Community at the Center for Behavior and Preventive Medicine
One of the primary goals of the Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine (CBPM) is to create an environment where individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, religious beliefs, national origins, and other personal characteristics can come together as a professional community. We strive to make everyone feel welcomed and valued.
We build on this community within our center and beyond.
Community Building
We are always looking for ways to consciously build community. For example, one CBPM Community Initiative is Coffee with a Colleague, which supports expanding professional connections within CBPM by treating colleagues to coffee and treats at a local coffee shop.
The goal of this initiative is to provide a casual and comfortable environment for colleagues to connect and get to know each other outside of the office. It's a great way to share ideas, learn from each other's experiences, and build relationships that can ultimately benefit CBPM as a whole. This initiative has been successful in fostering a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among CBPM employees, and we are always looking for new ways to strengthen our community.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at CBPM
At CBPM, we believe that diversity is a strength that leads to innovative ideas and better problem-solving. We are aware that creating an inclusive culture requires effort and dedication, and we are committed to doing the necessary work to achieve this. We actively seek opportunities to learn from each other, support one another, and celebrate our differences.
To further our goals, CBPM faculty members are currently participating in a DEI training series led by Tristian Glenn, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Inclusion, Campus Culture, and Engagement at Brown University in partnership with Brown University's Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity. Additionally, our faculty is involved in DEI work across our wider network. For example, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee, led by Ernestine Jennings, PhD, is focused on building a healthy, equitable community for patients and staff. Dr. Jennings and other CBPM faculty and trainees serve on various advisory boards and committees, including the DPHB Anti-Racism Steering Committee and the Committee on Faculty Equity & Diversity at Brown University.
CBPM's Broader Network
CBPM is a center in The Miriam Hospital and Lifespan healthcare system with strong connections in the Brown University system and community. This includes partnerships with the Brown School of Public Health, the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University via Brown Psychiatry and Human Behavior (DPHB), and Care New England, among others.
CBPM engages in impactful research and collaborations with various healthcare systems and centers, including the following collaborations and affiliations.
CBPM’s Research and Impact on Communities
At CBPM, our research directly impacts the community, as many of our studies are community-based. We partner with organizations like the YMCA and Planned Parenthood to introduce new assessment and intervention strategies. Our team frequently develops new interventions that we share with community members. For instance, we're examining whether yoga can aid smoking cessation and if tai chi is a more acceptable method of cardiac rehab. In most cases, we recruit participants from the community, invite them to the hospital, provide them with a state-of-the-science intervention, and evaluate the results. Our interventions are available before they're available elsewhere, and they're almost always free of charge. Simultaneously, we're investigating the benefits.
CBPM prioritizes impactful research for communities locally in Rhode Island, nationally, and internationally.
Recently, a group of CBPM faculty received a grant from The Miriam Hospital for a proposal, "Single Session Mental Health Interventions to Address the Post-Pandemic Mental Health Crisis: A Community-Engaged Approach." The objective is to develop infrastructure to leverage the clinical expertise of CBPM clinical providers to better address the mental health crisis in Rhode Island. Our approach is a fantastic opportunity for eligible participants to obtain a potentially new method of care. They can also contribute to vital research that may influence clinical care and preventive medicine across the country and worldwide.
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