Allison Gilbert

Allison Gilbert is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine and holds a joint appointment in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Her interdisciplinary work bridges mental health services research, substance abuse policy, and criminal justice reform, focusing on vulnerable populations with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders.

Her educational background includes:

• NRSA T32 Mental Health Services and Systems Research Training Program, Duke University School of Medicine (2009-2012)
• Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2009)
• M.P.H., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2002)

Dr. Gilbert's research centers on mental health and substance abuse service systems, particularly the intersection with criminal justice involvement. She investigates effectiveness of diversion programs, prison re-entry initiatives, psychiatric advance directives, and legal mechanisms as mental health interventions. Her work emphasizes policy-relevant solutions for reducing criminalization of mental illness and improving community-based care for high-need populations.

Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2018) reveals consistent focus on evidence-based interventions at the mental health-criminal justice nexus. Key thematic clusters include law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD), medication-assisted treatment for co-occurring disorders, gender-specific diversion outcomes, and extreme risk protection orders. Her methodological approach combines quantitative analysis of administrative data with mixed-methods policy evaluation, consistently targeting actionable recommendations for system reform.

Dr. Gilbert has secured significant grant funding including projects on extreme risk protection orders for special populations (2025-2026), justice involvement training programs (2024-2026), mental disorders prevalence studies (2019-2023), and juvenile delinquency/gun sales research (2018-2022). These grants demonstrate sustained expertise in translating research into policy interventions addressing systemic gaps in mental health and criminal justice integration.