About Me
Jennifer Bronson, PhD is a Medical Sociologist with 22 years of experience in program evaluations, data collections, and research that inform policy and practice. Trained in the scholar-activist tradition at Howard University, her work balances scientific rigor with context.
A former Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Statistician and Bureau of Justice Assistance Visiting Fellow, Dr. Bronson is a recognized national expert at the intersection of justice involvement (law enforcement, crisis response, incarceration, reentry) and behavioral health (mental health, substance use disorders, recovery). At BJS, she was a member of the U.S. Congressional Heroin Taskforce, managed the Methodological Redesign of the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, and specialized in the health of people held in prison and jail. As a contractor, Dr. Bronson later directed BJS’s first national maternal health in prisons data collection, as well as BJS’s Statistical Support Program which contained eight feasibility and methodological studies on criminal justice topics.
Dr. Bronson was the Senior Director of the Criminal Justice and Mental Health Research Center the National Association of State Mental Health Program Director Research Institute (NRI). She managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio that included an evaluation of a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic’s (CCBHCs) program outcomes , research on Persons Living with Dementia in the Criminal Legal System, and an assessment of state-wide psychiatric hospital systems. This work also entailed an NIH-funded award, through the Aging Research Criminal Justice Health Network, to conduct a secondary data analysis of the health conditions of aging veterans in prisons.
In 2021, Jennifer founded Bronson Consulting in order to expand her career mission of improving the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This commitment carries over into her “off hours” where she is the volunteer grant writer for her local food bank and meal kitchen, serves as an appointed member to her city’s Pride Committee, and is Board President of a local ballet company. Jennifer is a longtime, active member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) through which she has co-chaired a gun violence prevention workgroup since 2013, and received the APHA Maternal and Child Health Young Professional of the Year Award in 2017.
Dr. Bronson also holds current positions as a Senior Research Scientist at PIRE and a Senior Associate at Capstone Solutions Consulting Group .
What I Offer
- Different levels of support, such as providing subject matter expertise or advisory input, working as a temporary team member, or assuming full project leadership.
- Rich network of experts, providers, and researchers that can be utilized to expand a team.
- Extensive experience as an accomplished oral and written communicator with 95+ publications and professional presentations to date.
- Proven record of crafting and executing division strategic plans, shaping national narratives, and equipping stakeholders with actionable insights.
- Expertise in developing and submitting funded proposals and managing the full lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements.
- Skilled in fostering cross-sector, strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
Selected Work Experience and Projects
- Director, Criminal Justice Division, Abt Global
- Senior Director, Criminal Justice and Mental Health Research Center, National Association of Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI)
- Statistician, Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Research Coordinator, Howard University Department of Pediatrics and Child Health
- Program Evaluator, Partnership for People with Disabilities
Education
PhD, Medical Sociology
BS, Sociology
MS, Sociology