About Us

E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging

The mission of the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging is to engage, empower, and educate health care providers and community-based organizations in behavioral health for older adults and their families. The E4 Center will achieve this through the provision of education, implementation resources, and technical assistance regarding mental health, substance use, and their intersection with physical health. To learn more, please watch the video below or please click here.

Our Team

LEADERSHIP

Co-Director

Erin Emery-Tiburcio, PhD, ABPP is a Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and Geriatric Medicine; Director of Geropsychology; and Co-Director of the RUSH Center for Excellence in Aging

Co-Director

Robyn Golden, LCSW, is the associate vice president of population health and aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where she also holds academic appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry and Health Systems Management. She is responsible for developing and overseeing health promotion and disease prevention, mental health, care coordination and transitional care services for older adults, family caregivers and people with chronic conditions.

Scientific Leadership

Steve Bartels, MD, MS is Director of the Mongan Institute and the James J. and Jean H. Mongan Chair of Health Policy and Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Bartels is a geriatric psychiatrist and has published over 350 articles and book chapters. He has an extensive background developing, evaluating, and implementing interventions for complex conditions and in the field of geriatric mental health.

Scientific Leadership

Frederic C. Blow, PhD is a Professor and Director of the U-M Addiction Center in the Department of Psychiatry. He is a career researcher and educator in the field of alcohol and substance use screening, interventions, and treatments, particularly among older adults.

Program Manager

Caryn Blanton, MSW, LCSW CYT is the Program Manager for the E4 Center. She is an experienced Program Manager and brings many years of clinical experience practicing clinical social work in various healthcare settings with adults and older adults. She is also a certified yoga teacher, has additional training in yoga-informed psychotherapy.

CONTENT EXPERTISE

Content Expert

Susan Buehler, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. Her clinical practice is in the section of Rehabilitation Psychology and Geropsychology and she has special interest in coping with chronic medical conditions, tinnitus, caregiving, and stress physiology.

Content Expert

Eve Escalante, LCSW is a clinical social worker and Manager of Program Innovation with Rush’s Social Work and Community Health Department. Eve develops training content for the E4 Center.

Content Expert

Bonnie Ewald, MA, is the Associate Director of the Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHaSCI). Bonnie contributes to the technical assistance activities and policy academies that advance age-friendly health communities via integrated partnerships between health systems and community-based organizations.

Content Expert

Gregory A. Hinrichsen, Ph.D., ABPP provides clinical services, conducted research, directed psychology internship and fellowship programs, contributed to public policy, and had leadership roles in professional organizations. Dr. Hinrichsen is Associate Clinical Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Adjunct Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City.

Content Expert

Rebecca Lahey, LCSW is the Manager of Mental Health in the Social Work and Community Health Department and the Acting Manager of Operations under the Office of the Chief Wellness Officer for Rush University System for Health. Rebecca develops E4 training content.

Content Expert

Laurin Mack, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Geriatric and Rehabilitation Psychology at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Mack is involved with the curriculum design, teaching, and assessment in the Rush Medical College. She is also a co-investigator for Rush’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, CATCH-ON.

Content Expert

Suzanne Musil, PhD, ABPP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center.  She is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and director of the Rush Center for Cognitive Resilience. She works on the E4 training content.

CREATIVE DEVELOPER

Creative Developer

Her expertise is creating digital and print innovations that capture attention and demand engagement, all while getting people to come back for more.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Administrative Support

Jack Carpenter, MFA provides administrative support for the Center for Excellence in Aging at Rush University Medical Center. He has worked in nonprofits for nearly ten years.

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Amy York, Eldercare Workforce Alliance

Brian Sims, MD, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Kathleen Cameron, BSPharm, MPH, Senior Director of the National Council on Aging Center for Healthy Aging

Nicole Cadovius , M.B.A, M.S.M , National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Nirmala Dhar, LCSW, Oregon Health Authority

Peter Lichtenberg, PhD, ABPP, Wayne State University

Robert Walker, Office of Recovery and Empowerment, MA Department of Mental Health

Sandy Markwood, MA, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging

Steven Starks, MD, DFAPA, UH Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine

Kimberly Van Orden, PhD, Co-Director, Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties & Aging Research, University of Rochester Medical Center

PARTNER SUPPORT

Please click here to learn about the Gerontological Society of America’s Reframing Aging

Please click here to learn about the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group

Please click here to learn about the Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Please click here to learn about the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Please click here to learn about the University of Illinois at Chicago – College of Pharmacy