People

Professor, Department of Psychiatry
B.S., Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D., Neuroscience, University of Iowa
Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institutes of Health

Curriculum Vitae

Aaron has facilitated peer support groups for formerly incarcerated people for the past ten years. He also provides counseling and support to individuals and families affected by violence through Focused Interruption. Aaron has lived experience of incarceration and for the past four years he has worked closely with the lab on a variety of grant-funded projects to promote the mental health and well-being of currently and formerly incarcerated people, including as a co-facilitator of our Community Advisory Board and co-developer and co-leader of a re-entry peer support group (Build Up).

Deb is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) and CPS trainer. She has lived experience of incarceration and following her release from prison worked as a Chaplain in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 17 years. She regularly facilitates Restorative Justice and CPS Support groups at multiple state prisons. For the past four years, Deb has worked closely with the lab on a variety of grant-funded projects to promote the mental health and well-being of currently and formerly incarcerated people, including as a peer co-facilitator for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD. 

B.A., Psychology, University of Puget Sound
M.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Graduate minor in Community Engaged Scholarship

Mickela (they/she) is currently a PhD student in the UW Integrated Graduate Major (IGM) program. As a community-engaged researcher, their work focuses on building sustainable partnerships and leveraging various forms of expertise when conducting research related to mental health and incarceration. Through partnerships with individuals with lived experiences of incarceration and prison facilities, they work to tailor mental health services to address community needs, ultimately increasing the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of services. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her cat, Winston, and read.

Curriculum Vitae

B.A., Psychology, Vanderbilt University
M.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tatiana (she/her) is a graduate student in the UW Clinical Psychology Program. Tatiana’s research focuses on studying the need for and provision of treatment for individuals impacted by incarceration. She hopes to work closely with individuals currently and/or formerly incarcerated to best understand avenues of need and how to provide feasible, accessible, and effective support methods. She hopes to use her work to improve well-being and outcomes overall, as well as to inform and advocate for policies based on evidence and lived experience.

B.S., Psychology and Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

As a research specialist, Karen (she/her) coordinates and collects data for community- and prison-based projects aimed at establishing feasible, accessible, and effective mental health and re-entry services for individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated. One of her primary roles involves leading a community-based project evaluating a peer and clinician co-facilitated PTSD treatment for formerly incarcerated individuals. Karen’s research interests center on community-based participatory research approaches to developing, adapting, and implementing sustainable mental health services and support offerings for communities impacted by incarceration, trauma, and substance use. 

B.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madi is a Clinical Research Specialist with the Incarceration and Mental Health Lab, where she leads a prison-based project evaluating group-based Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin state prisons. Her work focuses on study implementation, including participant recruitment, data collection, project management, and collaboration with correctional staff. Madi is passionate about expanding access to evidence-based mental health care in correctional settings and translating research into sustainable, real-world programs. Outside of work, she enjoys biking, long walks, and ice cream.