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Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce awarded $500,000 contract to evaluate peer specialists in Florida’s substance use system of care
The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW), housed within the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, has been commissioned by the Florida Department of Children and Families to lead a $500,000 state-funded evaluation examining both the impact of peer specialists on treatment and recovery outcomes, and the barriers to their integration and retention across Florida’s coordinated systems of care.
Led by co-principal investigators Courtney Whitt, PhD, FCBHW executive director, and Kathleen Moore, PhD, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute executive director and research professor in the Department of Behavioral Health Science and Practice, the findings will inform legislative and administrative recommendations to strengthen and sustain peer support services statewide.
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Center hosts first convening of Florida’s behavioral health teaching hospitals
On Aug. 22, the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce hosted the first convening of Florida’s four designated behavioral health teaching hospitals: Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands, UF Health Jacksonville, and Jackson Memorial Hospital. This historic gathering began the collaborative development of best practices for integrated workforce development under Senate Bill 330. The partnership will advance best practices and policy recommendations to strengthen Florida’s behavioral health workforce. Read more.
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Department of Child and Family Studies faculty present research at the Florida Behavioral Health Conference
Faculty from the Child & Family Behavioral Health division in the Department of Child and Family Studies presented at the Florida Behavioral Health Conference, held Aug. 20–22 in Orlando. Read more.
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Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty present at national conference
Faculty from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders brought innovation and interdisciplinary energy to the 54th Annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference held this summer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Read more.
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T. Freeman Gerhardt leads report on 2025 Pinellas County homelessness count
T. Freeman Gerhardt, PhD, visiting research scholar in the Department of Behavioral Health Science and Practice, prepared a report on the 2025 Pinellas County Point in Time Count. The report examines the number of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night. Read more.
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Criminology student wins national award from the American Probation and Parole Association
Cassia Kranz, a student in the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program, received the Scotia Knouff Line Officer Award from the American Probation and Parole Association. Read more.
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Department of Criminology and College of Education celebrate fall return on the St. Petersburg campus
The Department of Criminology and the College of Education partnered to host a Week of Welcome event to celebrate students returning for the fall semester on the St. Petersburg campus. Read more.
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US, Japan, South Korea warn of North Korean IT worker risks
Straight Arrow News
"'They traditionally relied on traditional cyber activities,' Tom Hyslip, assistant professor of cybercrime at the University of South Florida, told Straight Arrow News."
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Archibald, P., Rhodes, D., & Thorpe, R., Jr. (2025). Social Determinants of Substance Use in Black Adults with Criminal Justice Contact: Do Sex, Stressors, and Sleep Matter? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(8), 1176. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081176
Dembo, R., Swezey, A., Herrera, R., Melendez, L., Geiger, C., Bittrich, K., Wareham, J., & Schmeidler, J. (2025). Trauma-Informed Understanding of Depression Among Justice-Involved Youth. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(9), 1371. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091371
Gryglewicz, K., Childs, K. K., Soderstrom, M. F. P., Elligson, R. L., & Lockwood, A. (2025). Youth mental health first aid training outcomes among public safety professionals serving high-risk youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 108546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108546
Peng, S. (2025). Where is social connection most needed in daily life? Personal Relationships, 32(3), e70024 . https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.70024
Peng, S., & Perry, B. (2025). A Life Course Perspective on Cognitive Aging: The Interplay between Early and Later Life Stimulating Environments. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 00221465251356611. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221465251356611
Rhodes, D. J., Smith, J. M., Geyton, T. A., & Gandarilla-Javier, S. (2025). Considerations for Social Work Clinicians Interested in Policing: A Qualitative Report. Social Work, swaf032. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaf032
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Dasha Rhodes, PhD, MSW (School of Social Work) and Co-I Kathleen Moore, PhD (Behavioral Health Science and Practice)
A Pilot Study: Behavioral Response and Community Engagement (BRACE) Team
Sponsor: US Department of Justice
1/1/2025 - 12/31/2027
Award Amount: $399,995
The Behavioral Response and Community Engagement (BRACE) Team is a pilot study seeking to transform the current approach to behavioral health crises in a small urban setting by introducing a single-responder system role, known as a navigator. The project activities include implementing both quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of this alternative single first response system, which aims to minimize law enforcement involvement. It will also focus on improving emergency dispatch training protocols to better address crisis situations. Expected outcomes of this program evaluation include the successful redirection of appropriate calls to the navigator; a reduction in police contacts, arrests, and Baker Act enactments for behavioral health-related emergencies; as well as an analysis of the navigator’s and dispatch experiences.
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Faculty portraits
USF Tampa | Sept. 9 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Marshall Student Center 3713
USF Sarasota-Manatee | Sept. 17 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 - 4 p.m. | Main Academic Building C320
USF is offering free faculty portrait sessions to provide portraits that can be used on university websites, LinkedIn, and other professional platforms. For more information, click here.
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Info sessions: ITRE Scholar Program - Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health
Sept. 5 | 12-1 p.m.
Oct. 3 | 12-1 p.m.
Ten graduate students will receive 15 credits of paid tuition, fees, books, opportunity for presentation at a professional conference, coaching to write their own manuscript for publication, the skills to conduct implementation science and translational research, and will engage with a community agency, leaving them with a catered adolescent behavioral health evidence-based intervention. Applications are due October 15 for the Spring program.
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Communication Sciences and Disorders Colloquium
Tuesday, Sept. 9 | 11:00am - 12:15pm
PCD 4004 (CSD department, 4th floor) or Teams.
Join the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders for the first colloquium of the semester, featuring Dr. Carmit Altman, head of the Child Development Program at Bar-Ilan University (Israel). RSVP to annasoares@usf.edu.
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School of Aging Studies Distinguished Lecture
Technology to Enhance Quality of Life for an Aging Society
Friday, Sept. 28 | 10:30 a.m. | MHC Atrium
Speaker: Wendy A. Rogers, PhD
Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Director, McKechnie Family LIFE Home, Human Factors and Aging Laboratory. For more information, email Jim Scull at jscull@usf.edu.
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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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