Eric J. Bruns, PhD
Personal Statement
I am a clinical psychologist and mental health services researcher. My overarching research aim is to produce and promote use of research, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement that aids high-quality implementation of effective models of care in real world service settings, such as in schools, public mental health systems, and family-and youth-run organizations. My research can be summarized as falling into three categories: (1) Care coordination models for youth with the most complex behavioral health needs; (2) school mental health; and (3) public sector implementation of research-based practices. In each area, I co-direct national training and TA centers. For example the National Wraparound Implementation Center (www.nwic.org), provides support to dozens of states and localities internationally on Wraparound. The National Wraparound Initiative (www.pdx.edu) serves to mobilize our research and policy activities. Our Wraparound fidelity tools and data systems can be found at www.wrapinfo.org. With respect to school mental health, our interdisciplinary UW School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center — www.smartcenter.uw.edu — currently has over a dozen federal grants as well as state, local, and foundation funding focused on how best to ensure that evidence for effective mental health intervention and prevention is translated into effective programming in schools. The SMART Center also hosts the school mental health supplement of the UW Department of Psychiatry’s SAMHSA-funded Northwest Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center (MHTTC). Check out our extraordinary array of resources at https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/northwest-mhttc/northwest-mhttc-school-mental-health.
Education
Clinical internship, Georgetown University Medical Center, 1996-1997
PhD, Clinical Psychology , University of Vermont, 1992-1997
BA, Psychology, University of Virginia, 1986-1990
Department Affiliations
Centers/Programs
- School Mental Health Assessment, Research, & Training (SMART) Center
- Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest MHTTC)
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- ALACRITY Center
- Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions
- CoLab for Community & Behavioral Health Policy
- Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering (BRiTE) Center
Other Affiliations
National Technical Assistance Network for Child, Youth, and Family Behavioral Health: https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/
National Wraparound Implementation Center: www.nwic.edu
Scholarly Expertise
- Adolescent/young adult
- Caregivers
- Child and adolescent psychiatry/psychology
- Collaborative Care / Integrated Care
- Community mental health
- Evidence-based practice
- Global mental health
- Low resource settings
- Mobile mental health
- Prevention
- Quality Improvement (QI)
- Randomized controlled trial
- School mental health
- Settings
- Special populations
- Suicide
- State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) Center
- Using teen Mental Health First Aid to address mental health inequity among school youth
- WA state parent network to prevent youth suicide and improve student mental health
- A Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE) to address the “Last Mile” in education
- Development and testing of a research-based Tier 3 Wraparound model for schools
Purtle, J., Nelson, K., Bruns, E. J., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2020). Dissemination Strategies to Accelerate the Policy Impact of Children’s Mental Health Services Research. Psychiatric Services, 71(11), 1170-1178. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201900527
Duong, M., Bruns, E. J., Lee, K.*, Cox, S.*, Coifman, J., Mayworm, A.*, & Lyon, A. R. (2021). Rates of mental health service utilization by children and adolescents in school and other common service settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48(3), 420-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-020-01080-9
Olson, J. R., Benjamin, P. H.*, Azman, A.*, Kellogg, M. A., Pullmann, M. D., Suter, J. C., & Bruns, E. J. (2021). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Effectiveness of Wraparound Care Coordination for Children and Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(11), 1353-1366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.02.022
Bruns, E. J., Benjamin, P. H., Shepler, R. N., Kellogg, M.*, Pluckebaum, H.*, Woolston, J. L., English, K., & Zabel, M. D. (2021). Defining Quality Standards for Intensive Home-Based Behavioral Treatment Programs for Youth with Serious Emotional Disorders. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48(6), 1065-1088. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-021-01116-8
Olson, J. R., Berntson, T.*, Zabel, M. D., Matarese, M., & Bruns, E. J. (2022). Evaluation of a Systems-Level Technical Assistance Program to Support Youth with Complex Behavioral Health Needs. Evaluation and Program Planning, 92, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102059
Bruns, E.J., Lee, K.E.*, Davis, C., Pullmann, M.D., Ludwig, K., Hoover, S.M., Sander, M., Holm-Hansen, C., & McCauley, E.M. (in press). Effectiveness of a Brief Engagement, Problem-Solving, and Triage Strategy for High School Students: Results of a Randomized Study. Prevention Science.
