Helen
Jack
MD
biography
Dr. Helen E. Jack is a physician-scientist and a practicing primary care physician with the Washington Department of Corrections. Dr. Jack’s research focuses on the integration of mental health and addiction treatment into low-resource primary care settings both domestically and in low-income countries. Since 2013, she has been conducting global mental health systems research and doing research capacity-building in Zimbabwe. As the behavioral health treatment gap spans borders, Dr. Jack is also leads US-based research focused on substance use care for justice-involved individuals.
Dr. Jack graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and completed medical school at Harvard Medical School. Prior to beginning her medical training, she earned a second BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
Education & Training
- MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (2014–2018)
- Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2018–2021)
Honors
- University of Washington Department of Medicine, Chair of Medicine Scholar’s Award (2023)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Global Mental Health Visionary Innovators Shaping Tomorrow’s Advancements (VISTA) Award (2023)
- Triple I Research Mentor Award for medical student research mentorship (2023)
- Alpha Omega Alpha (2020)
- Harborview Annual Housestaff Achievement Award for Clinical Ability and Humanitarian Concern (2020)
- Center for Primary Care Student Leadership Award, Harvard Medical School (2016)
- Rhodes Scholarship (2012)
- Phi Beta Kappa (2011)
Research
Dr. Jack is currently supported by an NIMH K23 career development award to study the implementation of the World Health Organization’s depression treatment guidelines in primary care in Zimbabwe. She also co-leads two studies focused on substance use treatment and HIV prevention for people releasing from prison in Washington State. Much of her prior research has centered on how lay health workers, including both community health workers and peer support workers, can be part of expanding access to behavioral health care, both domestically and in southern Africa.
Research Interests
- Global mental health
- Addiction medicine
- Lay health workers
- Implementation science
- Ongoing research projects and affiliations include MedStAR at University of Washington, Centre for Global Mental Health at King’s College London, Global Mental Health and Addiction Program at University of Maryland, and Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care
Clinical Interests
- Correctional health
- Primary care
- Substance use treatment
publication highlights
- Jack H, Canavan M, Ofori-Atta A, Taylor L, Bradley E. Recruitment and retention of mental health workers in Ghana. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e57940. PMID: 23469111.
- Basu S, Jack HE, Arabadjis SD, Phillips RS. Benchmarks for Reducing Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations Through Community Health Workers Integrated Into Primary Care: A Cost-Benefit Analysis. Med Care. 2017 Feb;55(2):140-147. PMID: 27547954.
- Jack HE, Arabadjis SD, Sun L, Sullivan EE, Phillips RS. Impact of Community Health Workers on Use of Healthcare Services in the United States: A Systematic Review. J Gen Intern Med. 2017 Mar;32(3):325-344. PMID: 27921257.
- Kidia K, Machando D, Mangezi W, Hendler R, Crooks M, Abas M, Chibanda D, Thornicroft G, Semrau M, Jack H. Mental health in Zimbabwe: A health systems analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2017 Nov;4(11):876-886. PMID: 28625876.
- Ofori-Atta A, Attafuah J, Jack H, Baning F, Rosenheck R; Joining Forces Research Consortium. Joining psychiatric care and faith healing in a prayer camp in Ghana: Randomised trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2018 Jan;212(1):34-41. PMID: 29433613.
- Jack HE, Oller D, Kelly J, Magidson JF, Wakeman SE. Addressing substance use disorder in primary care: The role, integration, and impact of recovery coaches. Subst Abus. 2018;39(3):307-314. PMID: 28991516.
- Jack HE, Fricchione G, Chibanda D, Thornicroft G, Machando D, Kidia K. Mental health of incarcerated people: A global call to action. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018 May;5(5):391-392. PMID: 29699739.
- Jack HE, Oller D, Kelly J, Magidson JF, Wakeman SE. Asking How Our Patients Understand Addiction. Am J Med. 2019 Mar;132(3):269-271. PMID: 30240683.
- Jack HE, Myers B, Regenauer KS, Magidson JF. Mutual Capacity Building to Reduce the Behavioral Health Treatment Gap Globally. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2020 Jul;47(4):497-500. PMID: 31823100.
- Jack HE, Merritt C, Medhin G, Musesengwa R, Mafuta C, Gibson LJ, Hanlon C, Sorsdahl K, Chibanda D, Abas M. Developing sustainable capacity-building in mental health research: Implementation outcomes of training of trainers in systematic reviewing. Glob Health Action. 2020;13(1):1715325. PMID: 32041498.