Dr. Lynda Stein is a professor of Clinical Psychology and part of the Cancer Prevention Research Center within URI’s Social Sciences Research Center. Her research focuses on the reduction of substance use and risky behavior, motivation to change, evaluating behavioral interventions, and implementing evidence-based practices in large organizations. She is involved in three areas of interprofessional practice.
The first is an NIH funded project seeking to help treat and prevent substance abuse and other risky behaviors in juvenile populations at correctional facilities and community based mental health settings. Second, she is assisting the state to evaluate services for transition age youth to reduce severe mental health and substance use problems. Third, she is evaluating substance screening, brief intervention and referral to services for adults throughout the state of RI. Fourth, she is assisting the state and their community mental health partners in providing interventions for transition-age youth to reduce substance use. Fifth, and most recently, she is also working with state partners on evaluating mental health and substance abuse needs, identifying services gaps, and then assisting the state in planning for best use of resources to address population needs. This work partners with the State of Rhode Island: Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH). Stein states the goal of the project is to: “assist in better understanding of population health, needs and education for workforce.”
Both undergraduate and graduate students complete research credits under Dr. Stein and are involved in her interprofessional endeavors in a variety of capacities. Students are in the field collecting data in the community and assisting with work being done in settings such as hospitals, community mental health centers, and prisons. Each student has an assigned site supervisor and students have the opportunity to work with peer mentors. Dr. Stein debriefs with both the students and their site supervisors. Depending on site placement students learn how to collaborate with a variety of health professionals and state officials.
Graduate and undergraduate students assist with conducting needs assessments, and evaluations. Students also administer interviews, as well as assist with developing relevant qualitative and quantitative questionnaires. Students may work closely with an assessment coordinator and may conduct analyses from collected data. Results may be shared with key stakeholders. Students also have a chance to meet with partners at the state level. As a result, students learn to work in teams, establish rapport with patients and problem-solve. Students working on Dr. Stein also have the opportunity to train in crisis hotline and conducting intensive psychosocial interview. She states, “Trainees from different majors learn with, from and about each other through hands-on experiences, collaborative research and practice meetings, and presentations by BHDDH staff.”
Dr. Stein’s efforts have helped to produce a comprehensive state-wide evaluation of mental health and substance needs. She and her collaborators have sought to increase the breadth of their work by hiring an epidemiologists. Under her advisement, one of her students has applied for and received a small competitive undergraduate student grant endorsed by BHDDH to study gender diversity on campus. As part of this project, Stein and her students have implemented a lecture series on campus.
Dr. Stein commends her students for their ability to work in new environments, through a variety of programs and with state leaders. Stein notes, “It is generally not neat, or easy work.” Sometimes a big challenge is simple scheduling of meetings. Stein reflects, “While there can be challenges, it is very rewarding and worthy work, and our state partners are very dedicated.”