The Heller School for Social Policy and Management

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Aiming to increase recognition of the way behaviors impact health, and to work with systems and organizations to design processes and approaches
that improve the overall health of the population.

Aiming to increase recognition of the way behaviors impact health, and to work with systems and organizations to design processes and approaches that improve the overall health of the population.

SIHP INSTITUTES

IBH AFFILIATED SITES

Welcome to the
Institute for Behavioral Health

CONSTANCE M. HORGAN, SC.D.
Director

Since the Heller School began, both faculty and students have studied mental and substance use disorders. Formalized in 2003, IBH focuses on the intersection of health, behavior, and systems of care, with an emphasis on their linkages. Its underlying premise is that these systems can be better used to promote healthier lifestyles and assist individuals to engage in behaviors which lead to better health.

Our focus is broadening to include other issues that are affected by behaviors which can be targeted by interventions and have an impact on health and wellness. In addition to studying systems of care, we investigate health outcomes that are associated with behaviors, and also develop and test methods to evaluate the effects of behaviors on health.

We consider a variety of systems of care, including health care delivery, as well as criminal justice, education, social services, housing, military and the workplace.

We hope that you find this site useful as you learn more about our research staff and our activities in behavioral health.

Constance M Horgan elec signature

Spotlight

A study co-directed by Drs. Elizabeth Merrick and Dominic Hodgkin, both at IBH, will evaluate the benefit of financial incentives for patients to increase rates of recommended mammography screening. The study is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio and the Donaghue Foundation through its initiative, “Applying Behavioral Economics to Perplexing Health and Health Care Challenges” and represents a collaboration between Brandeis and Tufts Health Plan. This $100,000 grant is one of only eight awarded nationwide from over 300 responses to an open solicitation.

Peter Kreiner, Ph.D., PI for Prescription Monitoring Program Center of Excellence (COE) at Brandeis' Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, research at the COE was recently noted in a New York Times article. Read more... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/health/emergency-room-doctors-dental-patients-and-drugs.html?_r=2&ref=catherinesaintlouis

New and Notable

Sharon Reif and co-author Mary Jo Larson, received communications from Stephan Arndt, Ph.D.,Editor, Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
Their paper "Chronic disease and recent addiction treatment utilization among alcohol and drug dependent adults " http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/content/6/1/28 is currently the most read paper in the journal. There have been over 700 downloads from the journal's site since Oct 18^th. The publisher estimates that at least that many again are downloaded from mirror sites, so about 1,400 downloads within 3 weeks. Congratulations for a very topical paper!

The Prescription Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at the Heller School, Brandeis University, is noted in USA Today editorial about painkiller abuse in America... more

Recent Publications