About

Courtney L. Benjamin Wolk, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a psychologist working at the Hall-Mercer Community Behavioral Health Center of Pennsylvania Hospital. Dr. Wolk is also a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, an Associate Fellow at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, an Associate Director at the Penn Center for Mental Health, and the Executive Director of the Penn Implementation Science Center. Her clinical expertise includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, anxiety, and working with children and adolescents. Her research focuses on implementation science, mental health services, integrated care, and school mental health.

Research topics

• Anesthesia
• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Intensive care medicine
• Pediatrics
• Emergency medicine

Selected publications

• A mixed methods evaluation of mechanisms for facilitation in pediatric primary care

  Implementation Science Communications · 2026-04-14

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Understanding how implementation strategies work is vitally important for the deployment of evidence-based practices (EPBs) in healthcare settings. Specifically, mechanistic inquiry provides information on specific targets (e.g., buy-in, saliency) that must be engaged for a strategy to be successful. We used mixed-methods to investigate mechanisms of facilitation as part of a trial to implement S.A.F.E. Firearm, a brief evidence-based practice which includes firearm storage counseling and offering free cable locks in pediatric primary care during well-child visits. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods approach to ascertain mechanisms. Quantitative analyses determined whether clinic-level adaptive reserve (e.g., mechanism) mediated the impact of facilitation (e.g., strategy) on reach (e.g., primary outcome). Adaptive reserve, evaluated via clinician survey, refers to a clinic's ability to broadly make and sustain change and includes multiple components (i.e., relationship infrastructure, facilitative leadership, sensemaking, teamwork, work environment, and culture of learning). Importantly, adaptive reserve is not the specific capacity to implement a given EBP. Second, qualitative interviews guided by the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and analyzed using deductive and inductive approaches, were conducted with pediatric clinicians, clinic change agents, and health system leaders to ascertain other mechanisms. Mixed methods integration occurred at completion of both activities. RESULTS: Quantitative analyses indicated that adaptive reserve did not mediate the effect of facilitation on reach. Qualitative findings illustrated other potential mechanisms of facilitation including: increasing buy-in and saliency to help overcome initial inertia and to support application of training principles in practice; strong collaborative relationships between facilitators and clinics to improve accountability; in-person visits or electronic communications that serve as reminders; reinforcing the why and how of the intervention (sensemaking); and fostering team collaboration to troubleshoot logistical barriers. DISCUSSION: While prior studies have found that adaptive reserve was related to facilitation, our mediation analysis did not support this hypothesis. Contextual factors may offer potential explanations, particularly a lower-intensity facilitation in this context commensurate with a smaller practice change (e.g., a brief program intended to take < 1 min), but further study is needed. Our qualitative results offer a potentially new mechanistic model of facilitation to be investigated in future studies.

  PublisherDOI

• Four-year patterns of a mental health support service for employees of a healthcare system delivered by lay professionals

  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine · 2026-05-06

  article

  OBJECTIVES: To understand how and when mental health programs can best address healthcare workers' needs as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study using administrative program data (N = 524 unique clients served) to examine variations in use, client presenting concerns, and interventions delivered for a lay mental health program within an academic medical center in Philadelphia between April 2020 and March 2024. RESULTS: Results suggested gradual decline in program utilization over four years; however, rates of referral of clients to professional mental health services remained steady. Clients presented with fewer emotional and social support needs and more cognitive challenges over time. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the need for nimble programming that can rapidly adjust to the needs of healthcare workers in a changing healthcare landscape. We provide suggestions for adapting programs over time.

  PublisherDOI

• Differential Impact of a Digital Mental Health Engagement Platform on Black and Female Health Care Workers: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial

  Journal of General Internal Medicine · 2026-04-17

  articleOpen access

  IMPORTANCE: Health care workers (HCWs), particularly those identifying as female or Black, face disproportionate mental health strain. Digital mental health platforms have grown in popularity and, for health systems, may offer scalable solutions, but their differential impact across demographic groups remains understudied. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial enrolled 1275 HCWs from an urban academic health system between January and May 2022. Participants were randomized to usual care or proactive digital engagement via the Cobalt platform. Female and Black HCWs were oversampled to assess subgroup effects. INTERVENTION: Monthly digital outreach, including mental health symptom screening and linkage to resources via the Cobalt platform, compared with usual care. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcomes were changes in depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) scores at 6 and 9 months. Secondary outcomes included well-being (WHO-5, WBI-9) and work productivity (LEAPS). Generalized linear models assessed HTE by gender and race. RESULTS: Of 1275 randomized participants (mean age 38.6 years; 83.4% female; 25.1% Black), both intervention and control groups showed significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores over time. No significant HTE was observed by gender or race for primary outcomes. Female HCWs receiving the intervention reported significantly greater improvement in work productivity at 6 months (LEAPS score difference: 1.70; p = 0.03). Black HCWs in the intervention arm showed a sustained improvement in depression scores at 9 months (- 2.21; p < 0.001), though adjusted models did not confirm statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A proactive digital mental health strategy coupled with a well-being platform improved mental health outcomes across HCWs, with modest differential effects in productivity and depression among female and Black participants. These findings support the scalability of digital interventions and highlight the need for culturally tailored approaches to enhance equity and impact.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Implementation Strategies to Improve Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Initiation for Primary Care Patients With Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours: A Scoping Review

  Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice · 2026-01-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Primary care is a common healthcare contact before suicide. When suicide risk is identified in primary care, patients are often referred to specialty outpatient mental health care. However, many do not initiate care. Strategies to improve the initiation of specialty outpatient mental health care among adults in primary care settings with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours remain unclear. METHODS: This scoping review operationalized implementation strategies used in primary care to facilitate the initiation of specialty mental health care. We used established methodology and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed articles in English that contained implementation strategies to improve the initiation of specialty outpatient mental health care among adults in primary care settings with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours. We excluded abstracts, editorials, grey literature, and studies focused on intensive outpatient or partial hospitalisation programmes. At least two independent reviewers screened, completed a full-text review, and extracted study data. Implementation strategies were labelled and defined using the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategies and operationalized using recommended reporting guidelines. RESULTS: Of the 606 citations screened, five studies were retained. An average of 8.6 unique strategies per study were identified. No study used an established taxonomy of strategies to label and define strategies nor stated all recommended reporting details. Common strategies aligned with ERIC strategies to 'promote adaptability', 'develop and implement tools for quality monitoring', 'remind clinicians', 'facilitate relay of clinical data to providers' and 'centralise technical assistance'. Studies generally reported strategies' actions, targets, timing, and outcomes, but inconsistently reported strategy actors, dose, and justification. CONCLUSION: Greater specification of implementation strategies to improve the initiation of specialty outpatient mental health care among adults in primary care settings with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour is needed.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Scaling up low barrier wound care for people who use drugs: a mixed methods study

  Harm Reduction Journal · 2025-05-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: People who use drugs (PWUD) have long required wound care-a need that has become more urgent with the rise of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer in the street opioid supply associated with necrotic wounds. When PWUD visit the hospital for wound care, they often face discrimination from healthcare staff and leave the hospital before treatment completion. Low barrier wound care, community-based wound care that is grounded in harm reduction, is promising for meeting PWUD where they are and providing trustworthy, high quality care. Yet, access to low barrier wound care remains limited. This study explored determinants of and strategies for scaling up low barrier wound care for PWUD. METHODS: We utilized a prospective sequential exploratory mixed methods design, including semi-structured 1:1 interviews, community advisory board (CAB) meetings, and an online survey. The study was conducted from April 2024-September 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. We included wound care providers, administrators, and recovery specialists of low barrier sites with walk-in, flexible services and harm reduction approaches. The interviews identified determinants of scaling up low barrier wound care, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. We then facilitated CAB meetings and conducted a survey of CAB members to identify community-generated implementation strategies and assess acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of CAB-generated strategies. We also generated evidence-based implementation strategies using the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change compilation. RESULTS: Participants identified many barriers, including stigma, social needs, local policies, unstable funding, lack of specialized knowledge, and unstandardized evidence. Promising implementation strategies include using mass media to address stigma, developing resource sharing agreements between sites, revising professional roles to spread knowledge, and building academic partnerships to develop evidence. The most acceptable, feasible, and appropriate strategy rated by the CAB was offering social needs services (e.g., food, showers) within low barrier wound care sites. CONCLUSIONS: Many factors at different levels influence the availability and quality of low barrier wound care for PWUD. Our results suggest that communities would benefit from a local needs assessment to identify and tailor strategies for scaling up care. Future work will test the effectiveness and implementation of identified strategies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ethical considerations and practical suggestions for CBT consultation in mental health implementation research and practice

  Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · 2025-06-04 · 1 citations

  review

  Implementation efforts to increase delivery of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) require ongoing consultation to support the necessary skill development, intervention delivery, and sustainability of its practice in the face of common barriers. However, many ethical challenges can arise within consultation across implementation research and practice at both an individual and organizational level that are not easily resolved within current ethical guidelines. In this paper, we highlight the role of consultation in implementation science and practice and illustrate major ethical challenges that can arise in CBT consultation (i.e. role clarity, influence and power dynamics, professional differences, legal requirements), providing relevant case examples. We then offer practical suggestions for consultants to effectively and proactively address ethically challenging situations, guided by a structured problem-solving framework with reflective questions. We present an extended case example to demonstrate the utility of the proposed framework to support clinicians-particularly practitioners engaged in training and consultation-to support delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care. We conclude by discussing important future directions as they relate to ethical consultation practices to advance CBT implementation.

  PublisherDOI

• Caregiver experiences with deimplementation of continuous pulse oximetry monitoring for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis: A qualitative study

  Journal of Hospital Medicine · 2025-07-03

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Continuous pulse oximetry monitoring in stable children with bronchiolitis not requiring supplemental oxygen has been identified as a low-value practice. However, little is known about how parents and other caregivers experience efforts to deimplement this practice. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated caregivers' experiences during their child's recent hospitalization for bronchiolitis on units involved in a deimplementation trial. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 caregivers of children hospitalized with bronchiolitis at 11 hospitals participating in deimplementation strategies to reduce unnecessary continuous pulse oximetry monitoring as part of the Eliminating Monitoring Overuse (EMO) trial. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using an integrative analytic approach. RESULTS: Caregivers were a mean (SD) 31.1 (5.7) years old, predominantly female (93.3%), white (73.3%), and Non-Hispanic (86.7%). Previous hospitalization experiences and prior knowledge and training influenced caregiver perceptions of the value of monitoring. Participants did not discuss noticing changes in monitoring practices in interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that tailored education about monitoring may lessen caregiver concerns.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Proactively Delivered Digital Mental Health Support for Health Care Workers: Usability and Acceptability Evaluation

  JMIR Formative Research · 2025-12-09

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Health systems are investing in mental health and well-being support tools and resources for health care workers (HCW). Considering the mental health strain facing HCWs, there is a need to optimize the current mental health delivery model. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a proactive digital mental health approach (Cobalt+;Penn Medicine), which included services proactively sent to HCWs via text messaging, including (1) monthly automated text messaging reminders and links to Cobalt, and (2) bimonthly text-message-based measures of depression and anxiety. METHODS: This study used the System Usability Scale (SUS), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and open-ended questions to capture Cobalt+ participants who received proactive digital mental health tools and resources. Descriptive summary statistics were used for SUS and NPS outcome measures, and a chi-square test was used to detect group differences. Open-ended questions were analyzed using a qualitative open coding process by 2 coders. Research team members calculated interrater agreement (Cohen κ above 0.80). RESULTS: A total of 162 of 642 HCWs randomized to Cobalt+ (25.2%) visited Cobalt due to a proactive text message and completed usability and acceptability measures. The mean age was 38.9 years, most were female (90.7%), 56.8% White, 53.1% married or partnered, and 34.6% engaged in shift work. The mean SUS score was 74.43 (median score 72.5). Participants said they mostly "browsed" the online mental health platform. Cobalt+ received an NPS of 13.7. When asked to elaborate on their experience, 2 categories (eg, positive and negative experiences) with 13 subcategories were identified. Most participants noted the brief process that helped prioritize mental health: "Forget otherwise. Puts in forefront of my mind," and "Your texts do remind me to take stock of my current feelings." CONCLUSIONS: A proactive digital mental health approach may help overcome barriers in the uptake of services that are otherwise passively available to HCWs. This study demonstrated that the proactive approach is generally usable, modestly acceptable, and further supplemented by HCW feedback. These findings suggest the approach's viability and the need for additional research toward improvement and broader implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05028075; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05028075.

  PublisherDOI

• Using Formative Evaluation Strategies to Support Implementation and Improvement of Suicide Prevention Practices in a Community Mental Health Clinic

  Global Implementation Research and Applications · 2025-10-30 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Pediatric Healthcare Worker Perspectives on Implementation of a Secure Firearm Storage Program: A Qualitative Study

  BMC Pediatrics · 2025-10-08 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Primary care-based secure firearm storage programs are well-positioned to prevent firearm-related injury, the leading cause of death for young people in the United States. While recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and US Surgeon General, these programs have yet to become routine practice. Our cluster randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial studied implementation of a universal evidence-based secure firearm storage program, S.A.F.E. Firearm (Suicide and Accident Prevention through Family Education) across 30 clinics in two large health systems. S.A.F.E. Firearm includes a brief discussion between a clinician and parent on secure firearm storage and an offer of free cable locks at pediatric well-child visits for youth ages 5-17. The ASPIRE trial demonstrated meaningful clinician behavior change, with S.A.F.E. Firearm delivered to 49% of patient families in the clinics that received both trial implementation strategies. The present study qualitatively explores factors broadly influencing the successful implementation of S.A.F.E. Firearm, centering healthcare worker (HCW) perspectives. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with leaders, clinic change agents, and clinicians involved in implementation from 2023 to 2024 (N = 38). The interview guide was informed by the original and updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Interviews were coded and analyzed using an abductive, integrated (i.e., deductive and inductive) approach. Inter-rater reliability (Kappa = 0.87) was strong. RESULTS: Interviews elucidated four interconnecting themes. HCWs unanimously expressed pediatric HCWs' responsibility to promote firearm safety (role of pediatrics in firearm safety) across heterogeneous community and healthcare firearm cultures. By preserving families' autonomy and privacy around firearms, S.A.F.E. Firearm's nonjudgemental and universal approach promoted program acceptability and delivery. Consequently, HCWs' understanding versus confusion around this universal, privacy-focused harm reduction approach was foundational to implementation. CONCLUSION: Health systems can harness HCWs' shared commitment to firearm safety by deploying brief programs that preserve recipient autonomy and privacy. To scale these evidence-based approaches, we recommend offering clear, simple trainings and collaboratively adapting programs to meet the needs of HCWs and recipients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04844021, TRN NCT04844021, first registered on April 14, 2021.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant F31MH086954

  NIH · $38k · 2011

• NIH Grant F32MH103955

  NIH · $173k · 2017

Frequent coauthors

• Rinad S. Beidas

  Northwestern University

  68 shared

• Michelle G. Craske

  Neurobehavioral Systems

  38 shared

• Peter Roy‐Byrne

  38 shared

• Matthew M. Carper

  37 shared

• Emily M. Becker‐Haimes

  University of Pennsylvania

  37 shared

• V. Robin Weersing

  University of California, San Diego

  37 shared

• Naomi M. Simon

  36 shared

• Andrea L. Gold

  36 shared

Labs

• Mental Health Integration LabPI

Education

• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

  Temple University

  2012

• M.A., Clinical Psychology

  Temple University

  2008

• B.A. , Psychology

  Ohio State University

  2004

Awards & honors

• Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
• Associate Fellow, Center for Public Health Initiatives
• Executive Director, Penn Implementation Science Center