Our Commitment Statement

As a department, the Psychosocial Research Program (PRP) at Butler Hospital is committed to working to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated and valued. We believe that every individual enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions. Similar to the goals of our partnering institutions, Care New England (CNE) and Brown University, the PRP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) group focuses on providing a safe space for addressing issues that affect diversity, equity, and inclusionary practices in our professional, research, and personal spaces. Our action plans include, but are not limited to:

• More cultural considerations in our research methods and data collection tools
• Removing stigma surrounding DEI topics and concerns
• Focus on DEI issues at least quarterly in PRP research meetings 
• Providing various training opportunities throughout the year for all staff (e.g., colloquium, external consultants, guest speakers)
• Commitment to improving diversity in our hiring practices

We inform and expand our work through collaborations with other DEI councils and organizations. For instance, PRP faculty serve on Brown DEI and anti-racism committees, focusing on faculty recruitment and retention, in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. Several of our members serve on the larger Butler Hospital and CNE DEI councils. This helps us keep our department informed of DEI issues and concerns impacting the larger organization.

Members

Faculty:

• Sarah Arias, Ph.D.
• Christopher Hughes, Ph.D.
• Madeline Benz, Ph.D.

Fellows:

• Gemma Wallace, Ph.D.
• Ana Rabasco, Ph.D.

Staff:

• Jung Park
• Stephen Coutu
• Toni Amaral
• Jihoon Choi
• Andrea Vijil Morin
• Anikait Gadi
• Elizabeth Germain
• Morgan Hoyt
• Zhengduo Lu