Joan B Beasley, PhD, is a licensed mental health counselor with a Masters degree in community mental health counseling from Northeastern University and has a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University.
Dr. Beasley's work spans over four decades, with the first funded study of the START model published in 1999. She currently serves as a Research Professor and Director of the National Research Consortium in IDD-MH at NCSS, and is Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on several research grants. Dr. Beasley also teaches master workshops on the START model and IDD-MH professional development courses, in addition to presentations at forums across the U.S. and abroad, and is the author of numerous peer reviewed publications. In addition to the START model, Dr. Beasley has provided technical support to state policy makers for over 20 years and currently conducts state sponsored systems of care analyses and technical support as part of her work at NCSS. Dr. Beasley enjoys sailing on the Charles River, plays guitar and the uke, sings, and loves to cycle.