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Tom Massey named director of research for Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce
Oliver “Tom” Massey, PhD, has been selected as director of research for the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW).
Massey has been a vital part of the center since its founding in 2024, serving as interim director of research and helping shape FCBHW’s research priorities. Under his leadership, the research core has launched supply and demand analyses, supported workforce surveys, and developed original studies designed to inform policy and practice. He also guided FCBHW’s first intramural grant program, ensuring that projects address Florida’s most pressing behavioral health workforce challenges with practical, actionable solutions.
With this appointment, Massey will continue leading FCBHW’s mission to "Grow. Retain. Innovate." through applied research that strengthens the behavioral health workforce across Florida.
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Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce welcomes new team members
The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW) welcomes two new team members who bring strong expertise and passion to the mission of growing Florida’s behavioral health workforce.
Lianna Hernandez, MSW, RCSWI, (pictured on left) joins as the first program manager of student engagement and educational pathways. In this role, she will oversee youth mentoring programs, coordinate career expos, and lead student engagement initiatives. Hernandez, a registered clinical social worker intern and adjunct faculty member at USF, previously served as academic services administrator in the School of Social Work after being named a CBCS Outstanding Graduate in 2023.
Paige Alitz, PhD, MPH, (pictured on right) joins FCBHW as a visiting research scholar. A double alumna of USF, she earned her doctorate in behavioral and community sciences and her MPH in epidemiology before serving as a social science analyst with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. At FCBHW, Alitz will lead research on Florida’s peer specialist workforce, a growing part of behavioral health care.
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School of Aging Studies launches monthly tips for aging well
Faculty and doctoral students in the School of Aging Studies have begun producing "News You Can Use to Age Well," a series of one-page, reader-friendly research summaries designed to share practical information that older adults can apply in their everyday lives. The School of Aging Studies plans to publish new editions of "News You Can Use to Age Well" each month and is seeking faculty partners whose research may be featured. Read more.
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Heather George co-edits second edition of Handbook of Positive Behavior Support
Heather Peshak George, PhD, professor and director of the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities (FCIC) in the Department of Child and Family Studies, served as co-editor of the "Handbook of Positive Behavior Support, Second Edition," the latest book in the Issues in Clinical Child Psychology series. Read more.
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Gerald Imaezue invited to present on optimizing self-feedback for aphasia at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s BuzzLab
Gerald C. Imaezue, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and director of the Brain and Aphasia Recovery Lab, presented at BuzzLab, a selective research forum hosted by the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in affiliation with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Read more.
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Doctoral student Anna Soares selected for 2025 ASHFoundation Graduate Student Scholarship
Anna Soares, MS, a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has been awarded the 2025 Graduate Student Scholarship by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation. This national honor recognizes graduate students who have shown exemplary academic performance and demonstrated strong promise in advancing the field of communication sciences and disorders. Read more.
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Students learn about DUI laws and sobriety testing from Tampa police
Tampa Police Department Sgt. Matthew Belmonte and DUI Cpl. Jacob Gonzalez visited a class led by Colby Valentine, PhD, associate professor of instruction, to demonstrate field sobriety tests and explain Florida DUI laws. Read more.
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FBI: Michigan Church Attack “Act of Targeted Violence”
CNN
"'This falls under a certain designation where it's clearly ideologically driven, targeted violence and obviously this is something that we've been seeing a lot over and over again across this country,' said Bryanna Fox."
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Keep on: A sudden silence became the seed of sustained compassion
USF Foundation
"Ensuring nursing home staffs are led by administrators who instill the need to respect and understand their residents is essential, says Lindsay Peterson, director of the health-care administration and aging sciences internship programs at USF. She teaches her students to make certain their employees are well-trained — and value the history and humanity of every person in their care."
| | Defense of a Doctoral Dissertation | | |
Title: The Role of Self Determination in Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care
Student: John Martin
Program: Behavioral and Community Sciences
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: MHC 2502E
| | Upcoming Events & Deadlines | | |
CHARIT-A-BULL Donation Drive
Oct. 1–17
CBS drop-off locations: MHC 1117, MHC Atrium, PCD 1st Floor Lobby, and in the SOC building (on the 3rd floor, Criminology reception area).
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Bridge Clinic - Social Work Society October Donation Drive
Oct. 1–30
The USF BRIDGE Clinic is a student-run free clinic serving
uninsured adults in Tampa. Social work students provide
assessments, counseling, and resource referrals to address psychosocial needs and connect patients with community support. Donation boxes can be found in the School of Social Work suite MHC 1400.
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Mind the Gaps: Addressing Gaps in Florida’s Behavioral Health System (hosted by Florida Advocates for Behavioral Health)
Oct. 9 | 12–1:30 p.m. | Online event | Register here
Panelists Kathleen Moore, PhD, executive director of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, and Courtney Whitt, PhD, executive director of the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, will review and discuss the 2025 Florida DCF commissioned study, "Behavioral Health Gap Analysis." Read the report and register here.
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Prevent-Teach-Reinforce Model Training
Oct. 10 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | via Microsoft Teams
The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) Model Training, facilitated by Rose Iovannone, PhD, is an 8-hour training divided into two parts, offered on two different days. It is recommended that participants attend the training on both days.
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Annual Open Enrollment and Benefits Fair & Wellness Expo
Oct. 13 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Marshall Student Center Ballroom
Attend the Benefits Fair & Wellness Expo to learn more about important plan updates and the many benefits available to USF employees. Vendors will be present with information about their products and services. This year, the Tampa campus will host a single benefits fair for all USF campuses. Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 31. Prepare by visiting usf.edu/OE.
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Breaking Invisible Bonds: Navigating the Challenges of Trauma Bonding in Cases of Human Trafficking
Oct. 17 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Online Event
Joan Reid, PhD, is a leading expert on human trafficking whose research on child sex trafficking has shaped state and federal policy. She will be joined by Klejdis Bilali, a criminology doctoral student and registered mental health counseling intern whose work focuses on interpersonal violence and prevention. Together, they will present "Breaking Invisible Bonds: Navigating the Challenges of Trauma Bonding in Cases of Human Trafficking."
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Department of Criminology Research Talks | Open to All | SOC 321
Oct. 17 – Mateus Santos, PhD
Oct. 31 – George Burruss, PhD
Organized by Thomas Loughran, PhD, Research Talks brings together faculty to share their research and foster scholarly discussion.
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Adding News, Events, and Publications to the CBCS Website and Newsletter
If you have news/events or recent/upcoming publications you would like posted on the CBCS website and/or in the Communique newsletter, send the details and any attachments to CBCS Marketing (CBCSMarketing@usf.edu). Please send all newsletter submissions no later than Thursday for inclusion in the following week's newsletter.
Be sure to include all pertinent information (title, date, times, location, event description, and contact information) in editable digital text format. Articles included in the CBCS Communiqué may be disseminated to USF Media outlets and/or beyond.
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