Faculty: Paul Block, PhD

Paul Block

Paul Block, PhD

Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology Department

Email
paul_​block@williamjames.edu
Phone
617-327-6777 x2312
Location
Work Space 208C
Degree Major/Emphasis Institution
PhD Clinical Psychology New York University
BA Psychology, and Philosophy Brown University

Courses

  • Leadership and Management

Research and Practice Interests

  • Health care policy and health care reform
  • Behavioral health in health care and health care policy
  • Behavioral health and human services leadership and management
  • Behavioral health management consulting
  • Behavioral health and human services program design and management (including evaluation)
  • Measuring critical thinking in psychology
  • Student evaluations of clinical supervision

Professional Licenses and Certifications

  • PS 376 Clinical Psychology, Rhode Island
  • Previous: Clinical Psychologist, CO

Awards

  • 2002 - Community Partner of the year, Thundermist Health Centers
  • 1989, 1990, 1995 and 1996 - "Outstanding" performance ratings, Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center

Publications and Presentations

  • 17 Invited graduate and postgraduate teaching presentations, some multiple times
  • 29 Continuing medical and psychological education courses, some multiple times
  • 47 Peer-Reviewed Professional Presentations
  • 37 Invited Presentations
  • Oral and written testimony
  • Block P. Unconscious content. Psychological Reports 1985; 56: 891-901.
  • Robins CJ, Block P. Personal vulnerability, life events, and depressive symptoms: A test of a specific interactional model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1988; 54: 847-852.
  • Robins CJ, Block P. "Cognitive" theories of depression viewed from a diathesis-stress perspective: Evaluations of the models of Beck, and of Abramson, Seligman, and Teasdale. Cognitive Therapy and Research 1989; 13: 297-313.
  • Robins CJ, Block P., Peselow ED. Relations of sociotropic and autonomous personality characteristics to specific symptoms in depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1989; 98: 86-88.
  • Robins CJ, Block P, Peselow ED. Specificity of symptoms in RDC endogenous depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 1989; 16: 243-248.
  • Peselow ED, Robins C, Block P, Barouche F, Fieve RR. Dysfunctional attitudes in depressed patients before and after clinical treatment and in normal control subjects. American Journal of Psychiatry 1990; 147: 439-444.
  • Robins CJ, Block P, Peselow ED. Cognition and life events in major depression: A test of the mediation and interaction hypotheses. Cognitive Therapy and Research 1990; 14: 299-313.
  • Robins CJ, Block P, Peselow ED. Endogenous and nonendogenous depressions: Relations to life events, dysfunctional attitudes, and event perceptions. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 1990; 29: 201-207.
  • Block P. Measurement and interrelations of psychiatric symptomatology in inpatients. Psychological Reports 1991; 68: 1055-1056.
  • Peselow ED, Robins CJ, Sanfilipo MP, Block P, Fieve RR. Sociotropy and autonomy: Relationship to antidepressant drug treatment response and endogenous/nonendogenous dichotomy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1992; 101: 479-486.
  • Knapp MJ, Knopman DS, Solomon PR, Pendlebury WW, Davis CS, Gracon SI for the Tacrine Study Group (inc. P. Block) A 30-week randomized controlled trial of high-dose Tacrine in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of the American Medical Association 1994; 271: 985-991.
  • Robins CJ, Hayes AM, Block P, Kramer RJ, Villena M. Interpersonal and achievement concerns and the depressive vulnerability and symptom specificity hypotheses: A prospective study. Cognitive Therapy and Research 1995; 19: 1-20.
  • Garfinkle C, Block P. Physicians' interactions with families of terminally ill patients: The impact of attitudes and anxiety about death. Family Medicine 1996; 28 (Special Series: Dealing with Death in Patients and Families): 699-704.
  • Block, P, and Borkan, J. (2013). Healthcare in Rhode Island: Shooting for the moon. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 96, 12-13.
  • Block P. A psychosocial expansion of the Cognitive Theory of depression [dissertation]. New York: New York University; 1987.
  • Brown ED, Block P. Management of human resources. In Brown ED, O'Farrell TJ, Maisto SA, Hickman-Boies K, Suchinsky R, editors. Accreditation guide for substance abuse treatment programs. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications; 1996.
  • Block P, Taylor C, O'Brien K. Cogito; A study guide for philosophical foundations of cognitive models, Version 2.0 [Interactive computer tutorial]. Denver: University of Denver; 1995.
  • Westergaard N, Block P, DuBoff EA. Appropriate measurement of panic severity: Piloting the Westergaard Assessment Scale for Panic Attacks (WASPA) [Abstract]. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 1994; 30: 140.
  • Block P. Doing violence to “…violence against women.” American Psychologist 1990; 45: 1386-1387.
  • Block P, Buirski P. Practical pitfalls of ‘Postdoctoral education for professional practice.’ American Psychologist 1992; 47: 1243-1244.
  • Block P, with Galamaga, D, Hoffmann, N, Fritz, G, Msall, M, Dumas, M, Hagberg, S, and Rochefort, DA. Can Rhode Island afford mental health care coverage? Facts for decision makers and advocates. Pawtucket, RI: Mental Health Association of Rhode Island, 2000.
  • Block, P. (Author). A Step toward Solving Rhode Island’s Health Care Financing Crisis: Reducing the Prohibitive Burden of Disease by Integrating Behavioral and Primary Care Some Assembly Required); An After-Forum report of the Surgeon General’s Presentation to Rhode Island, May 9, 2003. Funded by a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. Pawtucket, RI: Allied Advocacy Group for Collaborative Care, 2003.
  • Block, P. (Secretary). Taking the next step toward solving Rhode Island’s healthcare crisis: An action plan for integrating behavioral and primary care; A report of the Policy Roundtable on Collaborative Care, June 27, 2003. Sponsored by the Allied Advocacy Group for Collaborative Care; Hosted by The Rhode Island Foundation in their Board Room, Providence, RI. Pawtucket, RI: Allied Advocacy Group for Collaborative Care, 2004.
  • Block, P. A good time for RI entrepreneurs. Providence Journal Bulletin, Op-Ed., March 19, 2009.
  • Block, P., and Harris, A. (2016.) Effective models of fidelity monitoring for evidence based practices. Prepared for Mercer. Gettysburg, PA: Open Minds.

Concurrent Leadership, Service and Professional Activities

  • Founding managing partner, Cadence Consultants, LLC
  • (Consultant on several research applications)

Prior Experience

  • 10/16-3/17 - VP for Consulting Services, Open Minds
  • 3/15-10/16 - VP for Behavioral Health Services, Riverside Community Care
  • 5/14-10/16 - Consultant, Open Minds
  • 5/14-3/15 - Director, North American Family Institute (NAFI) Center for Integrated Care Innovation.
  • 5/13-3/15 - Director, NAFI-RI services of NAFI Psychological Centers; Member, NAFI national executive team
  • 9/09-5/13 - Director, Psychological Centers
  • 9/09-5/13 - ex-officio (for-profit) member, Board, Ocean State Network for Children and Families (DCYF-serving Network)
  • 2/00-8/09 - Co-Founder and Co-Director, Psychological Centers
  • 2/98-2/00 - Assistant Vice President for Clinical Services, Child and Family Services of Newport County, Middletown, RI

Professional Affiliations

  • American Psychological Association
  • (Formerly Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Society for Psychotherapy Exploration, ISSD, and Clinical Psychology Student Association of Greater New York)

Community Involvement

  • 2015-2016 - Chair, Association for Behavioral Health, state-invited ad hoc committee on simplification of documentation and regulation for co-located primary care behavioral health (extended to all outpatient psychosocial interventions).
  • 2012-2015 - Member, HealthRIght Healthcare Policy Group, Executive Committee
  • 2012-2013 - Member, RI Health Insurance Exchange Expert Advisory Committee
  • 2012-2013 - Member, Governor’s Workforce Board, Employer Advisory Group
  • 2012-2013 - JDAI RI Conditions of Confinement assessment team, member
  • 2011 - Member, RI Governor’s State Healthcare Reform Commission; member community provider leadership council; member payment and delivery reform workgroup
  • 2011-12 - Member, RI Office of Health and Human Services pain management stakeholder advisory group
  • 2011 - Member, RI Department of Health, Health Disparities Project; member, data workgroup
  • 2010 - Member, HealthRIght, statewide healthcare reform stakeholder group
  • 2010 - Member, Emergency Department Diversion stakeholder group, RI Department of Human Services
  • 2009-13 - Member, Global Waiver Task Force, advisory group to RI Department of Human Services
  • 2008-11 - Stakeholder Advisory Group, Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative, RI Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner
  • 2000-2008 - Medical Advisory Board, Crossroads RI, Member
  • 2000-08 - Member, Editor, Secretary, Allied Advocacy Group (Work group on integration of behavioral and medical care convened by the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals and the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians)
  • 1999-2000 - Integrated Medicine Advisory Committee, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Consultant/Member
  • 1998-2000 - Medical Advisory Committee, Harbour Healthcare (Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island), Member
  • 1996-2004 - Member, Executive and Advocacy Committees, Mental Health Association of Rhode Island (variously Board Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, Chair of the Advocacy Committee), Co-author, State of Mental Health Services in RI, report to the director of NIMH
  • 1993-1994 - Living Support Network of Colorado, Member- Board of Directors
  • 1992-1994 - University of Denver/Living Support Network/Mental Health Association of Colorado, Depression Support Group, Director
  • 1992-1994 - Medical and Scientific Board, Psychological Resources Organization, Consultant Member
  • 1991-1994 - Peer Support Program, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Colorado, Professional Consultant
  • 1987-90 - Committee on Continuing Education, Member, Rhode Island Psychological Association (Chair first RIPA CE training)
  • 1984-87 - Clinical Psychology Student Association; Founder, Founding Co-chair, Steering Committee; Co-chair, 1st annual student conference, 1985
  • 2014-15 - SAMHSA CIHS Integrated Primary Care Innovation Community
  • 2011-14 - Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) Behavioral health work group, co-author quick guides for physicians: Medicare Reimbursement for Depression Screening and for SBIRT Alcohol Misuse (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment)
  • 1990-1991 - Orange Ribbon national support group for relatives of service people in the Persian Gulf War, Colorado coordinator
  • 1990-1991 - American Psychological Association, Middle East Crisis Psychology Network, Member
  • 1989-1991 - American Psychological Association,
  • APA of Graduate Students: Professional Member, Professional Development Committee, founding member
  • Division 29: Student Development Committee, member and Chair