The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice and the School of Social Work welcome Matt Larson, Ph.D. to the ranks of faculty. Larson joins the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) as the director of implementation and the School of Social Work as associate professor.

At the CBHJ, Larson oversees development and implementation across all initiatives to ensure projects follow an implementation science framework. In addition, he leads grant strategy and development efforts to fulfill the CBHJ's vision of equipping communities with research, data, and best practices to enhance the optimal well-being of individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders who come in contact with the criminal/legal system.

Larson’s research and teaching spans the fields of criminal justice and social work. His research focuses on the transition to adulthood among justice-involved youth, violence, and the intersection of mental illness and criminal justice policy. He has taught social work and criminal justice courses as a faculty member at Wayne State’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Saint Louis University’s School of Social Work. Additionally, his passion for spanning criminal/legal and social work boundaries extends into the community. Larson is a trained instructor for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program and co-founder of JUST POETRY, an annual event that brings together individuals from diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds.

"I’m beyond excited”, said Larson of joining the School of Social Work and Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. “Joining such uniquely experienced faculty who are so deeply committed to community-based work and advancing social justice has been invigorating. And to be part of the leadership team at a nationally recognized behavioral health research center right here in Detroit, which is home for me, makes it all the more special. It’s a privilege I won’t take for granted, and I can’t wait to see the change we can collectively help create.”