Paul Block, Ph.D.

Paul Block, Ph.D. brings more than 30 years of clinical and administrative experience linking strategy to performance to the OPEN MINDS team. Dr. Block joined the OPEN MINDS team in May 2014 and has served as both a Senior Consultant and Advisory Board Member prior to his current position as the Vice President of Consulting for OPEN MINDS. Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Dr. Block was the Vice President for Behavioral Health Services at Riverside Community Care, managing a continuum of services from outpatient and home based therapy through emergency services and hospital diversion programs. He is also a member of Riverside’s integrated care and mission-driven evaluation teams. Dr. Block came to Riverside and OPEN MINDS from Psychological Centers, a private community service and behavioral health organization which he co-founded and directed since 2000. Under his leadership, Psychological Centers became a national front-runner in co-located and collaborative care with private and integrated health care providers. After completing his Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Block started his career as a Psychologist on a hospital-based psychiatric unit. He subsequently founded an outpatient alcohol treatment program at the Worcester, MA site of the Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center, where he later returned as Assistant Chief of Psychology. Since that time, he has held various administrative positions, including Assistant Vice President for Clinical Services and Director of a national Center for Integrated Care Innovation at community service agencies. His academic positions include core faculty, training doctoral psychologists at the University of Denver, various graduate and undergraduate courses in psychology and behavioral medicine, and medical and graduate school appointments including Harvard Medical School, twice. Dr. Block’s scholarship includes publications and national conference presentations on health policy, trauma-informed diagnosis and treatment, topics in behavioral medicine, psychosocial theories of depression, and cognitive science of treatment. He has been an active collaborator and advocate with payers, regulators, policy makers, and legislators regarding health policy and the role of behavioral health in healthcare reform and healthcare cost-effectiveness. Throughout his scholarly, policy, and advocacy work, his focus has been on the link between strategic vision and specific procedures for effective, sustainable execution. While he helps decision-makers define their mission, goals, and strategy for achieving them, his commitment is to translating such conceptual foundations into practical actions that will actually achieve organizational goals. Dr. Block earned his Bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, and philosophy from Brown University, Rhode Island. He went on to complete his Doctorate degree in clinical psychology at New York University, New York.