About
Walter S. Mathis, MD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team at the Connecticut Mental Health Center. His work bridges clinical psychiatry with urban planning principles, focusing on the socioenvironmental factors impacting mental health. He co-leads the structural competency curriculum in Yale’s psychiatry residency program, integrating experiential and data-driven learning to address health equity issues in New Haven.
Education:
- MD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2012)
- BA in Architecture, Yale College
Research Interests:
Dr. Mathis’ research focuses on first-episode psychosis interventions, healthcare access disparities, and the application of spatial analytics to understand geographic inequities in mental health services. He develops digital tools like HONE and TimelinePTC to improve early psychosis care coordination. His work also explores the use of AI-driven thematic analysis in healthcare research.
Key Contributions:
- Lead developer of the STEP Learning Collaborative, a statewide system for first-episode psychosis care
- Co-created the structural competency curriculum addressing systemic inequities in healthcare
- Published extensively on pharmacy deserts, food access disparities, and pandemic impacts on mental health care
Collaborations: Works with Vinod Srihari, Peter Kahn, and interdisciplinary teams across Yale’s School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and School of Architecture.