Mental Health and Wellness - Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

Marotta co-develops course to train pharmacy professionals for overdose prevention roles

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:44:37 +0000

Phillip Marotta, an assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has co-developed a course that prepares pharmacy professionals who are training to become community health workers in harm reduction, overdose prevention and substance use care. The course, “Integrated Community Approaches to Overdose Prevention and Substance Use Health,” was created by interdisciplinary team of faculty from the Missouri Pharmacy Association, the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis and the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. Brown School alumna Emily Palm, who earned an MSW and MBA in 2024, also helped develop the course. The training provides evidence-based instruction on infectious disease prevention, medications for substance use disorders and strategies to address underlying factors...

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New funding expands Brown School–linked suicide prevention initiative in Missouri schools

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:06:45 +0000

A suicide prevention initiative that began at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is expanding statewide under a new name, supported by new funding to strengthen how Missouri schools prevent and respond to �� suicide risk. The program, now known as the Missouri Hope Policy Academy, has received support from the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network, in collaboration with the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, to develop curriculum and evaluate the scaled-up effort. The academy helps school districts build stronger suicide prevention, intervention and postvention policies. The initiative builds on work that began in 2019 at the Brown School, when faculty researchers sought to better understand how Missouri school districts approached suicide prevention and response at the policy level....

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Edmond installed as William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor

Roger — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:28:11 +0000

Tonya Edmond, a professor at the ��, has been installed as the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor. A ceremony took place Feb. 9 in Hillman Hall’s Clark-Fox Forum. A nationally recognized expert on violence against women and children, Edmond’s research tests the effectiveness of trauma-focused interventions and the implementation of evidence-based treatments for survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and childhood abuse. Although Gordon was not a social worker, then-Dean Benjamin Youngdahl, a fellow University of Minnesota alumnus, recruited him in 1951 to establish one of the nation’s first doctoral programs in social work at the Brown School. Gordon awarded the school’s first doctorate in social work to Sidney E. Zimbalist in 1955.

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Jonson-Reid, Drake co-author new book on child welfare systems

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:10:45 +0000

Melissa Jonson-Reid, the Ralph & Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work Research, and Brett Drake, Professor of Data Science for the Social Good in Practice of Washington University’s Brown School, are co-authors of a new book that examines the processes and outcomes of child welfare services in the United States, with global comparisons highlighting both challenges and opportunities in the field. “Understanding Child Welfare,” was released in January 2026 by Edward Elgar Publishing as an open access publication. It is part of Edward Elgar’s “Understanding” series, which features works authored or edited by leading scholars. The book helps to shed light on which child welfare system reforms may be most likely to benefit at-risk and maltreated children and families. Chapters address key and...

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Brown School faculty member, PhD �� receive research excellence awards

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:38:00 +0000

Nhial Tutlam, an assistant professor, and Flavia Namuwonge, a doctoral �� in social work, both at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, received 2025 Provost Research Excellence Awards the 2025 Global Research Excellence Showcase on Nov. 10. The event recognizes outstanding interdisciplinary research. Tutlam was honored in the faculty category, while Namuwonge received a graduate �� award. Tutlam, an associate director of research at the Brown School‘s International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), also received a global spotlight designation. His research focuses on the mental health effects of war trauma and related risks of suicide, substance use, and HIV among youth affected by conflict. He aims to develop and test culturally relevant community-based interventions in both...

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Chung co-authors chapter in book on emerging trends in school social work

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:34:47 +0000

The social work profession is rapidly evolving, driven by the growth of online mental health services, renewed attention to its history, and an expanding role in policy advocacy, particularly for marginalized communities. A new book explores these shifts and their implications for school social work practice. Saras Chung, a research associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, co-authored a chapter in “Emerging Trends in School Social Work Practice: Responding to Rapid Change in Educational Ecosystems,” published by Oxford University Press. Chung contributed Chapter 13, “Public School Districts as Policy Battlegrounds.” Her chapter explores the ethical and practical challenges school social workers face under restrictive school policies. It offers guidance on advocacy, maintaining ethical standards, and...

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How racial stress shapes Black parents’ confidence in discussing race, study finds

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:16:22 +0000

Black parents who experience racism in their daily lives may feel more confident discussing race and discrimination with their children, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. �� 75% of Black adults in the U.S. report facing some form of racial discrimination, according to the Pew Research Center. The study suggests that these experiences influence how parents approach conversations about race and racism with their children. Titled “Navigating Racial Stress: How Black Mothers’ and Fathers’ Trauma Shapes Confidence in Talking �� Racism,” the study was published in the Journal of Black Psychology. It was led by Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes, a Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar and professor at the Brown School. Researchers surveyed 681 Black parents,...

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Researcher wins $5M NIH grant to improve mental health care for HIV patients

Roger — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:59:54 +0000

Proscovia Nabunya, an associate professor at the Brown School, has received a $5 million federal grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to streamline mental health treatment and HIV medication support for adolescents living with HIV in rural Uganda. The five-year project (2025-2030) is a collaboration with researchers from The City University of New York and other partners. The study aims to integrate evidence-based mental health care into existing HIV treatment systems to improve outcomes for young people navigating both challenges. The team will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention, as well as the barriers affecting access to care and treatment adherence. Ultimately, researchers hope their findings also can...

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Galupo releases new framework, tool to assess gender dysphoria

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Paz Galupo, the Audre Lorde Distinguished Professor for Sexual Health & Education at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has developed a new framework and measurement tool to better understand gender dysphoria. To develop the Multidimensional Model of Gender Dysphoria and its accompanying assessment tool, Galupo, director of the Brown School’s Sexuality, Health, and Gender (SHAG) Center, collaborated with Louis Lindley, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Zakary A. Clements, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Loyola University in Chicago and former postdoctoral researcher at the SHAG Center. The research, supported by a grant awarded to Galupo from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), was published in the American Psychologist, the flagship journal...

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Brown School training program funding renewed, continues decades of work

Natasha — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 16:00:07 +0000

A Brown School training program that helps educate and support mental health researchers and scholars will mark 35 years of continuous funding at the end of its latest grant extension. The Brown School training program in mental health services research has received a five-year $2.4 million grant extension from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), building on 30 years of sustained federal support. “Our goal is to prepare trainees with the knowledge and skills to meet the most pressing needs in social work and mental health services,” said Leopoldo Cabassa, a professor and co-principal investigator on the grant. “This work is especially vital as many of these services face ongoing funding challenges.”...

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Galupo receives APA Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:56:00 +0000

Paz Galupo, Audre Lorde Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health & Education at the Brown School, has received the 2025 Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, Division 44 of the American Psychological Association (APA). Division 44 focuses on the diversity of human sexual orientations by supporting research, promoting relevant education, and affecting professional and public policy. The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award honors individuals who have made significant theoretical or empirical contributions to lesbian, gay, or bisexual psychological issues. Recipients have contributed to the development of a science of LGBT psychology and have provided the scientific basis for practice, education, and the development of public policy. Many past awardees are pioneers who first...

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Lindsay honored for statewide suicide prevention work

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:29:00 +0000

Ryan Lindsay, professor of practice at the Brown School, has received the Missouri Suicide Prevention Innovation Award for his work advancing suicide prevention efforts across the state. The award recognizes individuals and organizations using innovative, community-based approaches to reduce suicide rates statewide. Lindsay is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience in mental health and suicide prevention. He was nominated by Naomi Warren, a social worker in the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District and a Brown School alumna (MSW/JD ’08). “I am deeply privileged and humbled by this recognition,” Lindsay said. “I’d like to thank Naomi for nominating me in recognition of the many hours I spend in the community providing support to schools, organizations, systems, and especially...

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Brown School faculty join national effort to advance psychedelic therapy education

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:44:00 +0000

Two faculty members from the Brown School are among the first cohort to complete a specialized training program designed to help social work and nursing educators integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy content into academic curricula. Tonya Edmond, professor, and Ryan Lindsay, professor of practice and chair of the mental health concentration, were among 63 participants selected from 30 institutions across 22 states for the inaugural 2025 Faculty Fellow cohort of the University Psychedelic Education Program’s (U-PEP) Faculty Education Program. The cohort completed training at the Usona Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, a nonprofit leader in psychedelic-assisted therapy research. As interest grows in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and anxiety, the need for scientifically grounded, interdisciplinary education in...

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Cabassa urges equity in psychedelic therapy during podcast appearance

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 22:58:00 +0000

Leopoldo J. Cabassa, professor at the Brown School and co-founder of WashU’s Center for Holistic Interdisciplinary Research in Psychedelics (CHIRP), is urging greater focus on equitable access as psychedelic-assisted therapy gains momentum in mainstream mental health care. In a recent episode of the podcast Survival in the Trenches: Life Beyond Loss, Cabassa, who also co-directs the Brown School’s Center for Mental Health Services Research, discussed the promise of psychedelic therapy for conditions like treatment-resistant PTSD, depression, as well as the challenges that could hinder fair and widespread access. A nationally recognized expert in health equity and implementation science, Cabassa emphasized the need to prioritize equitable access from the outset. Without intentional planning, he warned, the treatment could be available only to the privileged. “This is...

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Private equity ownership tied to lower psychiatric hospital staffing, higher quality performance

Roger — Thu, 22 May 2025 13:05:40 +0000

Private equity (PE) ownership of psychiatric hospitals in the United States is associated with lower staffing levels, but also higher performance on certain quality measures, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. The study, “Private Equity Ownership of U.S. Psychiatric Hospitals,” published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, is the first comprehensive look at private equity’s penetration into the psychiatric hospital market. “Private equity’s presence in behavioral health has increased significantly in recent years, yet we know little about its effect on care,” said Morgan Shields, an assistant professor and the study’s lead author. “Psychiatric hospitals are often opaque and underregulated, making it critical to understand how ownership models influence what happens inside.” Some highlights...

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