Abt's The Intersect

In this Sound Evidence podcast, Abt Researchers Laura Edwards and Meredith Wesley delve step-by-step into the details of how we are implementing the CDC-funded RECOVER Study of SARS-CoV-2 incidence in healthcare personnel, first responders, and other essential frontline workers and migrated the work to analyzing vaccine effectiveness.

The social determinants of health are interactive and multi-faceted, but often the experts who address them are siloed—as are their data. How do we share the data that can tell us the full story about the people who rely on—and receive—support? Chris Tappan and Lori Hunter discuss data systems, collaboration between agencies, and the vital importance of equitable services in this latest episode of The Intersect.

The addiction workforce faces many challenges, from limited capacity to meet the growing demand for treatment services to inadequate financial and professional incentives to enter and remain in the workforce. As a result of these challenges, individuals with substance use disorder experience disparities in care compared to those with a physical ailment. In this third and final episode of the Charting the Way podcast miniseries, Abt’s Leigh Fischer and Mt. Sinai’s Tim Brennan discuss opportunities to advance the field of addiction medicine, integrate approaches across physical and behavioral health, and unify the workforce to better prevent and address substance use disorders.

For many people, especially those with mental illness or substance use problems, or who are living in underserved racially or ethnically diverse communities, it’s difficult to receive the behavioral health support they need. In the second episode of the Charting the Way podcast miniseries, Lisanne Brown of Abt and Keris Myrick of S2i at the JED Foundation talk about the vital role peers and people with lived experience can play as we address America’s need for more behavioral health workers.

Behavioral Health challenges—notably substance use and mental health—are more prevalent than ever, but the workforce needed to provide support is shrinking, even as the need for equitable services grows. How did we get here? How can we turn the tide? And how can we incorporate social justice into those efforts? We’ll address all of these questions in the Charting the Way podcast miniseries.

In this first episode, Abt’s Sarah Steverman and NACBHDDo’s Ron Manderscheid take a look at the nation’s critical behavioral health workforce needs and discuss strategies for closing the gaps.

Environmental justice. Maternal and child health. Two health crises that are related yet rarely addressed together. Abt’s David Cooley and Lawrence Reichle explain how data, technology, and creativity can be applied as force multipliers to address both challenges collaboratively in the latest episode of The Intersect podcast.

Homelessness. COVID-19. Both are crises in their own rights, but Abt’s recent work with HUD and CDC highlights the benefits of addressing homelessness and public health as related challenges. Natalie Matthews and Terri Mota connect the dots and discuss how we can do more moving forward in the new episode of The Intersect.

How can we rely on data to help address racial equality when it’s inherently biased by centuries of inequity? In this episode of The Intersect, Abt’s Laura Peck and Jason Brinkley look under the hood at AI, machine learning, and more to better understand how data analysis can address these conflicts rather than exacerbate them.

On a day-to-day basis, vulnerable populations suffer from inequities in health, wealth, and education. These same people are then disproportionately impacted by catastrophes ranging from hurricanes to COVID-19, which only serve to underline the great and urgent need for equity across race, gender, and income. In this episode of The Intersect, Madeline Colety and Lorine Giangola discuss how Abt’s housing and resilience work is helping clients promote equity.

As COVID-19 cases spike and the U.S. and other countries brace for flu season, Abt’s Danielle Hunt and James White take a look around the globe to see how we’re preparing. Learn about the groundwork we’ve laid and what it means for future pandemic responses in the latest episode of The Intersect podcast.