Gregory K. Brown, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry
Director, Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Clinical Psychologist, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Co-Director, Penn Innovation in Suicide Prevention Implementation Research (INSPIRE) Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Department: Psychiatry
Contact information
Department of Psychiatry
Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania
3535 Market Street, Room 3039
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania
3535 Market Street, Room 3039
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
Office: 215-898-4104
Publications
Links
Search PubMed for articles
The Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide aims to save lives by developing, evaluating, and implementing evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavior therapy and safety planning, for individuals, providers, communities, and health systems.
The Penn Innovation in Suicide Prevention Implementation Research (INSPIRE) Center’s overarching goals are to develop, test and scale up implementation strategies to bring evidence-based suicide prevention practices.
This website features resources for implementing the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention.
Search PubMed for articles
The Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide aims to save lives by developing, evaluating, and implementing evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavior therapy and safety planning, for individuals, providers, communities, and health systems.
The Penn Innovation in Suicide Prevention Implementation Research (INSPIRE) Center’s overarching goals are to develop, test and scale up implementation strategies to bring evidence-based suicide prevention practices.
This website features resources for implementing the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention.
Education:
B.S. (Psychology)
Denison University , 1981.
M.S. (Clinical Psychology)
University of Bridgeport , 1983.
Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology)
Vanderbilt University, 1987.
Permanent linkB.S. (Psychology)
Denison University , 1981.
M.S. (Clinical Psychology)
University of Bridgeport , 1983.
Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology)
Vanderbilt University, 1987.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Brown is an internationally renowned expert in suicide prevention whose work has led to transformational advances in the treatment of suicidal individuals. His research aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of innovative, targeted interventions designed to reduce vulnerability factors associated with suicide behavior in high risk populations and to examine and improve the implementation of evidence-based treatments into “real world” settings to prevent suicide.Specifically, Dr. Brown is the developer, along with his colleagues, of two clinical interventions for individuals at risk for suicide including the Safety Planning Intervention and Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention. The Safety Planning Intervention is an evidence-based, brief suicide prevention strategy that has been used in research and widely disseminated in health care settings, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). He also developed of one of the few existing evidence-based psychotherapy interventions, Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention, which has been shown to prevent suicide attempts among individuals at high risk for suicide.
Dr. Brown is the Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator on research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. He is the author of numerous scientific publications in the area of suicide prevention and he has received several awards for his contributions to the science of suicide prevention, including the Morselli Medal from the International Academy for Suicide Research for outstanding and enduring achievements in the science and art of suicide prevention.
Description of Other Expertise
Dr. Brown provides clinical training for clinicians in suicide assessment and risk management, cognitive behavior therapy for depression and suicide prevention.Selected Publications
Tran, J.T., Webster, J., Wolfe, J.R., Ben Nathan, J., Mayinja, L., Kautz, M., Oquendo, M.A., Brown, G.K., Mandell, D., Mowery, D., Bauermeister, J.A., & Brown, L. : Experiences of peer mentoring sexual and gender diverse emerging adults who are at risk for suicide: A mixed methods study. JMIR Formative Research 9: e67814, 2025 Notes: http://doi.org/10.2196/67814.Chitavi, S.O., Williams, S.C., Patrianakos, J., Schmaltz, S.P., Boudreaux, E.D., Ahmedani, B.K., Roaten, K., Comtois, K.A., Akkas, F., & Brown, G.K. : Evaluating the prevalence of suicide risk screening practices in accredited hospitals. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2025 Notes: In Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2025.01.010.
Arias, S.A., Weinstock, L.M., Toor, M., Cinader, M., Schall, G., Brown, G.K., Stanley, B., & Johnson, J.E. : Recent and lifetime suicide behaviors and risk factors at baseline in a suicide prevention trial conducted across the transition from pretrial jail detention to the community. Psychiatric Services 2025 Notes: PS-20240446.
Chitavi, S.O., Patrianakos, J., Williams, S.C., Schmaltz, S.P., Ahmedani, B.K., Roaten, K., Boudreaux, E.D., & Brown, G.K.: Evaluating the prevalence of four recommended practices for suicide prevention following hospital discharge. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 50: 393-403, Jun 2024 Notes: doi:10.1016/j.jcjq.2024.02.007.
Brown, G.K., Wolk, C.B., Green, K.L., Nezir, F., Mowery, D.L., Gallop, R., Reilly, M.E., Stanley, B., Mandell, D.S., Oquendo, M.A., & Jager-Hyman, S.: Safety planning intervention and follow-up: A telehealth service model for suicidal individuals in emergency department settings: Study design and protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials 140: 107492, May 2024 Notes: doi:10.1016/j.cct.2024.107492.
Wadden, T.A., Brown, G.K., Egebjerg, C., Frenkel, O., Goldman, B., Kushner, R.F., McGowan, B., Overvad, M., & Fink-Jensen, A.: Psychiatric safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg for weight management in people without known major psychopathology: Post-hoc analysis of STEP 1–3 and 5. JAMA Internal Medicine 2024.
Brown, G.K., Batdorf, W., Dedert, E., Kumpula, M.J., Day, K., Stanley, B., & Crowe, C.: National implementation of advanced training in the safety planning intervention in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. Psychological Services 2024 Notes: In press.
Adrian, M., McCauley, E., Gallop, R., Stevens, J., Jobes, D., Crumlish, J., Stanley, B., Brown, G.K., Green, K.L., Hughes, J.L., & Bridge, J.A.: Advancing Suicide Intervention Strategies for Teens (ASSIST): Study protocol for a multisite randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open(e074116), 1-9, Nov 2023 Notes: doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074116.
Arias, S.A., Sperber, K., Jones, R., Taxman, F.S., Miller, T.R., Zylberfuden, S., Weinstock, L.M., Brown, G.K., Ahmedani, B., & Johnson, J.E.: Managed care updates of subscriber jail release to prompt community suicide prevention: Clinical trial protocol. BMC Health Services Research 23(1): 1265, Nov 2023 Notes: doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3350204/v1.
Becker-Haimes, E.M., Brady, M., Jamison, J., Jager-Hyman, S., Reilly, M.E., Patel, E., Brown, G.K., Mandell, D.S., & Oquendo, M.A.: An exposure-based implementation strategy to decrease clinician anxiety about implementing suicide prevention evidence-based practices: Protocol for development and pilot testing (Project CALMER). Implementation Science Communications 4(148), Nov 2023 Notes: doi:10.1186/s43058-023-00530-3.