Jean Costello, PhD, is Director of Research and Evaluation at Homewood Research Institute (HRI). Since 2014, Dr. Costello has led HRI’s evaluation program, working closely with program administrators, clinicians and researchers to identify evaluation needs and priorities as they relate to mental health and addiction treatment. Dr. Costello also leads the Recovery Journey Project (first established in 2015) which is an ongoing longitudinal, multi-site project designed to routinely collect, evaluate and report on recovery-oriented outcomes from patients who have received treatment for addiction and/ or mental health. The data collected is currently being used to monitor and evaluate treatment effectiveness, generate new knowledge about the recovery process, and help shape the future of mental health and addiction treatment in Canada.

Dr. Costello obtained her PhD from the School of Public Health & Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, where she is now an adjunct faculty member. Her graduate training focused heavily on program evaluation (i.e., approaches, designs, and methods) and included advanced knowledge and practice in developing program logic models. Her academic work to date has focused on the evaluation of programs, policies and behavioural mechanisms related to substance use and cessation.