Concept Mapping Expansion (Part 2)

Assignment Instructions Concept Mapping Expansion (Part 2)

This assignment builds directly from Part 1 (Introduction to Concept Mapping) and expands the conceptual development of my dissertation topic. The goal is to refine and extend it.

Please follow the instructions carefully.

Updated Dissertation Focus (Use This Exactly)

My dissertation will examine how transportation burden, perceived stigma, and therapeutic alliance influence early treatment engagement and retention among adults ages 1864 receiving outpatient mental health services in rural community mental health centers in Georgia.

All sections must reflect this narrowed focus (Georgia, not Southern U.S. broadly).

Part 2 Requirements

1. Revise and Align Part 1 (Light Editing Only)

Update geographic focus from Southern United States to rural Georgia

Ensure engagement and retention are clearly referenced (not just retention)

Add new citations if absolutely necessary

Do not re-expand into broad regional framing

2. Identify and Simplify Key Concepts

Create a clearly labeled section titled:

Key Simplified Concepts

This section should:

Break down complex ideas into simplified, clear conceptual themes

Use short explanatory paragraphs

Focus on conceptual clarity, not heavy literature review

The simplified concepts should include:

Access is not enough

Structural barriers (transportation, workforce shortages)

Cultural/psychological factors (stigma)

Relational factors (therapeutic alliance)

Distinction between engagement and retention

This section should translate the topic into clear, digestible themes.

3. Implications for Practice

Create a clearly labeled section:

Implications for Practice

Focus on:

How clinicians in rural community mental health centers can apply these findings

Importance of early engagement strategies

Addressing transportation barriers during intake

Strengthening therapeutic alliance intentionally in early sessions

Recognizing stigma as a treatment barrier

This should be practical and application-focused, not abstract.

4. Implications for Policy

Create a clearly labeled section:

Implications for Policy

Focus on:

Need for policies addressing transportation access

Workforce shortages in rural Georgia

Retention-focused funding models (not just access expansion)

Importance of investing in relational and continuity-of-care strategies

Keep it grounded in rural Georgia context.

5. Implications for Research

Create a clearly labeled section:

Implications for Research

Focus on:

Distinguishing engagement from retention in measurement

Importance of region-specific rural research

Multi-factor models combining structural, cultural, and relational predictors

Gaps this study addresses

This section should clearly justify the contribution of the study.