The mission of the Practice Research Network is to build an infrastructure linking investigators at The University of Maryland, Baltimore, Department of Psychiatry with the public mental health system through an innovative approach to nurturing the development of activities that reflect the value of a collaborative and participatory approach to research. There will be an in-depth discussion evaluating the process of partnership development with local mental health authorities (Core Service Agencies), clinics, providers, advocacy organizations, and consumers throughout Maryland. A description of the initial and evolving structure of the network will underscore the importance of involving multiple stakeholders to increase access to studies. Data will be provided to illustrate the number of study referrals generated by the Network. There will be a discussion regarding the modifications that are needed to this approach based on feedback and evaluation received from clients over the past two years, since the network’s inception.#2011Conference #Alcohol,DrugAbuse,andMentalHealth #EvaluationofInnovativeCollaborativeApproachtoInterfacingResearchSystemswithMHCommunity