Expertise
I am a researcher, grant consultant, and program evaluator specializing in traumatic brain injury (TBI), mental health, substance use disorders (SUD), and social determinants of health (SDOH), with a particular focus on justice-involved veterans. My expertise lies in public health research, behavioral health interventions, and criminal justice system reforms, integrating TBI screening, telehealth-based mental health interventions, and recidivism reduction strategies.
As a Research Project Manager at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) at The University of Alabama, I lead BRAVO-Vets, a statewide initiative embedding evidence-based screening and case navigation into Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs). Through this work, I collaborate with state and federal agencies, research institutions, and private industry to advance innovative, data-driven approaches to veteran rehabilitation and public health policy.
I have secured nearly $4 million in funding from a combination of federal sources (NIH, CDC) and private industry partners (Philips, Janssen, Pfizer) to support research and implementation of TBI and behavioral health programs. My expertise in grant writing, administration, and compliance has been instrumental in sustaining large-scale projects in mental health, neuroscience, and criminal justice reform.
With over 40 peer-reviewed publications in public health, mental health, and neuroscience, I contribute to the academic discourse on veteran behavioral health and policy innovation. I have presented research at national and international conferences, addressing topics such as neurocognitive rehabilitation, AI-powered behavioral health monitoring, and social determinants of recidivism.
My collaborative network includes key agencies such as the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH), and Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA), along with non-profit and private sector partners in trauma recovery, opioid use disorder (OUD) intervention, and crisis response.
Degrees
MPA, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009
MPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009
Keywords
traumatic brain injury veterans treatment courts justice-involved veterans criminal justice reform behavioral health interventions reentry and rehabilitation tbi screening and diagnosis online brain injury screening and support system accountable health communities health-related social needs dsm-5-tr cross-cutting symptoms measures remote behavioral health services telehealth for veterans hybrid mental health models trauma-informed care peer-supported interventions cognitive rehabilitation for veterans veteran cultural competency training care coordination and navigation criminal justice & public health policy integrated criminal justice health models state and federal veteran justice initiatives department of veterans affairs bureau of justice assistance national institute on disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research substance abuse and mental health services administration health resources and services administration medicaid administrative claiming for behavioral health justice system innovation grants department of defense ptsd & tbi research military & veteran health research neuroscience & brain injury research mental health and addiction research public health and epidemiology criminal justice & behavioral health policy data-driven behavioral health analysis ai & machine learning in public health
