John S Rozel

John S Rozel, MD, MSL serves as Professor of Psychiatry & Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Medical Director of resolve Crisis Network. He is also Co-director of the UPMC Systemwide Threat Assessment and Response Team (START) and Service Line Director for Crisis Services. Dr. Rozel has been working in emergency mental health since 1990 and has been the medical director of resolve Crisis Services of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital since 2010. He is a Past President of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry and serves on numerous state committees related to mental health and law enforcement.

Dr. Rozel earned his bachelor's in Biomedical Ethics and MD at Brown University and a Master of Studies in Law from the University of Pittsburgh where he also completed his general psychiatry residency and child and forensic psychiatry fellowships at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC.

Dr. Rozel's research focuses on emergency and crisis psychiatry, violence prevention, and risk management. His work bridges clinical practice, policy development, and legal frameworks. He divides his time between emergency psychiatry and violence work, training and consulting with teams across UPMC and the country on projects related to violence and threat management, staff injury prevention, firearm injury prevention, and crisis psychiatry. His expertise has led him to serve as an incident commander for mass shootings and participate in behavioral health responses to mass casualty events.

His publications show a strong focus on firearm injury prevention, crisis intervention protocols, threat assessment methodologies, and the intersection of mental health law and emergency psychiatry. A significant portion of his recent work addresses the complex relationship between gun violence and mental health, challenging common misconceptions while developing practical approaches for clinicians.

• Lifetime Achievement Award from Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society
• Honorary Member of the American College of Emergency Physicians
• Ralph C. Wilde Leadership Award from Allegheny County Medical Society
• Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
• Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year from CIT International
• Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Dr. Rozel regularly provides clinical and didactic training to medical students, residents, and fellows at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; mentors graduate students through the Center for Bioethics & Health Law; and co-teaches Mental Health Law at the School of Law. He is deeply involved in policy development, having contributed to major efforts including the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's reports on Mass Violence, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's violence management guidelines, and the AMA et al's Amici brief for the NYSRPA v. Bruen case before the Supreme Court. He serves the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on multiple committees including the Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory and Review Commission and the Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee.

As Medical Director of resolve Crisis Services, Dr. Rozel oversees a comprehensive crisis response system that provides immediate access to mental health care in Allegheny County. He also founded the Mobile Mental Health Therapy program, which provides in-home services for adults and older adolescents. His CHAMPIONS program offers ongoing day-long training in advanced violence evaluation and management.