Hannah Karpman is a faculty member in the Department of  Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Director of the Program for Improving Public Sector Health Systems (PIPS) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. Dr. Karpman’s research interests focus on the quality of care delivered in public sector health and behavioral health services for youth and their families.  Her lab utilizes simulation based research methods to help policy makers anticipate and respond to the implementation barriers and facilitators of cross system interventions.  Her team also supports the training of health and behavior health care workers across a variety of content areas, including:  the use of standardized assessment tools and universal screening, assessment of health and behavioral health conditions and case conceptualization and culturally responsive care.

Dr. Karpman’s career began as a clinician working with children and families experiencing acute mental health crises.  Her experience led her to direct one of the leading behavioral health care units for young people in the Boston area.  In this position, Dr. Karpman witnessed how structural barriers and inefficiencies impacted the quality and availability of care.  She pursued her PhD with the intention of addressing these structural issues

As a clinician, Hannah focuses on building resiliency within individuals and their families.  Her trauma-informed work focuses on building strategies for managing the complexities of life by utilizing a wide variety of evidence-based strategies while recognizing the structural factors influencing people’s experiences, options and choices.  She maintains a small practice that focuses on parent and family work.

Dr. Karpman has been consulted by a wide variety of organizations, particularly health and behavioral health care systems looking to improve the quality of their work and/or the skill and stability of their workforce. Her pro bono work includes supporting queer families with child loss through Empty Arms.

Dr. Karpman’s presents and publishes her work nationally.