The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University

09/03/2026

Connecting Care and Research 🎓

Mike Vetter, MA’11, PhD’26, discovered his passion for health services research while working in the Population Health Department at Partners Healthcare. Read Mike’s alumni profile to learn about his dissertation research on older adult caregiving and their health outcomes, his current role at the Center for Optimal Aging and Serious Illness, and his advice for prospective PhD students. ⬇

I received a master's degree in anthropology from Brandeis back in 2011. I was focused on medical anthropology and started the post-baccalaureate pre-med program at Brandeis because I thought I wanted to pursue medicine. Hard sciences aren’t where my passions lie, so I took some time to explore my...

09/02/2026

Save the date for Coffee with the Deans: Fall Semester Launch next Wednesday, September 9! Kick off the new academic year with great conversation, autumn treats, and a chance to win lunch with Dean Shostak! All SSSP faculty, staff, and students are welcome. Join us from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the Zinner Forum for seasonal snacks—including apple cider donuts and a "make-your-own" trail mix bar. Hope to see you there!

08/27/2026

The government gave no explanation for terminating the funding, which for decades has supported the only national center focused on the issue.

08/26/2026

Happy first day of instruction!📚 This academic year is sure to be filled with impactful opportunities to connect, collaborate, and effect positive change. We can’t wait to see what the fall semester has in store!

08/25/2026

Yesterday kicked off orientation at Heller! It was a pleasure to welcome the newest members of our community. We look forward to continuing the momentum today!

08/21/2026

In The American Prospect, Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration at Heller, discusses the risk of a financial crash as government spending costs go through the roof.

Read his article here ⬇

Government borrowing costs are going through the roof—and so are yours and mine.

08/19/2026

Building Pathways to Justice Through Policy and Practice 🎓

christian h. bijoux is a 2023 graduate of the Heller PhD program. Read christian’s alumni profile to learn about his trajectory from MBA graduate to Heller PhD student, his dissertation work writing the practice mechanisms for the Racial Justice Act in California, and his current role as Deputy Director of Community Development and Enhancement at the Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy ⬇

I think the trajectory of my academic career was always going to end up in this space. I was initially medical school-bound after college, but a conversation with my mentors inspired me to instead go into public health, a field I knew nothing about. My focus was on understanding medical history and....

08/12/2026

Thank you to the Boston Museum of Science for inviting Dr. Monika Mitra to present a State of the Science talk during its Disability Pride Month celebration!

Dr. Mitra shared research on advancing disability inclusion and equity, highlighting the importance of ensuring people with disabilities are represented in research, policy, and practice. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event such a meaningful part of Disability Pride Month.

Photo © Ashley McCabe

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Image description:
Dr. Monika Mitra stands behind a podium presenting a talk titled “Disability and Health: From Barriers to Belonging” with the subtitle “Why disability is the largest health disparity in America — and why it isn’t caused by disability” at the Boston Museum of Science during a Disability Pride Month event.

08/11/2026

The United States faces a growing primary care shortage driven by an aging population, rising chronic disease burden, and a physician supply that is lagging behind demand. Nurse practitioners are playing an increasingly central role in primary care delivery, and a small but growing number are opening independent practices. In a new article published in Nursing Outlook, Jennifer Perloff, PhD’06, Director of the Institute for Healthcare Systems at Heller, and fellow researchers examine the facilitators and barriers to opening and sustaining nurse practitioner-owned practices.

Read the article here: https://bit.ly/4hTO55j

08/06/2026

Upcoming Webinar 💻 Navigating Nursing Home to Community Transition: Barriers and Supports for Disabled People of Color

🗓️ Thursday, August 6, 2026
⏰ 2 PM ET
📍 Zoom - Register today: tinyurl.com/Nursing-Home-to-Community
♿️ ASL interpretation and Zoom automated captions will be available.

About the webinar 💬
The 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision clarified that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects disabled people from unjustified segregation in institutional settings. The decision underscored community living as a civil right and not merely a preference. Despite a shift from institutions to community living, people of color with disabilities are less likely to use Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), and when they do receive HCBS, they experience higher rates of unmet need, as compared to White disabled individuals.
Through a multi-year study, the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy interviewed disabled people of color with experience living in nursing homes. In this webinar, peer researchers Tyree Brown and Anne-Marie Gomes, share findings on the barriers and supports that affect transitions from nursing homes to community living, including HCBS, for disabled people of color. Addressing these barriers and strengthening identified supports can help us advance the promises of Olmstead.

Plain language summary:
The 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead v. L.C. decision said that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community. Many people have been able to live in the community because of the Olmstead v. L.C. decision. However, other people remain in institutions (including people who would prefer to live in the community).
In a study at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, we interviewed disabled people of color who had experience living in a nursing home. In this webinar, peer researchers Tyree Brown and Anne-Marie Gomes, share findings on the barriers and supports that disabled people of color experience to transition from nursing homes to the community. Addressing these barriers and supports can help more people live in the community.