Bevin Croft is the director of HSRI's Behavioral Health team. Her work is informed by principles of self-determination, recovery, and the social determinants of health. She is interested in supporting change agents to improve systems using strategies that are both data-driven and values-based. Bevin is expert in the areas of peer-delivered crisis alternatives and mental health self-direction or self-directed care. She uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods and works with participatory approaches, in keeping with the “nothing about us without us” mantra of the disability rights and consumer/survivor/ex-patient movements. She conducts research and evaluation projects that add to the evidence-base for specific interventions or approaches, while other projects are more global in scope, pulling together research evidence and best practice to support state and local agencies to improve service and support systems.
Prior to joining HSRI, Bevin was the quality management coordinator at Cascap, a psychiatric rehabilitation provider in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she oversaw quality development initiatives, coordinated the agency’s human rights program, and conducted training on rehabilitation and recovery and person-centered planning.
In her limited spare time, Bevin runs along the Charles River, practices yoga, and cooks elaborate meals for family and friends.
Education
- Doctorate in social policy from Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management
- Master of public policy degree from Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Recent Projects
- Exploring the impact of self-directed care on mental health recovery
- Conducting an in-depth review of North Dakota's behavioral health system
- Improving Multnomah County's mental health system
- Addressing behavioral health needs in Pierce County, WA
- Assessing peer-led alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization