by Zachary Ammerman | May 14, 2025 | News, Policy
The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy is delighted to announce that our organization has received a significant grant to develop national recommendations for strengthening the behavioral health and substance use workforce.
The $592,338 award from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) will fund a comprehensive 50-state policy review and stakeholder engagement process aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind national framework for behavioral health paraprofessional roles.
Hannah Maxey, center, pictured at a Playbook Project stakeholder convening. | Photo by Daiyawn Smith/Dai in Dai Out Productions
“This framework aims to address the critical gap in service access for individuals suffering from opioid use disorder by recommending best practices for training, credentialing and reimbursement based on lessons learned from states with formalized roles,” said Bowen Center Director Hannah L. Maxey, PhD, MPH, RDH.
The grant was one of only four awarded through FORE’s Innovation Challenge Program, which supports new solutions to difficult issues related to the opioid and overdose crisis.
This initiative builds upon the Bowen Center’s Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce, published in 2024 with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., keeping the ball rolling on mental and behavioral health workforce research.
The Bowen Center will release more details about this exciting project in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!
For more information, visit: https://medicine.iu.edu/news/2025/05/bowen-center-fore-grant-lilly-endowment
For more information about our past work on this topic, check out the Playbook project below or go to the project homepage. You can also see our full portfolio of past large-scale projects on our dedicated Portfolio page here.
by Cleveland Dietz | May 8, 2025 | Data, News, Policy, Reports
The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy at Indiana University is pleased to share its interim report to the Indiana Department of Health covering activities from July 2024 through January 2025.
This report provides an overview of the Center’s efforts to support data-driven health workforce planning and policy across Indiana and highlights ongoing initiatives which focus on health workforce data collection, analysis, and stakeholder collaboration. The report also reflects the Center’s continued commitment to producing actionable insights and engaging key partners to inform health workforce development and decision-making.
Through its work, the Bowen Center aims to ensure that Indiana’s health workforce is aligned with the needs of communities statewide. This interim report is intended to provide transparency on progress to date. We invite you to review the full report below to learn more.
by Zachary Ammerman | Mar 13, 2025 | News, Policy, Reports
The Bowen Center’s newly released 2024 Annual Report showcases a year of significant achievements in health workforce research and policy. Highlights include completing the Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce, assessing Indiana’s EMS workforce, and finalizing a three-year direct care workforce project.
Under Dr. Hannah Maxey’s leadership, the Center has enhanced its data collection partnerships with state agencies while expanding its communication strategy to ensure research reaches decision-makers who need it most.
With a combination of funding from public and private sources, the Center produced 63 publications, delivered 22 presentations, and saw significant increases in website and social media engagement in 2024, solidifying its role as Indiana’s premier resource for health workforce planning.
The report also features testimonials from partners including Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana Professional Licensing Agency Executive Director Lindsay Hyer, who emphasize the Center’s crucial role in transforming workforce data into evidence-based solutions for healthcare access challenges across the state.
Download the full report here or read it in full below:
by Zachary Ammerman | Jan 15, 2025 | News, Policy
Indiana’s Health Workforce Council is exploring an approach to strengthen rural health care training: a tax credit for health care providers who mentor students through clinical preceptorships. Bowen Center Director Dr. Hannah Maxey was recently quoted in IPB News discussing the possible tax credit program for health care mentors.
“It is critically important for states that are developing tax credit programs to clearly define the program, goals and metrics before and prior to developing it,” Maxey notes. Her research indicates these programs typically serve better as retention tools for existing clinical preceptors rather than recruiting new ones.
Want to learn more about Maxey’s insights on program design, retention impacts, and fiscal considerations? Read the full story at IPB News.
The Bowen Center recently published a policy brief on exactly this subject, read more here or in the brief below:
by Zachary Ammerman | Oct 4, 2024 | Events, News, Playbook
Bowen Director Dr. Hannah Maxey
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Hannah L. Maxey, Director of the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research & Policy, has been recognized by Indiana University’s Department of Family Medicine in the IU School of Medicine with a faculty award for her “Outstanding Commitment to Community Engagement and Service.” This prestigious honor, made even more significant by her nomination from colleagues and fellow faculty members, highlights Dr. Maxey’s exceptional contributions to the field of health workforce research in policy, both at home in Indiana and beyond.
Dr. Maxey’s recognition stems in part from her pivotal role in spearheading the recent “Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce,” a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing critical workforce shortages in mental and behavioral health across Indiana. This strategic roadmap, developed under Dr. Maxey’s leadership, brings together insights from academic institutions, policymakers, and healthcare providers to create actionable recommendations for strengthening Indiana’s mental and behavioral health workforce pipeline. The Playbook, rooted in extensive research and data-driven insights conducted by the Bowen Center, identifies key challenges and opportunities within the workforce pipeline.
Dr. Maxey’s work exemplifies the Bowen Center’s dedication to community-focused research and policy development. Her efforts are poised to make a significant difference in addressing Indiana’s mental health workforce challenges, with the ultimate goal of improving access to mental and behavioral health services for Hoosiers across the state.
We congratulate Dr. Maxey on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the continued positive impact of her work on Indiana’s healthcare landscape. Her leadership and dedication serve as an inspiration to us all and reinforce the importance of community engagement in driving meaningful change in public health.
Read more about the Playbook here.
by Zachary Ammerman | Oct 4, 2024 | News
Courtney Medlock, Bowen Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy
We’re excited to share that Courtney Medlock, MPH, Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy at the Bowen Center, has been featured in a recent Indiana University School of Medicine article for her outstanding community engagement.
The article, “Emerging Leaders program offers professional development, connection for School of Medicine staff,” showcases Courtney’s impressive achievements:
- Recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Community Engagement Award from IU School of Medicine
- Leadership in collaborative projects with state agencies
- Valuable contributions during the Emerging Leaders program
- Strategies for effective team management during the pandemic
Courtney’s feature underscores the Bowen Center’s commitment to community-focused research and policy work. Her success exemplifies how our staff actively contributes to the well-being of our community.
Read the full article to learn more about Courtney’s impactful work and the Emerging Leaders program’s role in developing community-focused leaders.
