health blog. https://behavioralhealth.llu.edu/blog/stay-home-orders-disproportionately-impact-youth-or-risk-foster-care   Boustani, M.M. (2019). Using Twitter to Cross-Collaborate. Read DIS! Newsletter of the Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group, 10(2), 9. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HP1W_QAaILI0meU_3n85CzryV8qQyZVY/view   Boustani, M. M. (2019). Helping clinicians engage children and families into therapy. Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health blog. https://behavioralhealth.llu.edu/blog/helping-clinicians-engage-children-and-families-therapy   Boustani, M.M. (2019). To tweet or not to tweet? Read DIS! Newsletter of the Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group, 10(1), 5. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lrWRnUXx2sjIzdTU72whyG-O8-999xDS/view?usp=sharing   Boustani, M.M. (2019). Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health blog. https://behavioralhealth.llu.edu/blog/faculty-field-notes-oppositional-defiant-disorder     Boustani, M. M. (2018). Child, Intervention, Prevention, and Services. Read DIS! Newsletter of the Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group, 9(1), 12-13. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lsqlfAVT5bRa_P5PH8a2HYTXSW-rXjaY/view?usp=sharing   Frazier, S. L. & Boustani, M. M. (2014). Catch your kiddos being good! Kiddos Magazine, 2(2), 16-17. http://kiddosmagazine.com/catch-your-kiddos-being-good/   Frazier, S. L. & Boustani, M. M. (2014). Give your kiddos space to explore! Kiddos Magazine, 2(5), 16-17. http://kiddosmagazine.com/give-your-kiddos-space-to-explore/ (10/2014 - Present)
  • Peer-reviewed conference posters   *Marin, D. G., *Hazari, J., *Hodgins, J., Lisetti, C., Boustani, M. (2021). Virtual Health Agents on Engaging Alcohol Users through a Motivational Interviewing Intervention: Agent Acceptability. Poster accepted at the 55th Annual Convention of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New Orleans, LA.   *Marin, D. G., *Bashoura, D., *Jutzy, H., & Boustani, M. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on Community Health Workers: Qualitative Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews. Poster accepted at the 55th Annual Convention of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New Orleans, LA.   Blank, C., Marin, D., Bashoura, D. and Boustani, M., (2021, November). Supporting Community Health Workers who provide medical and behavioral health support in underserved communities: Stakeholders' Perspectives Poster presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 55th Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.   Hodgins, J., Marin, D. G., Hazari, J., Lisetti, C., & Boustani, M. M. (2021, November). Impact of diverse virtual health agents on alcohol users engaged in a motivational interviewing intervention: Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA.   *Banayan, T., *Krantz, M., & Boustani, M. M. (2021). Exploring Resiliency Effects of Growth Mindset in Education. Poster accepted at the 2021 American Psychological Association Virtual Convention.   *Jutzy, H., Boustani, M. M., *Blank, C., & Lisetti, C. (2021). Preliminary effectiveness of an online digital health agent intervention for alcohol abuse. Poster accepted at the 2021 American Psychological Association Virtual Convention.   *Marin, D. G., *Bashoura, D., *Jutzy, H., & Boustani, M. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on Community Health Workers: Stakeholders’ Perspectives. Paper accepted at the 2021 American Psychological Association Convention (APA), online.    *Bashoura, D., *Marin, D., & Boustani, M. (2020). A Needs Assessment of Community Health Workers who work with Underserved Children and Families in the United States. Poster presented at the 54th Annual Convention of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA.   *Hazari, J., Boustani, M., Vogel, K., Bachar, S., Lunn, S. & Lisetti, C., (2020). Clinical Utility of a Digital Health Agent to Deliver Motivational Interviewing to Treat Alcohol Abuse. Poster presented at 2020 American Psychological Association (APA) conference, Washington, DC.   *Bagnara, G., Boustani, M., *Vogel, K., *Bachar, S., Reibling, E., Hernandez, B. (2020). Who is Seeking Shelter: Staff Descriptions of Intimate Partner Violence Shelter Characteristics and Services Provided. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, May, San Fransisco, CA.   *Bagnara, G., Boustani, M., *Vogel, K., *Bachar, S., Reibling, E., & Hernandez, B. (2020). Shelter Staff Perceptions of Domestic Violence in Higher Socioeconomic Status Populations. Poster presented at 2020 American Psychological Association (APA) conference, Washington, DC.   *Vogel, K., *White, M., *Watts, V., *Banayan, T., & Boustani, M. M. (2020) A needs assessment of low-income students attending an alternative high school: Qualitative Findings. Poster presented at 2020 Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health (MICAMH) Conference, Miami, FL.   *Chu, W., Becker, K. D., Boustani, M. M., Park, A. L., Knudsen, K., & Chorpita, B. F. (2018) Does training in evidence-based treatments predict provider and supervisor knowledge about treatment engagement strategies? Poster presented at 2018 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Washington, D.C.   *Knudsen, K. S., Becker, K.D., Boustani, M.M., Chorpita, B.F. (2018). Provider and Supervisor Use of Engagement Strategies in Usual Care. Poster presented at the 2018 Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group Exposition (DIS SIG) Cocktail Hour Poster Session. Washington, DC.   *Chu, W., Becker, K. D., Boustani, M. M., Park, A. L., & Chorpita, B. F. (2018). Utilizing provider feedback to improve treatment design: A qualitative study. Poster accepted to 2018 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group (DIS SIG) Cocktail Hour Poster Session. Washington, DC.   *Knudsen, K.S., Boustani, M. M., *Chu, W., *Wesley, K. & Chorpita, B. F. (2018) Do current publication standards reliably describe content of manualized universal prevention programs? Poster presented at the 2018 Association for Psychological Science (APS), San Francisco, CA.   *Chu, W., Boustani, M. M., *Park, A. L., *Knudsen, K. S., Chorpita, B. F. (2018). Improving knowledge of treatment engagement strategies in school-based mental health providers and supervisors. Poster presented at the 2018 Association for Psychological Science (APS), San Francisco, CA.   Boustani, M. M., Frazier, S., Becker, K., & Chorpita, B. (2017, December). Identifying the Common Elements of Youth Prevention Programming to Maximize Reach. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Arlington, VA.    Boustani, M.M., Michelson, D., Parikh, R., Singh, A., *Gellatly, R., Chorpita, B., Fairburn, C., & Patel, V. (2017, December). Development of a Transdiagnostic CBT Intervention for Common Adolescent Mental Health Difficulties in Indian Schools: Design Principles and Formative Evaluation of PRIDE. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Arlington, VA.   Boustani, M. M.,*Park, A., Becker, K., & Chorpita, B. (2017, December). Coding for the Use of Evidence in Clinical Decision-Making. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Arlington, VA.   Boustani, M. M., *Guan, K., & Chorpita, B. (2017, December). In-Session “Surprises”: Using the Manual to Address Emergent Life Events in Therapy. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Arlington, VA.    *Wesley, K. D., Boustani, M. M., Becker, K. D. & Chorpita, B. F. (2017, December). Perspectives on Engagement Barriers in School-Based Mental Health Services: Mixed Methods Findings. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Arlington, VA.   *Wesley, K. D., Boustani, M. M., Becker, K. D. & Chorpita, B. F. (2017, November). Perspectives on Engagement Barriers in School-Based Mental Health Services: Qualitative Findings. Poster accepted for presentation at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Special Interest Group Exposition, San Diego, CA.    Krauss, S., & Boustani, M. M. (2014, May). The Structure and Meaning of Values in Lebanon and the USA. Presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. San Francisco, CA.   Boustani, M. M., Frazier, S. L., Becker, K., Bechor, M., Dinizulu, S. M., Hedemann, E. R et al. (2012, October). Common elements of adolescent prevention programming: Minimizing the burden while maximizing the reach. Presented at The National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Lawrence, KS.   Krauss, S., & Boustani, M. M. (2008, May). Value Association with Big 5 Personality Traits in Lebanon and the United States. Presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. Chicago, IL   (10/2008 - Present)
  • Chu, W., Becker, K.D., Boustani, M.M., Park, A. L., & Chorpita, B.F. (under review) Lessons Learned from a Pilot Trial Testing a Novel Intervention to Enhance Treatment Engagement in Youth Mental Health Services (Present)