This is the second of a three-part webinar series related to forensic mental health. Participants interested in this topic are encouraged to attend the series, but each presentation can be viewed independently and participation in one is not dependent on participation in other lectures in the series. Research and policy communication experts, Sarah Walker, PhD, and Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, will be sharing scholarly perspectives and their personal experiences of working in the 'research to policy' process, including how to gauge and utilize policymakers' interests, and the research to date on tested models of evidence-informed policymaking. They will discuss the importance of intentionally building relationships to create change at local, state, and national levels, and how to better find and speak to important audiences for effective dissemination of results and findings to increase reach and impact of your work.
Learn the most common ways research is used and research use is facilitated in policymaking
Hear strategies for how to partner and tailor research to increase the likelihood that it will be used by policymakers
Be able to craft the first steps for moving research forward for public health impact
Sarah Cusworth Walker, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor and Director of a research to policy center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Her center, the CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy (CoLab) conducts and researches methods of bridging science and community voice to improve public health. She is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Foundation Champion for Change award and a 2019 Robert Wood Foundation Health Equity award for her work in juvenile justice system reform.
Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and the Director of the University’s Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law. She received the 2017 American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, in part, for her advocacy for persons with mental illness who have criminal justice involvement. She is the Legal Digest Editor for the Journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She specializes in psycho-legal assessment, research, and education.
