Our Values and Mission

RESPECT Lab

Responsive Emergency Support for Psychological Escalation, Crisis, and Trauma

At RESPECT Lab, we study how emergency care systems can better respond to people experiencing behavioral health emergencies while promoting safety, dignity, and recovery. Our work spans patients, clinicians, health systems, and communities to build scalable, evidence-based solutions that improve behavioral emergency care and advance health equity.

Social Justice

We aim to reduce structural inequities in emergency care and ensure fair, humane treatment for all patients.

Psychological Safety

We design systems that protect the emotional and physical safety of both patients and healthcare teams.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

We advance team science across clinicians, researchers, patients, and community partners to improve emergency care systems.

Inclusivity

We ensure diverse voices—including patients and frontline staff—shape research, design, and implementation.

Ethical Research

We build ongoing partnerships with patients and communities, ensuring research benefits participants and supports their lived experience.

Sustainability

We design interventions and roles that are feasible, scalable, and sustainable within real hospital systems.

Patient-Centered Research

We prioritize patient experience, dignity, and outcomes in every stage of research and implementation.

Mentorship

We support career development, learning, and advancement for all team members through active mentorship and collaboration.

Our Mission

The RESPECT Lab develops and evaluates patient-centered interventions, including peer support programs that improve engagement, trust, and outcomes for individuals in behavioral health crisis. We use system dynamics modeling and mixed-methods research to understand agitation, coercive interventions, workplace violence, and clinician well-being. Our goal is to create scalable, implementation-ready solutions that improve care quality, reduce harm, and strengthen health systems.