Michelle Riske-Morris, Ph.D., J.D. is a Senior Research Associate with the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. She has been involved in several federal and state funded evaluation projects as either the Principal or Co-Principal Investigator which relate to the implementation of behavioral and mental health supports to assist adults and youth in receiving access to community mental and substance use disorder treatment services and initiatives to enhance surveillance and prevention activities that facilitate a comprehensive integration and analysis of Cuyahoga County’s local opioid-related morbidity and mortality, including assessing the ability to use these data to inform prevention. Dr. Riske-Morris earned her JD from CWRU School of Law, her PhD in Social Welfare from CWRU’s Mandel School, and her master’s degree in experimental psychology from Cleveland State University. Michelle has been practicing law for 32 years and has served in various administrative positions with state and local governments. Prior to working at the Begun Center, she also specialized in evaluations regarding compliance with civil right laws and the Americans with Disability Act.
Q: Why is your work at the Begun Center important to you, to our community, and to the world? My work is important as it helps to inform others on the importance of providing mental health services to those in need, especially those within the community as well as the importance of school based behavioral and mental health services to address the needs of students.
Q: What is a cause about which you are particularly passionate? The importance of school based behavioral and mental health supports, civil liberties and anti-discrimination protections, and especially for those who have difficulty advocating for themselves.