Sheryl Kubiak

Sheryl Kubiak, Ph.D., serves as Dean and Professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work and Founding Director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. With prior roles at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, her career spans 30 years of research at the intersection of criminal/legal systems and behavioral health.

• Current: Wayne State University School of Social Work Dean and Professor
• Former: Michigan State University Professor, University of Michigan Research Associate

Education:

• Ph.D. in Psychology and Women's Studies, University of Michigan (2002)
• M.S.W., University of Michigan (1988)
• B.A. in Social Work with Business minor, Madonna University (1987)

Dr. Kubiak's research focuses on criminal/legal system-behavioral health intersections, including substance abuse treatment in prisons, mental health courts, opioid addiction reentry programs, and trauma-informed corrections. Her methodological expertise includes

• Evaluation methods
• Survey design
• Secondary data analysis

Recent publications examine:

• Prison behavioral health service disparities
• Crisis response model effectiveness
• Gender-specific violence patterns
• AI applications in social work education
• Sequential intercept model implementation

Scientific awards include:

• NIMH Gender and Mental Health Pre-doctoral Fellowship
• NIJ Women in Criminal Justice Training Scholarship
• James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship (declined)

Grants exceeding $20 million include:

• $1.7M MDHHS mental health diversion evaluation
• $16M SAMHSA opioid addiction initiative
• $6.8M NIMH/NIJ suicide prevention trial

As a peer review panel member for NIMH and Fulbright Awards, Dr. Kubiak has also designed experiential learning programs in correctional settings and advocated for policy reforms through gubernatorial appointments.