Rachel L Freeman

Rachel L Freeman serves as a Research Professional at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. With continuous research activity from 1999 through 2024, she maintains active roles as Principal Investigator and collaborator on major state and federal initiatives focused on disability services and behavioral support systems.

Her research centers on Positive Behavior Support (PBS) implementation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, emphasizing organization-wide systems change. Key areas include technical assistance frameworks, community living integration, data-driven evaluation tools, and staff perspective analysis. Recent work addresses pandemic adaptation of support services and human rights-centered practice models, demonstrating sustained evolution of her research focus toward systemic implementation challenges.

Analysis of her 18 publications reveals consistent emphasis on practical PBS application across educational and community settings. Her work increasingly addresses implementation science, stakeholder perspectives, and cross-system integration, with recent publications (2023-2025) focusing on evaluation tool development, service expansion, and post-pandemic adaptation strategies that bridge research and real-world practice.

Dr. Freeman has secured substantial grant funding with 12 projects from 2012-2024, including the Maryland Statewide Technical Assistance Project on Organization-Wide PBS (PI, $1.2M) and the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living (CoI, $5.8M). Funded by agencies including the Minnesota Department of Human Services and US Department of Health & Human Services, these projects demonstrate her leadership in translating evidence into statewide implementation frameworks and technical assistance systems.

Affiliated with the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration—a leading national center for disability research—she contributes to the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain initiatives. Her collaborative network spans state agencies, academic institutions, and disability service providers, focusing on building sustainable systems for community participation and quality-of-life improvement.