Bernadette Davantes Heckman, PhD

Areas of Expertise

  • Clinical Heath Psychology/Health Neuroscience
  • Health Disparities/Health Equities
  • Diversity/Multiculturalism
  • Social Justice/Inclusion & Belonging
  • Mindfulness/Self Compassion
  • Opioid and SUDs
  • Neuropsychological Assessment/Aging and Neurocognitive Disorders

Interests

  • HIV/AIDS
  • Chronic Pain
  • Telehealth
  • Headache Disorders
  • Opioid and Substance Use Disorders
  • Health Disparities/Health Equity

Concentrations

Education

  •  PhD in Clinical Psychology, 2001
    Washington University, St Louis
  •  PhD in Health Psychology Subspecialty, 2001
    Washington University, St. Louis
  •  MS in Clinical Psychology, 1997
    Washington University

Contact

 706-542-4792 (office)

Research Summary

My research examines health disparities and merges my three passions in health psychology, multiculturalism, and social justice. My health disparities research focuses primarily on:

  • Persons with chronic pain and severe headache disorders
  • Persons living with HIV/AIDS
  • The development and provision of integrated behavioral health care services for at-risk youths in schools

The short-term goal of my research is to identify health inequities and the bio-psycho-socio-cultural factors that cause and/or maintain these disparities. Long-term, I seek to develop culturally-contextualized interventions and mindfulness-based approaches to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes in under-represented and marginalized groups.

Grants

Project BE-AHEAD
2017-2022
Awarded $1.9 Million Federal HRSA Grant to Increase Integrated Behavioral Health-Primary Care Training (Health Psychology) to Georgia’s Workforce
Project LIHNKS [Linking Integrated Health Networks in Schools]
2014-2018
Awarded $1.3 Million Federal HRSA Grant to Strengthen Integrated Behavioral HealthTraining in 13 school counties throughout NE Georgia
Project MIGHT
2017 - 2020
Telehealth Grant for Persons Living with HIV
Project OASIS
2019-2023
$1.4 Million Federal Grant on Opioid and Substance Use Workforce Development
Project HEARD
2019-2023
$1.3 Million Health Psychology GPE Grant
Project OCEAN
2021-2026
$1.9 million behavioral health/integrated care grant
Project PEACH
2022-2026
$1.3 million integrated care, health neuroscience, aging grant.