Rate My Professor Deborah Altschul

Deborah B. Altschul, Ph.D., is a professor holding the Milton Rosenbaum Endowed Professorship for Psychosocial Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Health Sciences Center. She serves as Vice Chair for Community Behavioral Health Research and Co-Director of the Division of Community Behavioral Health. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Altschul completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in mental health services research through the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, focused on improving racial and ethnic disparities in mental health services. She began her career at UNM in 2006, following faculty service at the University of Hawaii’s Department of Psychology’s Mental Health Services Research, Evaluation, and Training Program. Her academic trajectory emphasizes advancing behavioral health services in underserved populations through rigorous research and community partnerships.

Dr. Altschul’s research specializations include behavioral health disparities, evidence-based practice implementation in rural and tribal communities, cultural competence adaptations, workforce shortages, historical trauma among Indigenous peoples, and economic impacts of interventions like Multisystemic Therapy and permanent supportive housing. Key publications encompass "Workforce Capacity for Reducing Rural Disparities in Public Mental Health Services" (Psychiatric Services, 2011), "Capacity for Delivering Culturally Competent Mental Health Services in New Mexico: Results of a Statewide Agency Survey" (Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2009), "Assessing the Utility of a Toolkit for Modifying Evidence-Based Practice to Increase Cultural Competence: A Comparative Case Study" (Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 2016), and the "Toolkit for Modifying Evidence-Based Practices to Increase Cultural Competence" (2008). She has secured federal funding from NIH, SAMHSA, and others as principal or multiple principal investigator on projects addressing suicide prevention and behavioral health infrastructure. Major awards include the 2023 Mary Frances Early College of Education Mid-Career Alumni Award, 2018 Milton Rosenbaum Faculty Award, and UNM Study Abroad Program Development Awards for intercultural exchanges on public behavioral health services. Dr. Altschul’s work has significantly influenced policy, training for rural psychiatrists, and sustainable culturally competent services in New Mexico and beyond.