Crystal L. Brandow, PhD, has been working in the fields of behavioral and community health for 15 years, including efforts related to well-being and wellness; trauma, healing, and resilience; identity, culture, and bias; and social justice and anti-oppression. Dr. Brandow’s interests include broader, interdisciplinary topics related to public health communication, population health, and health disparities. Applying these interests, her portfolio and expertise includes training, facilitation, and technical and academic writing, as well as the development of curricula, products, and programs. Dr. Brandow strives to integrate an equity lens to all the projects she engages in, and aims to bring an authentic, impactful, innovative voice to the behavioral health space.

Prior to joining Peg’s Foundation, Dr. Brandow served in several positions elevating equity in behavioral health services and systems. From 2021-2022, Dr. Brandow served as a Fellow at the Wellness in Recovery Addiction Advocacy Research Program at the Rutgers University Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, where she was involved in the co-production of the Well-Being Model for Young Black Adults. Dr. Brandow is the Program Development Consultant with the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), where she contributed to co-production of the Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program from 2022-2023. She is the former Assistant Director of SAMHSA’s Program to Achieve Wellness, which was designed to integrate wellness into recovery for individuals with mental health conditions. She has worked with a range of community-based organizations, including Community Action Agencies and Statewide Family and Consumer Networks, and on a number of federal contracts focused on mental and behavioral health. Through her business, clb strategies, LLC, Dr. Brandow’s consulting services and clients span a variety of fields, such as healthcare, education, mental health, courts, and substance use.

Dr. Brandow is a member of CBHL, Founding Member of the Society for Health Communication, and member of the American Public Health Association (APHA). In 2022, she had the honor of receiving a Mental Health Section Award for her contributions to APHA. Dr. Brandow has her PhD in Communication from the University at Albany, where she previously served as an adjunct professor in the Communication Department.