Brad Richardson, Ph.D.
Brad Richardson, Ph.D., is research scientist and adjunct associate professor at The University of Iowa School of Social Work, where he also serves as co-director of the Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation and Research Director of the University of Iowa National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice, promoting culturally responsive family-centered services through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, and information dissemination. Dr. Richardson is also director of The Center for Public Health Evaluation and Research at the University of Iowa.
One of Dr. Richardson's contributions to science is the development of valid and reliable instruments to assist practitioners in measuring progress—first, to show those with whom they are working their successes and strengths on which to build, and second, to use aggregate results to measure program outcomes for interested stakeholders (e.g., demonstrate outcomes to funders, managers, and administrators) and to inform program staff of the results being achieved in order to improve program and client outcomes. This work brings together career expertise in research and practice: research on reliability and validity of instruments such as the Life Skills Progression, Family Development Matrix, and Automated Assessment of Family Progress, and practice using results to inform family strengthening, case management, and in-home services, where findings suggest interventions focusing on strengths is one of the most efficient and effective methods to support positive change.
Using a family-centered, strengths-based, and culturally responsive frame of reference, Dr. Richardson has conducted well over 100 evaluations of early childhood, child welfare, juvenile justice, public health, education, justice system, mental health, and substance use disorder projects. He has written extensively on racial and ethnic disparities, as well as social determinants of health, and he works to improve service systems in areas such as chronic disease, cancer, and aging. He served as National DMC Coordinator on the Board of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, testified before the National Academies in support of the Developmental Approach to Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare, and served as Chair of the American Public Health Association's Cancer Forum. He is also a long-standing member and officer of the Iowa Integrated Health Planning and Advisory Council for substance use and mental health issues.