Sapna J. Mendon-Plasek

Sapna J. Mendon-Plasek is an Associate Health Policy Researcher and Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy. Her work focuses on implementation science, community-based participatory research, and health equity. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Master of Social Work from New York University.

Her research spans three core domains: (1) organizational/community impact of evidence-based initiatives, (2) policy change impacts, and (3) program adaptation/sustainment strategies. She emphasizes multi-stakeholder engagement and DEI-focused approaches to address systemic inequities in healthcare access and delivery.

Recent work includes evaluating military prevention workforce development, analyzing opioid treatment accessibility in mental health facilities, and studying AI applications for student suicide risk monitoring. She leads implementation science efforts for interventions like the CLARO program targeting co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

Her methodological expertise includes mixed-methods designs, measurement development, and longitudinal qualitative analysis. She actively contributes to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within implementation science frameworks.