Harold Briggs
Harold Briggs is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Portland State University. His 32 professional papers and two books concern how mental health, substance abuse treatment, and child welfare systems service providers use evidence to improve child, adult, and family well-being. He is a leader in the development of psychological measures of African American well-being and has led psychometric studies of homophobia and fear of AIDS as well as current research concerning the Perception of the African American Experience and the African American Female Respect scales. Professor Briggs has been involved in community and system change efforts that have benefited community-based organizations of color. Throughout his professional career, Professor Briggs has sought to train community members to be leaders and facilitators of community change efforts, so as to promote community self-governance and transformation.
Professor Briggs has significant managerial and leadership experience in settings focused upon health promotion and reducing health disparities among communities of color. While at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration (from which he obtained his MSW and Ph.D. degrees), Professor Briggs was associate executive director of a social service organization serving the African American community in Chicago. During his six-year tenure, Professor Briggs transformed the organization from a $1M service provider to a $12M integrated system of care with major child welfare, substance abuse treatment, and mental health divisions. Professor Briggs has also provided technical assistance to nearly 50 statewide parent advocacy and support organizations across diverse cultures in many states. These organizations include Parents for Behaviorally Different Children, which serves Native American and Latino families in New Mexico; Hawaii As Allies, serving Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders; and Family Advocacy and Support Association as well as the Family and Youth Driven Institute for Change of St. Louis, both of which serve primarily African American communities in Missouri.
Professor Briggs has also consulted with a variety of state agencies and nongovernmental organizations. In these efforts, Professor Briggs has been responsible for major aspects of different community-based system change efforts, including the recruitment of participants, preparation and presentation of training modules, supervision and technical assistance concerning community groups' advocacy, research, and development activities, and interactions with city bureau staff, elected officials, and neighborhood systems. He has pioneered the effort to integrate family, community, and culture-specific voices into service systems and organizational governance.
Professor Briggs has participated in technical grant trainings through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and National Institute of Drug Abuse. His past grant development efforts have focused upon African Americans at high risk of exposure to criminal justice involvement, drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS. He has participated in grant development concerning the sociocultural, gender, and neighborhood predictors of risky sexual behaviors and HIV exposure risk. His current grant proposals concern an intervention with African American women and their siblings, friends or romantic partners with corrections involvement, drug abuse, and risky sexual practices
