Jennifer M Boggs, PhD, MSW
Associate Investigator
Jennifer M Boggs, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Investigator at the Institute for Health Research. As a mental health services researcher, Dr. Boggs uses training in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative mental health, suicide, and violence prevention interventions. Dr. Boggs relies heavily on models from implementation science to inform strategies for adapting and implementing new interventions in health systems. She is passionate about firearm injury prevention and serves as a Scientist in Residence with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education, where she helps inform, develop, and oversee quality improvement programs to reduce firearm harms across the KP Enterprise.
Dr. Boggs received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Indiana University with a minor in business, a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver with concentrations in animal assisted approaches and marriage and family therapy, and a Doctorate in Health Services Research from the University of Colorado with training in epidemiology and health economics.
Selected Research:
- Scaling Out S.A.F.E. Firearm Across Two Health Systems as a Universal Suicide Prevention Strategy (SCALE ASPIRE)
- Funder: National Institute for Mental Health
- Study End Date: 10/31/2029
- Standardizing Care for Firearm Injuries: A Roadmap for Treatment and Recovery
- Funder: Fund for Safer Futures
- Study End Date: 12/23/2027
- Quality Measures to Advance Suicide Prevention and Care Across Health Systems
- Funder: National Institute for Mental Health
- Study End Date: 05/31/2028
In collaboration with partners at Northwestern University (PI: Beidas), our team is adapting and testing the successful pediatric program, S.A.F.E. Firearm, for adult primary care and women’s health visits. This program has the potential to reach more families using feasible implementation strategies designed to fit in the busy PC setting for promoting safe storage of firearms. Findings will develop better evidence for universal delivery of firearm safe storage programs to adult populations; where most of the current evidence resides with pediatric populations or high-risk adults.
Dr. Boggs is co-leading this project with Dr. Julie Angerhofer with the aim of developing and disseminating the first comprehensive standard of care framework for firearm injuries to holistically address medical (e.g., wound care, pain), psychological (e.g., trauma recovery), and social needs (e.g., social reintegration, addressing determinants of health).
In collaboration with partners at Henry Ford Health and Kaiser Permanente Washington (MPIs Ahmedani and Penfold) and national quality partners from the Joint Commission and National Committee on Quality Assurance, our team is evaluating potential process and outcome quality measures for suicide prevention. Dr. Boggs is leading the evaluation of safety planning measures across multiple health systems.