Michelle Zechner, Ph.D.
Dr. Zechner’s research mission is focused on improving the health and wellness of people living with mental health conditions and their supporters, with special focus on older adults, to promote recovery. It includes the development and evaluation of new best practice health promotion interventions, multi-dimensional wellness interventions, implementation of clinical best practices in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings, inter-professional teaching of health professions, and supporting healthy aging for people living with serious mental health conditions.
Her vision is to promote quality of life, recovery, and well-being for all people regardless of age or lifelong conditions using a psychiatric rehabilitation philosophy.
In her current role she has focused on implementation of evidence-based psycho-social practices in psychiatric hospitals, developing and testing health and wellness promotion interventions in community settings, teaching students, training diverse mental health staff on best practice interventions for older persons with mental health conditions, and conducting research.
She has co-authored peer-reviewed and technical publications on health promotion for persons with mental illness, and has presented her work at local, national and international conferences. She is passionate about supporting older people with mental health conditions improve their mental and physical health.
Keywords: serious mental health conditions, older adults, health promotion, multi-dimensional wellness, inter-professional teaching, co-occurring physical and mental health conditions, oral health, psychiatric rehabilitation, inpatient mental health care, integrated spiritual and emotional services
Grant Funding
Title: Validating and Exploring Promoted Spiritual Experience: A Pilot Study (PI’s: Bieszczad & Cooperman)
Sponsor Agency: Rutgers 2022 Brain Health Institute/Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) Grants Program
Brief Overview of Aims:The project aimed to pilot a novel psychological intervention targeting spiritual well-being. Efficacy of the intervention was measured through measures of well-being and spiritual health, and through identifying biological changes with neuroimaging.
Total Dollar Amount: $25,000
Funding Period: FY2022-2024
Title: Improving Physician Assistant Confidence and Skill in Working with People with Serious Mental Illness (PI: Zechner)
Sponsor Agency: Rutgers, School of Health Professions Dean’s Teaching Innovation Grant
Brief Overview of Aims: The project developed and evaluated new curriculum for Physician Assistant graduate students about providing health care services to people with serious mental illness. The curriculum was informed by qualitative interviews with Physician Assistant graduate students and from people with serious mental health conditions about skills needed to work with the population.
Total Dollar Amount: $3,000
Funding Period: FY2021-2022
Title: Grace Examined: Examining Gestalt Pastoral Care Spiritually Integrated Strategies For Clinical Effectiveness (PI: Crabtree)
Sponsor Agency: The Consortium for Spiritually Integrated Psychology and Education at Brigham Young University
Brief Overview of Aims: The project evaluated a novel community-based integrated spiritual and emotional health intervention, Gestalt Pastoral Care, to explore changes in spiritual and emotional well-being of participants.
Total Dollar Amount: $45,000
Funding Period: FY2017-2020
Selected Publications
1. Zechner, M., Singhal, V., Murphy, A., York, J., Karyczak, S. & Muhammad, A. (2023). Dental Pre-Doctoral Student Perceptions About Serious Mental Illness: Concerns and Role Clarification. Journal of Dental Education, 87, 639-645, doi/10.1002/jdd.13156
2. Zechner, M. , Swarbrick, P., Fullen, M., Barrett, N., Santos, S. & Pratt, C. (2022). Multidimensional Wellness for People Aging With Mental Health Conditions: A Proposed Framework. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 45, 160-169. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000510
3. Zechner, M. R., Anderson, E. Z., & Gill, K. J. (2022). Old before their time: Comparisons of people with SMI and healthy older adults. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 45(1), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000496
4. Zechner, M. & Gill, K. (2016). Predictors of Physical Activity in Persons with Mental Illness: A Social Cognitive Model. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 39(4), 321-335.
5. Gill, K., Zechner, M., Anderson, E., Swarbrick, M. & Murphy, A. (2016). Wellness for Life: A Pilot Inter-Professional Intervention to Address MetS, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 39, 147-153.
2023
Invited Collaborator, Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration
2016
Selected Participant, Summer Research Institute for Geriatric Mental Health, Co-Sponsored by Cornell Medical Institute and Dartmouth University and Cornell Medical Institute, White Plains NY
2015
Academic Achievement Award, Rutgers, School of Health Professions
2010
Recognition Award, New Jersey Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Please contact Dr. Zechner at michelle.zechner@rutgers.edu
65 Bergen Street, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107-1709
Admissions: 973-972-5454
Dean's office: 973-972-4276
FAX: 973-972-7028