Speakers
Why Wellness Works: Breakthroughs and Pathways to Whole Health will feature speakers from across the country who will discuss the positive impact of health and wellness programs in their communities.
Mental Health America is pleased to announce that Geoffrey Canada, President & CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone in Harlem, New York, will be the keynote presenter on Friday, June 7, 2013, David Granirer, counselor, comic and founder of Stand Up for Mental Health will share his story during the Clifford Beers Awards dinner on Friday, June 7, 2013, and James O. Prochaska, Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center and Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Rhode Island will be keynote presenter on Saturday, June 8.
GEOFFREY CANADA, President & CEO, Harlem Children's Zone
Geoffrey Canada grew up in New York City where he experienced the challenges of growing up poor. His thirst for knowledge and success in academics enabled him to receive bachelor degrees in psychology and sociology and graduate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a master's degree. After serving on the faculty of the Robert White School, an alternative high school for troubled youth in Boston, Massachusetts, Canada returned to Harlem in 1983 to help the children in the neighborhood where he grew up. In 1990, Canada was appointed president of Rheedlen. He expanded the center and renamed it the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ). The 97-block complex began offering tutoring, recreational programs and community outreach. Social workers also provided drug counseling, parenting advice and basic life skills to the community. By 1997, Harlem Children's Zone had 11 sites throughout Manhattan. In addition, Canada began national initiatives to positively impact the lives of African-American children. In 2009, President Barack Obama announced plans to replicate the HCZ model in 20 other cities across the nation.
Canada has written several books, including Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America (1995) and Reaching Up For Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America (1998). Along with being featured in several print publications, including TIME Magazine and the U.S. News and World Report, Canada has made a number of television appearances, including 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the Colbert Report.
At Mental Health America's 2013 Annual Conference, Mr. Canada will share his experience with models for reform that combine educational, social and medical services for youth from birth through college.
Geoffrey Canada will present during the Keynote Luncheon on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 12:45pm
Biographical Source: Geoffrey Canada. (2012). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:36, Nov 29, 2012, from http://www.biography.com/people/geoffrey-canada-537578
DAVID GRANIRER, Counselor, Stand-up Comic and Author
Mr. Granirer is the founder of Stand Up For Mental Health, a program teaching stand-up comedy to people with mental illnesses as a way of building confidence and fighting public stigma. He is also the author of The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead to Happiness and Success. His work has been featured in Voice Award winning documentary Cracking Up, and he has received the Life Unlimited Award from the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance and the Champion of Mental Health Award, a national award recognizing individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the mental health agenda in Canada.
David Granirer will present during the Clifford Beers Awards dinner on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 7:30pm
DR. JAMES PROCHASKA, Director, Cancer Prevention Research Center
Dr. James O. Prochaska is Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center and Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Rhode Island. He is the author of over 350 publications, including three books, Changing for Good, Systems of Psychotherapy and The Transtheoretical Approach. He is internationally recognized for his work as a developer of the stage model of behavior change. He is the principal investigator on over $70 million dollars in research grants for the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases. He is the founder of Pro-Change Behavior Systems. Dr. Prochaska has won numerous awards including the Top Five Most Cited Authors in Psychology from the American Psychology Society; an Innovator's Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is the first psychologist to win a Medal of Honor for Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society.
At Mental Health America's 2013 Annual Conference, Dr. Prochaska will discuss significant breakthroughs that are being achieved in producing changes to enhance whole health within specific populations.
Dr. James Prochaska will present during the Morning Keynote on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:00am
RALPH AQUILA, M.D., Director, Residential Community Services at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center
Dr. Aquila is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is also Director of Residential Community Services at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, which has been delivering psychiatric and primary care services to people who are homeless or who have experienced homelessness and have a serious and persistent mental illness for more than 20 years. In addition, Dr. Aquila founded the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Center, an integrated clinic for the treatment of people with serious mental illnesses, and he is a consultant psychiatrist at Fountain House. Initiated in 1998 and 1997 respectively, Dr. Aquila is Chairperson of the Lilly Reintegration Scholarships and the Reintegration awards with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
Dr. Aquila will present during the Lilly Reintegration Scholarship Forum on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 4:00pm
OWEN ASHTON, Author, Mental Health Advocate and Inspirational Speaker
Mr. Ashton presents at business conferences and to other audiences about personal and organizational improvement. He is a CPA and previously served clients for nine years with KPMG and Deloitte. He also was in the senior financial management of telecommunications enterprises and not-for-profit organizations including AT&T and Nextel. He and his wife of 35 years now live in Utah.
Mr. Ashton will be participating in the Meet the Authors Session, Friday, June 7, 2013 at 11:30am
TRACEÉ L. BLACK-FALL, Founder & Executive Director, Tova’s N.E.S.T.
Ms. Black-Fall founded Tova’s N.E.S.T. following the trials, tribulations and awesome recovery of her daughter Tova who has a mental illness and herself who survived a brain aneurysm. Giving a bridge of hope as people move toward new beginnings, Tova’s N.E.S.T. educates and raises awareness in the community with an emphasis on the African American faith-based community, populations at risk and other systems regarding mental health conditions, co-occurring disorders and suicide prevention. Ms. Black-Fall has received several awards, including the Voice Award in 2005 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Black-Fall has a degree in Applied Science, is a graduate of The Ohio State University, John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy, Leadership 2000 Academy, and serves on several boards, including the National Leadership Council for African American Behavioral Health Inc.
Ms. Black-Fall will present during Breakout Session 7, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
THERESE J. BORCHARD, Author
Ms. Borchard is the author of "Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes" and "The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit." She also writes the "Sanity Break" blog on Everyday Health and is a regular contributor to "World of Psychology" on Psych Central, where she is Associate Editor.
Ms. Borchard will participate in the Meet the Authors Session on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 11:30am.
TRACY CORSO, Consumer, Psychiatric Service Dog Owner
Ten years ago, Ms. Corso recognized the severity of her disability when she and her partner broke up. It became apparent the physical, emotional and sexual abuse from her childhood prevented her from functioning and leading a productive life. She was immobilized by her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was immobilizing until her first psychiatric service dog, Baron, entered her life. Ms. Corso is now able to function, work and live a productive life.
Ms. Corso will present during Breakout Session 14, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
ZIMA CREASON, Associate Director, Mental Health America of California and Program Director, Wellness Works!
Ms. Creason has more than 12 years of experience in mental health policy, advocacy, and education. She is trained in organizational development and growth, is a visionary and is skilled in program development, implementation, management and sustainability. Ms. Creason's passion for mental health public policy, advocacy and education stems from mental health and substance abuse issues in her family, including the loss of her sister to suicide. She is committed to defeating mental health stigma and discrimination as well as access issues that prohibit Californians from receiving the mental health services they need when they need them.
Ms. Creason will present during Breakout Session 12, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
JOSEPH DE RAISMES, III, J.D., General Counsel, Mental Health America
Mr. de Raismes was City Attorney for the City of Boulder, CO for 24 years and retired in 2003. He also served as interim City Manager for one year. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale College and his J.D. from the Harvard Law School and is a recipient of the Order of the Coif from the University of Colorado law faculty. He served as Regional Counsel for the Mountain States Regional Office of the ACLU for 3 years. For 5 years, he served as the First Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Human Resources Section of the Colorado Attorney General's office where he dealt with all of the human service functions of the state. Mr. de Raismes has been involved with mental health issues as a litigator for the ACLU and the state as a mental health center board member for over 20 years, as a member of the Colorado Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council for 12 years (6 as Chair), as a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Mental Health Planning and Advisory Councils for 9 years (6 as Chair), and as a member of the NMHA Policy Committee for 8 years.
Mr. de Raismes will present during Breakout Session 3, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
DR. BENJAMIN DRUSS, Rosalynn Carter Chair in Mental Health, Emory University
Dr. Druss works to build linkages between mental health, general medical health and public health. Specifically, Dr. Druss’s research focuses on improving physical health and healthcare among persons with serious mental disorders. He has published more than 130 peer- reviewed articles, including the first randomized trial of an intervention to improve medical care in this population in 2001. Dr. Druss has received a number of national awards for his work, including the American Psychiatric Association Early Career Health Services Research Award, the AcademyHealth Article-of-the-Year Award, and the AcademyHealth Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award.
Dr. Druss will present during Breakout Session 1, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
RISA S. FOX, M.S., LCSW, Public Health Advisor, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Ms. Fox is SAMHSA’s lead on employment and serves on the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative to promote increased gainful employment and educational opportunities for people with behavioral health issues. She participates on the Federal Workgroup on Community Employment for People with Disabilities to coordinate resources, ensure policy decisions reflect recovery, and coordinate and streamline federal efforts to promote services and supports necessary to enable people with disabilities to access jobs in the community that pay competitive wages. Ms. Fox is the Program Director and Government Project Officer (GPO) for the Consumer & Consumer Supporter National Technical Assistance Centers on Consumer/Peer-Run Programs along with GPO on several Mental Health Transformation Grants. She also serves as the GPO on two jointly-funded projects with the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation’s Rehabilitation, Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability and the Research and Training Center at Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Ms. Fox is also a self- identified consumer.
Ms. Fox will be leading the CMHS Caucus on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 4:00PM.
LARRY FRICKS, Director, Appalachian Consulting Group
Larry Fricks is also the Deputy Director of the SAMHSA-HSRA Center for Integrated Health Solutions operated by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Previously, Mr. Fricks was Georgia’s Director of the Office of Consumer Relations and Recovery, founder of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network and a founder of Georgia’s Peer Specialist Training and Certification. Mr. Fricks was the 1995 recipient of the Clifford W. Beers Award from Mental Health America and the 2001 recipient of the American Association for World Health Award for significant contributions to improving community mental health. Mr. Fricks’ recovery story and life’s work to support the recovery of others was published by HarperCollins in The New York Times’ best-selling book Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen and was featured on the Today Show in 2008.
Mr. Fricks will present during Breakout Session 2, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
DR. JOAN B. GILLECE, Director, SAMHSA National Center for Trauma Informed Care and Director, SAMHSA Promoting Alternatives to Seclusion and Restraint through Trauma-Informed Practices
Dr. Gillece has worked in the behavioral health field for 30 years. Working across agencies, she promotes the use of trauma-informed settings in mental health, substance abuse, adult and juvenile justice, and homeless services. She is committed to strength-based support by implementing trauma informed values with the overreaching theme of recovery.
Dr. Gillece will present during Breakout Session 6, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
PAM GIONFRIDDO, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County
Ms. Gionfriddo has experience in research and advocacy on behalf of children and adults with behavioral health issues. Before moving to Florida, she was program director with Mental Health America of Texas and Texas Kids Count director, an Annie E. Casey initiative. She managed numerous research and evaluation projects at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas, Austin. She received her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Texas.
Mrs. Gionfriddo will present during Breakout Session 10, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
PAUL GIONFRIDDO, Consultant and Writer
Mr. Gionfriddo has more than 30 years of experience in health and mental health policy. He advised the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County on the development and implementation of its integration initiatives and has participated in a number of policy training webinars for Mental Health America. He writes a weekly health and mental health blog entitled Our Health Policy Matters and has written extensively on mental health policy for Health Affairs and news media around the country. He is a former Connecticut state legislator and Mayor of Middletown, Connecticut. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University.
Mr. Gionfriddo will present during Breakout Session 10, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
ELICIA GOODSOLDIER, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Mental Health Partners Cultural Competency Advisory Council at Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health
Ms. Goodsoldier is from the Dine’ (Navajo)/Spirit Lake Dakota nations. Prior to working in Boulder, she worked for the Oglala Sioux Tribe-Suicide Prevention Project in Pine Ridge, SD. She brings a wealth of knowledge in regards to how tribal communities address mental health issues utilizing spiritual and cultural practices. Her knowledge of historical trauma among American Indians comes from her work with Oglala Lakota healers and elders. Ms. Goodsoldier is also the Board chairwoman for NAMI Boulder County and sits on the Advisory Council on Cultural Competency for both the Colorado Division of Behavioral Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Colorado.
Ms. Goodsoldier will present during Breakout Session 7, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
SHEL GROSS, Director of Public Policy, Mental Health America of Wisconsin
Mr. Gross has been Director of Public Policy for Mental Health America of Wisconsin since 2000. Mr. Gross is Project Manager for two suicide prevention grants and was the Project Manager for “Improving Workplace Mental Health Practices,” a grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Mr. Gross also chairs the Wisconsin Council on Mental Health and its Legislative and Policy Committee and is on the steering committee for Wisconsin United for Mental Health, a statewide anti-stigma initiative. Prior to joining MHA, he worked for 10 years in the Wisconsin Medicaid program.
Mr. Gross will present during Breakout Session 12, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
BEN HARRINGTON, MA Ed., Executive Director, Mental Health Association of East Tennessee
Mr. Harrington is the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, a position he has held since 1994. Under his leadership, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee has seen many accomplishments, including the development of the Mental Health Matters in the Workplace Program in 2004, which provides technical assistance & training to more than 75 employers of more than 100,000 East Tennesseans. Mental Health Matters in the Workplace works with employers to determine the cost of untreated depression in their workplace and to assist them developing a plan to help supervisors and employees recognize symptoms of depression that will save the employer long term while allowing the depressed employee to return to work. In addition, Mr. Harrington was the recipient of the 2010 Greater Knoxville Business Journal Healthcare Heroes Award.
Mr. Harrington will present during Breakout Session 12, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
PATRICK HENDRY, Senior Director for Consumer Advocacy, Mental Health America
Patrick Hendry is also the Associate Director of the Statewide Consumer Network Technical Assistance Center. He is a founding member and past Executive Director of the Florida Peer Network and is the former Coordinator for the Florida Self-Directed Care Program in Southwest Florida. He has lectured on self-directed care, recovery, peer run services, advocacy and leadership nationally and internationally. For the past 22 years, Mr. Hendry has worked as a mental health advocate and director of peer-run services.
Mr. Hendry will speak during Breakout Session 2 on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
DAVID READ JOHNSON, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Post Traumatic Stress Center
Dr. Johnson has extensive experience with mental health particularly as it relates to the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. Johnson is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at his alma mater, Yale University. He is also the co-author of Trauma-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Women and President of the Foundation for the Arts and Trauma, Inc.
Mr. Johnson will speak during Breakout Session 13 on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
WILLIAM KELLIBREW IV, Trauma Survivor
Trauma survivor William Kellibrew IV has inspired and empowered many through his work, artistic talent, and powerful presentations. At age six, he was violently raped by his mom’s neighbor and, at age 10, he watched helplessly as his mother and 12-year-old brother were shot in their living room by his mother’s ex-boyfriend. The killer took his own life but not before making William beg for his life at gun point. The next day, William witnessed his grandfather shoot the next door neighbor. Witnessing two shootings in two days shocked and terrified him for years. At age 13, William attempted suicide and was hospitalized more than nine times to grapple with his trauma and clinical depression. He often turned to violence, drugs, alcohol and unhealthy relationships as symptoms of his traumatic experience. He spent many of his teenage years running away, homeless and wondering the streets in a life of despair. Featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, William’s story of recovery and hope has been heard in more than 120 countries with an audience well over 45 million. He will share his story at Mental Health America’s Annual Conference on Friday, June 7.
Mr. Kellibrew will present during Breakout Session 6, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
CLARE MILLER, Director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, American Psychiatric Foundation
Ms. Miller has served as Director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Foundation since 2003. The Partnership collaborates with employers to advance effective approaches to mental health and promotes the business case for investing in quality mental healthcare, including early recognition, access to care and effective treatment. As director, Clare is responsible for the strategy and execution of the program. Under her leadership, the Partnership has grown to a network of more than 5,000 employers and related health purchasing stakeholders; the program now responds to more than 100 employer inquiries per month.
Ms. Clare Miller will present during Breakout Session 12, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
JANE MILLER, LISW, CDBC, AABP-CPBC, President Healing Companions, Inc.
Ms. Miller is committed to holistic modalities of healing and is in practice as a psychotherapist/clinical social worker with her animal-assisted therapy (AAT) dogs. She offers education about and client assessments for Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs) and is currently focused on educating others about the legal, ethical and practical criteria for benefiting from a PSD. Ms. Miller has appeared in a PBS program on the healing power of animals and authored “Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives.”
Ms. Jane Miller will present during Breakout Session 14, on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 10:15am
DAVID MISCHOULON, M.D., PH. D., Director, Research and Alternative Remedy Studies for the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Mischoulon is also the Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has participated in several research studies associated with Complementary and Alternative Medicines. Dr. Mischoulon graduated from the combined M.D. - Ph.D. program at Boston University School of Medicine in 1994 and has authored or co-authored more than 100 original articles, review articles and book chapters. He also co-edited a textbook on natural medications for psychiatric disorders. A recipient of several awards, Dr. Mischoulon teaches and supervises residents and medical students and lectures in various MGH Psychiatry Academy continuing medical education courses.
Dr. Mischoulon will present during Breakout Session 3, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
GAYATHRI RAMPRASAD, MBA, CPS, President and CEO, ASHA International
Ms. Ramprasad is a mental health advocate and a social entrepreneur with a unique insight into the world of mental health. Her successful battle in overcoming life-threatening mental illness and her amazing recovery taught her the power of hope and holistic healing in overcoming chronic illness. Now, she shares her message with others. Ms. Ramprasad has received the 2006 Eli Lilly Welcome Back Award for Lifetime Achievement, the 2006 Voice Award for Consumer Leadership awarded by the U. S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the 2008 Outstanding Alumna Award from her alma mater George Fox University.
Ms. Ramprasad will present during Breakout Session 7, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
BRYAN SAMUELS, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Commissioner Samuels served as Chief of Staff for Chicago Public Schools from 2007-2009, playing a leadership role in managing the operations of the third largest school system in the nation. From 2003 to 2007, Samuels served as the Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the third largest child welfare system in the country. In his current position, Commissioner Samuels has made the social and emotional well-being of vulnerable children and youth his top priority. Under his leadership, ACYF is leading a Department-wide initiative to strengthen management of psychotropic medications for children in foster care and expand the use of effective interventions.
Mr. Samuels will present during Breakout Session 4, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
DAVID SHERN, PH.D., Consultant
Dr. Shern is the former president and CEO of Mental Health America (MHA) and has held several leadership positions in which he helped reengineer mental health care systems in Colorado, New York and Florida. Prior to joining MHA in 2006, Dr. Shern served as dean of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) at the University of South Florida. He has been the principal or co-principal investigator on research projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among others, with support totaling more than $20 million. His research has included studies on the need for community services; the effects of differing organizational, financing and service delivery strategies on continuity of care and client outcome; and the use of alternative service delivery strategies.
Dr. Shern will present during Breakout Session 3, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
LAUREN SPIRO, Director, National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery
Ms. Spiro’s journey of liberation, including being labeled with chronic schizophrenia as a teenager, fuels her passion and informs her life’s work. She co-founded two mental health nonprofit organizations and currently serves as the director of the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery. She co-founded Emotional CPR, a public health education project that trains people to assist others through an emotional crisis. She is an artist who is awakening to the power of creative expression as a tool to transform society. She has an M.A. in clinical/community psychology.
Ms. Spiro will present during Breakout Session 5, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 9:45am
TOM STARLING, President & CEO, Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee
Mr. Starling is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Mediator with degrees in ethics, theology, psychology, and educational administration. He was a 2011 finalist of the Marvin Runyon Award for Leadership and was recognized in 2012 as a “Health Care Hero” by the Nashville Business Journal. Mr. Starling has worked as a Chaplain and has more than a decade of experience in university administration and faculty, including teaching ethics and education law at the graduate level.
Mr. Starling will facilitate Breakout Session 7, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
JULIE TENNILLE, PhD, MSW, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice
Ms. Tennille has been a lecturer in advanced clinical social work practice with the University of Pennsylvania since 2003 and is currently teaching advanced clinical practice at Temple University. She provides brief Motivational Enhancement Therapy to women experiencing intimate partner violence and problem drinking. She received her MSW in 1996 and has been in direct practice, services research, and administration in public mental health and HIV/AIDS services for more than 20 years. Her research interests include HIV primary and secondary prevention, implementation science, and the intersection of research and practice in social work.
Ms. Tennille will present during Breakout Session 8, on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4:00pm
ERIC R. WRIGHT, Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
Dr. Wright holds a BA in sociology from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and an MA and Ph.D. in sociology from Indiana University Bloomington. As a medical sociologist, his research interests center on public policy and social responses to health/illness. He is or has been the Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on several major funded research and evaluation projects and has published numerous policy briefs, technical reports and peer-reviewed scientific papers, which have appeared in interdisciplinary health, health policy and medical so
