New Center Focuses on Behavioral Health

Researchers from the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health opened a new Center for Behavioral Health Policy Studies in October. The center’s mission is to improve the lives of people with mental and substance use disorders through research, education, and service.

The Center for Behavioral Health Policy Studies, led by Rollins Professor Benjamin Druss, is made up of a multidisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students from Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of South Carolina, and The Carter Center Mental Health Program. Examples of ongoing projects include intervention studies to develop and test new models integrating mental health and primary care, studies examining access and quality of care for disadvantaged children with mental health and substance abuse disorders, and evaluations of state and federally funded mental health policies and programs.

“This center is the result of over ten years of a growing portfolio of research and collaborations both within and outside of Emory,” says Druss. “The establishment of the center will help Emory be recognized as a national leader in mental health and substance use services research, teaching, and evaluation.”