Mental Health

A New Pathway for Mental Health Professionals

Katarina Benson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:32:20 +0000

A New Pathway for Mental Health Professionals Katarina Benson Thu, 08/13/2026 - 14:32

As behavioral health shortages grow nationwide, George Mason is training students to bring evidence-based, culturally responsive care to the communities that need it most.

When Gracie Pak, MSW ’26, sat down with clients at the Inova Cares for Women and Children clinics, she quickly learned that healing begins with trust.

Some of her conversations with young patients required translators. Others required patience, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to listen carefully for what was left unsaid.

George Mason alumna Gracie Pak said the fellowship fundamentally expanded her understanding of adolescent mental health. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“Therapy is an extremely vulnerable experience, and there’s a lot of open communication involved,” Pak says. “It’s very difficult for a lot of people to be honest, especially if they come from a cultural background where therapy is stigmatized.”

For Pak, who completed her master of social work degree at 91�� in May, those moments became some of the most meaningful parts of her fellowship experience. Pak was part of a training program designed to address one of the country’s most urgent public health needs: the shortage of behavioral health professionals serving children, adolescents, and young adults.

George Mason’s Interprofessional Behavioral Health Training Program for Youth Serving Professionals, funded through a four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, prepares graduate students to work in communities where mental health services are often hardest to access. Through clinical placements, interdisciplinary training, and community partnerships, the program is building a pathway for professionals who are equipped to meet the growing demand for youth behavioral health care.

That demand is staggering. Nationwide, there is roughly one mental health provider for every 340 people in need, according to Mental Health America. In Virginia, the ratio is even higher.

“This grant opportunity was a perfect fit,” says Christy Esposito-Smythers, director of George Mason’s Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health (CEBBH) and the program’s principal investigator. “Our center is dedicated to increasing access to evidence-based behavioral health care in community settings through research as well as behavioral health workforce training and consultation for emerging and licensed behavioral health professionals.”

In addition to CEBBH, the program brings together multiple George Mason academic units and centers, including the Center for Community Mental Health in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Center for Health Workforce in the College of Public Health, led by Robyn Mehlenbeck and Caroline Sutter, MSN ’01, DNP ’12, respectively, who are also co-investigators.

To further improve outcomes, this program also draws on the expertise of community leaders working to strengthen the interdisciplinary behavioral health workforce and improve access to care through such organizations as the Virginia Mental Health Access Program, the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, Claude Moore Opportunities, and the Inova Kellar Center.

The program’s design reflects a broader shift happening across health care, one that emphasizes integrated, collaborative models of treatment. Students in George Mason’s clinical psychology, nursing, and social work degree programs train together, mirroring the team-based environments they will enter after graduation.

Each year, 10 fellows like Pak complete supervised practicum experiences within partnering primary care clinics, including Inova Cares for Women and Children, the university’s Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics, Capital Area Pediatrics, Fairfax Pediatric Associates, and the Pediatric Group, among others.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“[When choosing fellows] we look closely at who the applicants want to serve,” says Debora Goldberg, associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy and co-principal investigator. “Their goals and prior experiences help us place them in primary care settings where they can grow and make the greatest impact.”

In addition to advanced training, fellows receive a stipend, which may come with tuition support, to help remove financial barriers to participation. They may also earn micro- and macro-badges recognizing demonstrated competencies as they transition into the workforce.

For many students, the experience is transformational both personally and professionally.

Learning to Meet Patients Where They Are

Pak arrived at the training program with years of experience working with children. She volunteered in classrooms, worked as a substitute teacher, and even gave horseback riding lessons—an experience that sparked her interest in equine-assisted psychotherapy.

Still, she says the fellowship fundamentally expanded her understanding of adolescent mental health. “This experience brought a whole new perspective for me on a much broader level and the challenges that [teens] go through,” Pak says. “A lot of their situations force them to live in survival mode and grow up faster than they should have to.”

Just as valuable as the clinical training was the interprofessional collaboration. “Being in the fellowship with diverse medical personnel was really beneficial for learning how to communicate with one another,” Pak says. “Social work is very unique, so figuring out how to work alongside other medical personnel was essential.”

That collaborative spirit is central to the program’s design. Fellows don’t simply study behavioral health in isolation; they learn how psychologists, nurses, social workers, and physicians work together to support patients and families navigating complex emotional and medical challenges.

Pak is carrying those lessons into her new role as a child and adolescent behavioral health therapist with Healthy Minds Therapy. “I am taking everything I’ve learned throughout the fellowship and the practicum and applying it to my real-life job as a professional therapist,” she says.

From Cameroon to Community Care

For doctoral student Luther Achu Njweipi, MSN ’21, serving as a fellow in the training program strengthened a career already rooted in service.

Njweipi immigrated to the United States from Cameroon after attending schools in underserved communities, an experience that shaped both his worldview and his approach to health care. Today, as a nurse practitioner, he works as a clinical manager at Caregivers Home Health Services in Northern Virginia, supporting patients and families through hospice and palliative care.

In addition to earning his doctorate, Luther Achu Njweipi hopes to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“I saw a need in my line of work that required some behavioral counseling with families that are going through a difficult time with a loved one in serious condition,” says Njweipi, who is working on a doctor of nursing practice degree at George Mason.

In hospice care, conversations often center on grief, uncertainty, and loss. The training program helped him develop new tools to guide families through those moments with empathy and clarity. “It is difficult talking to the family about the dying process and about their expectations going forward,” he says. “No matter how many times I’ve gone through this, it impacts me every time.”

Njweipi’s fellowship placement was at the MAP Clinic in Falls Church, which serves uninsured and economically vulnerable patients across Northern Virginia. There, he witnessed how integrated care models can help close gaps for patients who might otherwise go without services. “I saw close to 10 to 15 people a day in this free clinic that accommodates individuals and families who don’t have any health insurance but are in dire need of health services,” he says.

The training in motivational interviewing and behavioral health assessment broadened the way he thinks about patient care. “Everybody needs mental health counseling at some point because we all go through crises,” Njweipi says. “I really appreciate that our training focused on services across the board—for different ages, cultures, and illnesses.”

Now, in addition to earning his doctorate, he hopes to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

Paying It Forward

The training program aligned perfectly with doctoral student and fellow Irene Regalario’s academic and clinical interests. “My focus is at the intersection of mental health and physical health—caregiver health, chronic illness, or chronic health conditions—so this integrated, interdisciplinary component was such a perfect opportunity for me,” says Regalario, BSN ’18, MA Clinical Psychology ’21.

Working at the MAP Clinic in Manassas Park, Regalario strengthened her patient consultation skills while learning how culturally responsive, evidence-based care can improve outcomes and build trust. “Those [skills] really helped me to build patient rapport, which makes up a good portion of the treatment,” she says. “I loved being able to reassure [my patients] that we’re here to help and protect them and gain that trust and respect in return.”

As a PhD student in clinical psychology, Regalario says one of the program’s most important lessons has been the value of mentorship and shared learning. Faculty supervisors helped her sharpen her clinical instincts, while at the same time she had the opportunity to mentor undergraduate nursing and social work students at the MAP Clinic.

“We’re still training and learning, so it helps me figure out if I have any blind spots,” says Regalario. “To be a supervisor and mentor to some of the undergraduates and to be able to give them perspective in behavioral health training has been such an amazing experience.”

That cycle of mentorship—students learning from clinicians while preparing to guide the next generation themselves—is exactly what the training program hopes to create.

“A main thing that I’ve learned in this program is how to problem-solve with my peers,” says Regalario, who began a residency at Augusta University in Georgia this fall. “We’re asking what we can learn from each other so that we leave here as better medical professionals to make the greatest impact possible in our fields.”

At a time when behavioral health systems nationwide are stretched thin, programs like this one for youth-serving professionals are doing more than training future clinicians. They are helping shape a workforce prepared to deliver compassionate, culturally responsive evidence-based care in the communities that need it most.

“This is really a beautiful academic community partnership that we're developing here,” says Esposito-Smythers. “Consistent with George Mason’s core value of ‘thriving together,’ through collaborative efforts we are increasing access to behavioral health services in primary care settings, which in turn, may improve outcomes for youth and families within entire communities.”

Learn more about CEBBH

Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds

Heather Carroll — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:05:28 +0000

Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds Heather Carroll Wed, 08/12/2026 - 13:05

91�� researchers found that barriers to help-seeking vary across racial and ethnic groups, highlighting gaps in support for male survivors.

Lyric Russo, postdoctoral researcher. Photo provided

Men are less likely than women to seek help after experiencing intimate partner violence, and new research from 91�� found that the main barriers include viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.

In this study, postdoctoral researcher Lyric Russo explored these barriers across racial and ethnic groups in order to address gaps in research in these underrepresented demographics.

“By centering men’s perspectives across racial and ethnic backgrounds, the findings support a more inclusive understanding of intimate partner violence and underscore the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and gender-inclusive interventions that broaden access to and engagement with existing services,” said Russo, first author on a paper recently published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities.

This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 1,200 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White male victims of intimate partner violence. The study was led and paper co-authored by acclaimed male IPV researcher Denise Hines.

Why does this matter?

Denise Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor. Photo provided

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 44% of men report being victims of IPV, but many of these men are not receiving support, highlighting the significance of understanding barriers to seeking help.

“By identifying the challenges to seeking support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for diverse groups of male victims,” said Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work.

“Without focused research, interventions, and support services may fail to reflect the experiences and needs of male victims,” said Russo.

What are the detailed study findings?

Across all racial and ethnic categories, viewing abuse as a private matter was the most common barrier to seeking help.
Latino men were significantly more likely to express concerns about shame or embarrassment being a barrier.
Black men were less likely to report concerns about not being believed.
White men were more likely to report difficulty in labeling their experiences as abuse.

Additional details

The paper, Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Male Victims of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: Insights from Black, Latino, and White Men, was published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities. The paper was selected as the July 2026 editor’s choice article and invited for a research feature on the APA Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities) blog. It is available free of charge. Paper co-authors include Jennifer L. Mezzapelle of 91��, Chiara Sabina of Rutgers University, Kerry A. Lee of Bryn Mawr College, and Emily M. Douglas of Montclair State University.

thumbnail provided by Nadeem from AdobeStock

Key Takeaways

Across racial and ethnic groups, the main barriers to men seeking help for intimate partner violence are viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.
This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 2,000 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White men victims of intimate partner violence.
By identifying the challenges that may prevent men from accessing intimate partner violence support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for male victims.

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Topics

Intimate Partner Violence

College of Public Health

CPH research

SW research

Postdocs

Hines appointed first woman editor-in-chief of ‘Psychology of Men and Masculinities'

Heather Carroll — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:17:45 +0000

Hines appointed first woman editor-in-chief of ‘Psychology of Men and Masculinities' Heather Carroll Tue, 08/04/2026 - 15:17

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Key Takeaways

Denise Hines has been appointed the first woman editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities.
With more than 25 years of experience, Hines is a national expert on men’s lives, mental health, relationships, help-seeking, and intimate partner violence victimization.
This appointment reflects Hines’ scholarship on men and masculinities, and her commitment to mentoring emerging scholars, fostering interdisciplinary research, and translating research findings into real-world solutions.

An international expert on male intimate partner violence, Denise Hines has more than 25 years of experience researching men’s lives, mental health, relationships, and intimate partner violence victimization.

Denise Hines

International expert on male intimate partner violence Denise Hines has been appointed the first woman editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities, a journal of the American Psychological Association.

Hines is the Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work at 91��’s College of Public Health and has spent more than 25 years conducting research on men’s lives, mental health, relationships, help-seeking, and intimate partner violence victimization. She is a leader in male intimate partner violence research and help-seeking strategies.

This appointment reflects Hines’ scholarship on men and masculinities, and her longstanding commitment to mentoring early career researchers, fostering interdisciplinary research, and translating research findings into real-world solutions for individuals, families, and communities.

“The journal has played a formative role in advancing understanding of men's lives, health, relationships, and well-being, and I am honored by the opportunity to help shape its future," said Hines. “I am particularly excited to foster rigorous, innovative, and inclusive scholarship that captures the diversity and complexity of men's experiences, supports emerging scholars, and advances research with meaningful implications for practice, policy, and social change. After more than two decades as an author, reviewer, editorial board member, and guest editor, I view this role as an opportunity to give back to a field that has profoundly shaped my professional life while helping position the journal for continued growth and impact.”

Hines served on the journal’s editorial board since 2021 and recently guest edited a special issue focused on men’s experiences with intimate partner violence and family abuse victimization. She has had nine articles published in the journal, including her first-ever publication in 2001. In 2010, she was named in the Top 10 Most Productive Psychology of Men and Masculinity Scholars, and the only female scholar to make the Top 10.

“My work has often focused on populations whose experiences are overlooked or misunderstood, particularly male victims of intimate partner violence, and I hope to continue supporting research that improves practice, policy, and public understanding of men’s experiences,” said Hines.

She begins her four-and-a-half-year term as editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities in January 2027.

Topics

Intimate Partner Violence

Men's Health

Mental Health

Faculty and Staff News

College of Public Health

Potomac Health Foundation grant will support expanded community mental health services in Prince William County

ckearney — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:14:21 +0000

Potomac Health Foundation grant will support expanded community mental health services in Prince William County ckearney Mon, 09/08/2025 - 13:14

As executive director of the Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William, Martina Jackson Green said many of the needs the nonprofit organization addressed coming out of the pandemic were immediate.

Robyn Mehlenbeck (right) is director of the Center for Community Mental Health. Photo provided

The association provided funding to community organizations and individuals who helped Prince William County residents with paying their rent or resolving food insecurities. While mental health services received some aid, Jackson Green said it has become a priority that residents have access to affordable options.

91��’s Center for Community Mental Health (CCMH) aims to fill that need. Recently, the CCMH received a grant from the Potomac Health Foundation that will directly support its Stepped Mental Health Care Program.

“Funding for the center is important because there are so many people in the community who need quality care at a rate they can afford,” Jackson Green said. “This center provides accessible care that meets community members where they are. Language, cost, and transportation are often barriers to service. This program has accounted for those barriers. I think the center meets the needs of our community in a lot of ways.”

The three-stepped program from CCMH offers evidenced-based mental health care and provides a free, confidential emotional support line seven days a week with clinicians fluent in Spanish and English. The second step provides skills-based therapy for adults, with a three-session telehealth intervention, which is free for Prince William County residents (along with veterans and George Mason students, faculty, staff or contractors). Finally, longer-term therapy is available upon referral to children, teenagers, and adults on a sliding pay scale.

In addition to funding services for Prince William County residents, the Potomac Health Foundation grant will also support community outreach, including making presentations, connecting with community leaders, and developing a community advisory board.

“We understand mental health is a huge need in the community,” said Imani Amponsah, senior program officer for the Potomac Health Foundation. “We loved that it was in Spanish and English so that it was bilingual, which we think is very important for our community. Prince William County is home to such a diverse population—it serves a very important need in our community.”

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, more than 21% of all households in Prince William County reported Spanish as their primary language.

George Mason psychology professor Robyn Mehlenbeck, who has served as the director of CCMH since 2010, said the emotional support line and the telehealth option is important for many of the center’s Spanish-speaking clients who are hesitant to leave their homes for safety reasons.

On the other side of the phone line and in therapeutic sessions are George Mason undergraduate and graduate students providing services under the supervision of licensed faculty who are practicing, teaching, or conducting nationally funded research.

Mehlenbeck believes the special hands-on experience students receive by being immersed in the community, especially working with groups such as veterans, will hopefully spur them to pay it forward in the future.

“We have so many people who are so passionate about wanting to get experiences; it is just a win-win,” Mehlenbeck said. “They get real-life experience. So many of our George Mason students want to give back to the community and we have a developmental trajectory. I think it is incredibly rewarding because I feel very strongly the more we train folks in communities, the more they are likely to give back later on.”

Clinical psychology PhD candidate Patricia Mejia already appears to be on that track. Meijia, who also received her master’s degree from George Mason, has spent the past three years working at the center in a variety of roles. She is currently the supervisor for the Spanish emotional support line, has served as a student clinician for adults and children in therapeutic sessions, provided psychological assessments, and conducted qualitative interviews for her research.

Mejia says the center has opened her eyes to possibly pursue a career similar to Mehlenbeck’s where she is teaching in higher education while also overseeing a center devoted to community mental health. “Given that I want to wear numerous hats, the clinic really does provide a great training opportunity either for those who know what they want to do and want to get training, or it is a good space for finding yourself,” Mejia said. “Truly, it is a very enriching experience and, importantly, we are able to work with really great community [members] and see the impact we are making on a day-to-day basis.”

Topics

Campus News

Community Impact

Mental Health

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

How resilience, caring, and lived experience created a social worker

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 08 May 2025 20:05:41 +0000

How resilience, caring, and lived experience created a social worker Mary Cunningham Thu, 05/08/2025 - 16:05

Before she ever considered social work as a profession, Rocío Rodríguez Morales was already an advocate for her family, starting at a young age.

Growing up in Southern California as the oldest of five in a Mexican American home, Rodríguez acted as her family’s unofficial translator and guide—managing doctor’s appointments, school meetings, and social services. “I was doing things most children don’t have to do,” she said.

Rocio Rodríguez, MSW '25. Photo by Madalyn Julianna

In high school, Rodríguez’s parents encouraged her to seek out support through the federally funded TRIO program, a college access initiative run through local universities that helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds. “They said, 'I don’t know how to teach you about financial aid, so go ask the lady you see every Saturday.'"

The program opened doors for her to tour college campuses, spend summers in dorms, and get help with tutoring and admissions.

Rodríguez became the first in her family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, then a master's in education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Her background led her to roles assisting military families and helping students navigate college and financial aid. But in 2020, when she took a job as a case manager for Exodus Recovery—a California nonprofit serving veterans, Medicaid patients, and people facing housing instability—her path came into focus. “I called my parents and said, ‘I found a job doing what I’ve always done: helping people,’” she said.

The team surrounding her, meanwhile, was packed with social workers. "All of them kept telling me, 'You should become a social worker, too. Just do it.'"

“That was my community”

When life as a Marine Corps spouse uprooted her young family cross country to Virginia, Rodríguez enrolled in the online Master of Social Work (MSW) program at 91��. By that point, it was clear that the formal degree wasn’t just an option—it was a necessity. “Doors for jobs kept closing because I didn’t have my MSW,” she said. “And I needed a career I could carry with me, wherever life took us.”

She began her degree during one of the most tumultuous periods of her life in 2022. Isolated from loved ones out West and newly pregnant with her third child, she was helping her husband recover from an injury that led to his medical retirement while also coping with her mother’s immigration challenges. “It was a very vulnerable time,” she said.

Rodríguez reached out to George Mason faculty for support—not knowing exactly what she needed, just knowing she couldn’t do it alone. “I finally sent that email saying, ‘I need help,’” she says—and in return she found empathy, flexibility, and guidance toward resources.

The Mason Community-Academic Partnerships in Behavioral Health (CAP-BH) Program in the Department of Social Work’s became her anchor, providing a $10,000 stipend, training in trauma-informed care and telehealth, and virtual reality-based therapy simulations. She found herself part of a close-knit cohort of about 30 peers.

“That was my community,” Rodríguez said.

Behind the scenes, her husband was a steady source of support. “There were days I’d rush from dropping off the kids straight into a Zoom class, and my husband would be sliding a coffee or plate of food next to me," she said.

Making it official

As Rodríguez worked toward her degree, her career in Virginia expanded. She first led the education arm of a foster care company for unaccompanied children at Adore Children and Family Services, then started conducting foster parent home studies. Since August 2023, she has served as program director for Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area’s (LSSNCA) specialized foster care program, helping place unaccompanied refugee minors in safe and supportive homes.

She’s seen the impact firsthand, like with the young man in her program who’s now pursuing a college degree, supporting his recently resettled family, and taking on a “big brother role” to the new kids at LSSNCA. “He shares what worked for him with others,” she said. “That’s exactly what we want.”

Rodríguez will officially become a social worker on May 15, the day she graduates from George Mason. The same week, she will take the podium as the College of Public Health’s student degree celebration speaker.

From there, she’ll begin logging 3,000 clinical hours, part of her long-term goal to one day open her own practice. “There’s so much stigma around mental health, especially in the communities I care about,” she said. “I want to build a practice that feels safe for military families and Spanish-speaking families."

Rodríguez is even nudging her husband to consider joining her in the field. “I keep telling him, ‘You’ve been my partner through all of this—you’d make a great social worker, too,’” she said.

Connect with the Alumni Association

Topics

master of social work

Professor, students travel to Rwanda for peace-building mission

sbrown79 — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:14:32 +0000

Professor, students travel to Rwanda for peace-building mission sbrown79 Wed, 04/16/2025 - 10:14

This spring, 91�� Professor Al Fuertes traveled to Rwanda to facilitate workshops for former victims and perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan mass genocide.

“These are people who have extended forgiveness and reconciliation, something many of us might think is surreal or impossible,” said Fuertes, who teaches in the School of Integrative Studies in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “But this is proof that even against the backdrop of genocide, it’s possible.”

Al Fuertes (bottom center) at a peace-building workshop in Rwanda. Photo provided.

Fuertes, who has a background in conflict analysis and resolution and specializes in trauma healing, has previously traveled to Rwanda in March and November 2024, and has taken students with him on some of his excursions as part of a study-abroad program for which he is the faculty director.

His most recent trip was in collaboration with the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Protestant University of Rwanda (PUR) located in Huye District. Fuertes also connected and collaborated with the grassroots organization, "Light Group" in Remera, and the Aegis Trust, a program component of the Rwanda Genocidal Memorial.

Al Fuertes conducting a peace-building workshop. Photo provided.

“It's a different level of learning when students have the opportunity to meet firsthand those who were involved or impacted and are now sharing their stories,” said Fuertes.

“It is an extremely freeing and life-changing thing for students to experience, especially those who don't necessarily believe in forgiveness or who struggle to forgive.”

Each semester, Fuertes hosts a panel presentation of Rwandan survivors as part of the learning activities in my graduate courses CONF 695 Praxis of Forgiveness and Reconciliation amid Polarization and CONF 695 Psychosocial Trauma Healing. This spring semester’s panel resulted in increased participation from George Mason students.

“Knowing that one of the challenges to reconciliation in Rwanda is poverty, students from my trauma-informed and resilience-oriented practice class decided to donate 15 goats to families of both former perpetrators and former victims, now survivors,” said Fuertes.

Dianne Rambo, BIS in Peacebuilding and Well-Being Studies ’24, has been a federal contractor in the intelligence world for more than 20 years. She came back to George Mason to study the process of healing childhood trauma in adults in hopes of becoming a mental health counselor.

“I took [CONF 695 the Praxis of Forgiveness and Reconciliation] with Al, and the course material and experiential learning have really changed the course of my life and career goals,” said Rambo, who met Fuertes at an online workshop for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Rambo, who is currently a non-degree graduate student in George Mason’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and part of George Mason's Working Group on Forgiveness and Reconciliation along with Fuertes, traveled to Rwanda with Fuertes for the 14-day winter study-abroad program focusing on genocide, healing, and reconciliation.

A healing circle. Photo by Al Fuertes.

“I met the Rwandans via Zoom panels while in Al’s class. We learned about their stories and it just blew my mind how they were facilitating this reconciliation as a nation and how it transformed their nation from this mass atrocity that happened just a couple decades ago,” said Rambo, who has also traveled to Northern Ireland, Scandanavia, and the Philippines for peace-building missions.

“Our program partners facilitated visits to the genocide memorials, and we were able to build a space that felt safe and comfortable. We'd debrief afterward where you can share the intense feelings that you may have experienced. We're seeing really hard things, but we're able to process our emotions,” said Rambo.

Rambo has been accepted into George Mason's CEHD Counseling degree program and will begin the cohort program this fall.

Rambo, Fuertes, and their program partners also have participants journal and conduct community-building activities.

“I thought of bringing healing through peace-building because it's not enough just to resolve the conflict,” said Fuertes. “If victimization is not healed, most likely, people may start embracing the victim narrative and eventually become the new perpetrator.”

In This Story

Al Fuertes

Discover the School of Integrative Studies

Topics

study abroad

Mental Health

Peacebuilding

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Students

Meet the Mason Nation: Nandini Koka

lclarkg — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:37:27 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Nandini Koka lclarkg Wed, 11/20/2024 - 12:37

Nandini Koka, MD

Job: Executive Director, Student Health Services

Dr. Nandini Koka, executive director of Student Health Services at 91��. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Nandini Koka joined 91�� in April 2023 as executive director of Student Health Services, where she leads a staff of nearly 50 that includes doctors, nurse practitioners, counselors, and nurses. As a medical doctor with training in family medicine and urgent care, she is passionate about helping patients get better quickly and enhancing access to care.

At the largest and fastest-growing public research university in Virginia, Koka has found a place where the need for that care continues to grow.

The doctor is in: In her role, Koka provides direction and leadership for Student Health Services to ensure students receive quality clinical care. She also serves as a medical advisor and resource to campus leaders on health-related matters. In a post-pandemic world, where many aspects of health care remain an urgent community need, her input is essential across George Mason’s campuses.

Helping the student body: Koka knows that learning is not confined to the classroom, and some of the biggest lessons can address a fundamental part of students’ lives: their health.

“I am excited to work at George Mason because of the opportunity to care for a diverse student population,” said Koka. “I want to help guide students as they become advocates for their own health and create goals to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

Appointments on the books: Last year, Student Health Services had 16,500 student interactions—this includes in-person and telehealth visits, lab work, and nurse triage interactions across the Fairfax, Mason Square, and Science and Technology campuses.

Koka knows this number could go even higher. One of her primary goals is to increase awareness of the health services available to students.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is creating awareness around Student Health Services and the fact that we are a full-service medical clinic,” said Koka.

Addressing the body and mind: “We continue to see the need for mental health care as a challenge in the community,” said Koka. “Student Health Services has a unique approach to behavioral health, as we utilize a collaborative care model.”

Dr. Koka leads a staff of nearly 50 that includes doctors, nurse practitioners, counselors, and nurses. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In this model, medical providers partner with behavioral health counselors to co-manage the care of students. Koka says that this team approach has given students more touchpoints with clinicians and provides a more holistic care model.

Additionally, all patients who visit Student Health Services are given a mental health screening at their first visit, and once a year thereafter. Primary care providers are a key point to identify concerns related to mental health.

Finding ways to make it cost-free: Sexual and reproductive care is another critical area of need at Student Health Services. “We have partnered with a community organization to provide free sexually transmitted infection (STI) services to students throughout the semester,” said Koka. “We continue to look for ways to expand access to services for our students.”

Fostering a supportive community: A dynamic campus community is what brought Koka to higher education. “I have been able to interact with our students and see their excitement about being here at George Mason and wanting to be a part of this community,” said Koka.

Rest as part of health: Outside of work, Koka enjoys spending time with her family. “Our two daughters keep us busy with soccer and dance, and we have fun going to the games and watching the performances,” said Koka. To relax, she might go for a run, play with her dog, or try out new recipes.

More about Student Health Services

Topics

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College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:03:05 +0000

College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/10/2024 - 13:03

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

Kevin Lybarger

As a leader in innovative health solutions, 91��’s College of Public Health received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIM-AHEAD program grant to pilot an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Black and African Americans with depression. Professor Farrokh Alemi will enhance his first-of-its-kind, evidence-based artificial intelligence tool to address the medication needs of African Americans with depression.

Professor of Health Informatics Farrokh Alemi

The existing AI tool recommends antidepressants for 16,775 general-population patient subgroups, each representing a unique combination of medical history. For each of these subgroups, the current project will analyze the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recommendations for African Americans, using the NIH All of Us database and existing published literature.

To the researchers' knowledge, this is the first research focused on developing and evaluating an antidepressant recommendation system for Black and African American people.

“Antidepressant medications are a first-line treatment for depression; however, a majority of depressed patients do not experience improvement with their first antidepressant. Additionally, minority populations, including Black and African Americans, are not well represented in antidepressant studies, contributing to reduced antidepressant effectiveness in these populations,” said Alemi. “There is a significant need to synthesize available evidence regarding antidepressant effectiveness and provide personalized treatment recommendations, and this project addresses a major gap in the management of Black and African Americans with depression.”

Researchers will develop a Knowledge-enhanced Antidepressant Recommendation Dialogue System (KARDS), which will engage users in a back-and-forth conversation to acquire the patient information needed to identify the appropriate antidepressant medication. The AI will provide the patient with a list of recommended medications, list of the relevant studies, and an explanation for the medication decisions. The system will automatically send the patient’s clinician a brief point-of-care recommendation and explanation, with an option to examine a complete record of the conversation and the supporting evidence.

“Chatbots—or patient-facing dialogue systems like the one we will create—hold transformative potential for the health care sector and are increasingly prominent in psychiatric applications, predominantly through therapy-bot implementations,” said Alemi. “Our chatbot will help improve the detailed, time-consuming, medical history intake process, and provide point-of-care summary and prescription recommendations to the patients’ clinicians. The chatbot will make patients more comfortable because the natural language modality provides an intuitive, empathetic, stigma-free interface.”

Once the AI chatbot is developed, the team will test the dialogue system with Black and African American patients to evaluate system functionality and user preferences. Additionally, the project will train a Black or African American doctoral or master’s student in AI, expanding the available workforce and building the community’s capacity to address AI.

Alemi will lead the research team, which includes Janusz Wojtusiak, a George Mason professor of Health Informatics and the director of the Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory, and Kevin Lybarger, a George Mason assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology in the College of Engineering and Computing. All three members have collaborated previously to diagnose COVID at home from presenting symptoms.

The $70,906 grant is part of the NIH’s AIM-AHEAD (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity) program, which aims “to establish mutually beneficial and coordinated partnerships to increase the participation and representation of researchers and communities currently underrepresented in the development of AI/machine learning models and enhance the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with electronic health record data.”

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how George Mason faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes.

If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

Topics

Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

Artificial Intelligence

George Mason researchers harness the power of artificial intelligence to match patients with the most effective antidepressant for their unique needs

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 29 May 2024 19:46:58 +0000

George Mason researchers harness the power of artificial intelligence to match patients with the most effective antidepressant for their unique needs Mary Cunningham Wed, 05/29/2024 - 15:46

Researchers in 91��’s College of Public Health have leveraged the power of artificial intelligence (AI) analytical models to match a patient’s medical history to the most effective antidepressant, allowing patients to find symptom relief sooner. The free website, MeAgainMeds.com, provides evidence-based recommendations, allowing clinicians and patients to find the optimal antidepressant the first time.

Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor of health informatics at 91��’s College of Public Health

“Many people with depression must try multiple antidepressants before finding the right one that alleviates their symptoms. Our website reduces the number of medications that patients are asked to try. The system recommends to the patient what has worked for at least 100 other patients with the same exact relevant medical history,” said Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor of health informatics at 91��’s College of Public Health.

AI helped to simplify the very complex task of making the thousands of guidelines easily accessible to patients and clinicians. The guidelines that researchers created are complicated because of the amount of clinical information that is relevant in prescribing an antidepressant; AI seamlessly simplifies the task.

With AI at its core, MeAgainMeds.com analyzes clinician or patient responses to a few anonymous medical history questions to determine which oral antidepressant would best meet the specific needs. The website does not ask for any personal identifiable information and it does not prescribe medication changes. Patients are advised to visit their primary health care provider for any changes in medication.

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control reported that more than 13% of adults use antidepressants, and the number has only increased since the pandemic and other epidemics since 2020. This website could help millions of people find relief more quickly.

Alemi and his team analyzed 3,678,082 patients who took 10,221,145 antidepressants. The oral antidepressants analyzed were amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, desvenlafaxine, doxepin, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone, and venlafaxine. From the data, they created 16,770 subgroups of at least 100 cases, using reactions to prior antidepressants, current medication, history of physical illness, history of mental illness, key procedures, and other information. The subgroups and remission rates drive the AI to produce an evidence-based medication recommendation.

“By matching patients to the subgroups, clinicians can prescribe the medication that works best for people with similar medical history,” said Alemi. The researchers and website recommend that patients who use the site take the information to their clinicians, who will ultimately decide whether to prescribe the recommended medicine.

Alemi and his team tested a protype version of the site in 2023, which they advertised on social media. At that time, 1,500 patients used the website. Their goal is to improve the website and expand its user base. The initial research was funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The researchers’ most recent paper in a series of papers on response to antidepressants analyzed 2,467 subgroups of patients who had received psychotherapy. “Effectiveness of Antidepressants in Combination with Psychotherapy” was published online in March 2024. Additional authors include Tulay G Soylu from Temple University, and Mary Cannon and Conor McCandless from Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland.

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Discover more Research from the College of Public Health

Topics

Artificial Intelligence

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Research

In the George

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK

mthomp7 — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:14:29 +0000

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK mthomp7 Fri, 03/22/2024 - 13:14

Destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community, one barbershop at a time

91�� alumnus Gary T. Taylor, MSW '15, is destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community one barbershop at a time. “Barbershops are this safe space for Black men,” says Taylor who has been working with local barbershops in the Rappahannock region of Virginia since 2022 to foster healthy discussions about mental health by educating barbers on “mental health first aid” for their patrons.

“This is where men may go to talk through things, have big debates, talk about sports. Barbershops are an important part of culture for us as Black men—just like salons are for Black women,” says Taylor. Given the trusted role that barbers often play in Black men’s lives—it seemed like a natural place to Taylor for reaching men about mental health.

Taylor has found that barbershop talks play an important role in normalizing talking about issues and going to therapy. The talks can help point participants in the right direction to get therapy resources or find substance abuse resources.

Working in partnership with the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board, Taylor realized he could bring his crisis therapy experience into the community through “barbershop talks”—informal group discussions with the barber, the shop patrons, and a trained social worker.

“Most of the time when you talk to barbers, they'll tell you they're almost de facto therapists and social workers,” says Taylor, “They're listening to their clients’ problems and maybe don’t know about resources available to help. So we wanted to equip the barbers to know what the necessary resources are just in case somebody comes in and it's a crisis or they're really struggling and they don't know where to go.”

It helps reduce stigma by normalizing that it's OK to not be OK. Therapy doesn’t mean I'm crazy or something's wrong with me,” he says.

Taylor relays to participants that seeking mental health support is just like taking your car in for an oil change to make sure it keeps running properly.

“With the rise of substance abuse and overdoses, the barbers or the folks that are coming to these barbershop talks now are getting Narcan training too. And I think that's the strengths-based approach to meet the community where they're at,” said Taylor.

To date, Taylor has completed more than five barbershop talks in the Rappahannock region and is working with female colleagues to begin salon talks this spring.

“It’s important that people who share lived experiences are leading these sessions, so the participants can relate and see themselves in the facilitator,” says Taylor. "I can speak to that direct cultural experiences of Black men and then also bring in my skill set, my knowledge, my experience, my education to help provide that education and awareness

An assistant professor at Virginia State University, Taylor is also passionate about “passing the baton” to the next generation by getting more Black people—particularly Black men—into the social work profession to meet the growing demand.

“The suicide rate for young Black men has been increasing over the past 5 to 10 years, starting from ages 9 and 10 up to the mid-20s. We’re seeing similar challenges for Black girls too. So, there is a growing need for diversity in the social work profession. That cultural awareness piece for the Black community and having more Black social workers, Black practitioners, Black Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), it's very, very, very important as we progress in the field.”