CBHJ welcomes new team members
The Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and Justice is excited to welcome four new members to the team. Since opening in 2018, the CBHJ staff has grown to over 35 individuals. Each of the new team members will be joining the CBHJ data team, led by CBHJ Data Director and School of Social Work professor Erin Comartin.
Data is central to the vision and mission of the CBHJ, and the new data team members will be working closely with CBHJ project coordinators to provide stakeholders with real-time data and facilitate community partners in implementing data-driven systems and evidence based practices. The CBHJ works to help our stakeholders make sense of complex data, often collected from disconnected sources across criminal/legal and behavioral health systems.
The CBHJ is grateful for the dedication and hard work of our team, and are excited to welcome our new staff. Continue reading to learn more about each of our new team members.
Welcome to the team Amani, Will, Trevor and Poonam!
Amani El-Edlebi
Amani El-Edlebi joined the Center of Behavioral Health and Justice in October 2020 as a Data Assistant. Amani graduated in May 2020 from Wayne State University with her bachelor's in social work (BSW) and is now pursuing a dual graduate degree in social work (MSW) and public health (MPH) at WSU. As an undergraduate, Amani conducted research with faculty in a developmental lab within WSU'S Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development (MPSI) and engaged in program evaluation efforts including the development of program databases and manuals.
Amani's interest in social work and the criminal justice system began through her community work at a local grassroots organization that focused on empowering men living in an urban environment. She also engages in policy change community groups where the focus is on advocating for legal and policy changes in Michigan that adversely affect men and their ability to be actively involved with children and families.
Amani assists in the entry, coding, cleaning, conditioning, and analysis of multiple data sets from jails, courts, and state-level agencies. In addition to these data responsibilities, she also assists in the writing of manuscripts and reports.
Will Eineman
Will joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice as a data technician in November 2020. He obtained his MA in Forensic Psychology from the University of North Dakota in 2020, where he focused his research and education on the fallibility of eyewitness testimony, violence risk assessments, psychopathy, and malingering of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in college students. Will also previously worked in an Industrial and Organizational Psychology lab at Wayne State University where his work was focused on analysis and mitigation of sexual harassment in the workplace and minimizing group differences on county issued employment tests.
Will assists in the entry, coding, cleaning, conditioning, and analysis of multiple data sets from jails, courts, and state-level agencies. In addition to these data responsibilities, she also assists in the writing of manuscripts and reports.
Trevor Whitehead
Trevor's passion for research related to the intersections of addiction, mental health, and criminal justice developed during his undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University, where he introduced data-driven systems for program evaluation and development at an on-campus addiction recovery center. After returning to Detroit with his BSW, he earned his MSW from Wayne State University, where he researched co-responder programs and led efforts to evaluate intimate partner violence prevention programs while working at HAVEN of Oakland County. His professional background focuses largely on program evaluation and development; data integration, management and analysis; and report generation. Above all, Trevor is most passionate about research that informs community systems change and improves outcomes for those in the criminal justice system.
Trevor assists in the entry, coding, cleaning, conditioning, and analysis of multiple data sets from jails, courts, and state-level agencies. In addition, he provides technical assistance focused on the integration of criminal justice and behavioral health data to equip local communities with the ability to track jail diversion outcomes.
Poonam Yadav
Poonam Yadav joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice in October 2020 as a data assistant. Prior to joining the CBHJ team, she worked as a data specialist at the Mike Ilitch School of Business and as a local government management intern with the City of Plymouth. Her work has focused on analyzing and evaluating programs within organizations and municipalities and formulating and implementing evidence-based policies for those programs.
Poonam's experiences at Wayne State University have shaped her passion for research and data and expanded her interest in evidenced-based policy making.
Poonam assists in the entry, coding, cleaning, conditioning, and analysis of multiple data sets from jails, courts, and state-level agencies. In addition to these data responsibilities, she also assists in the writing of manuscripts and reports and provides specialized services in CLEMIS and LEIN data.
About the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice: The Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and envisions communities in which research, data, and best practices are used by multiple stakeholders to enhance the optimal well-being of individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders who come into contact with the criminal/legal system. Learn more