Matt Davis, Ph.D., specializes in integrating evidence-based training, implementation science, and continuous quality improvement methodologies to enhance human service delivery effectiveness. He is a Research Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences, Health Systems Innovation and Research Division and past Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah. His research portfolio as Principal Investigator exceeds $6 million in federal grants, spanning key agencies including the Administration for Children and Families, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
Dr. Davis led the Title IV-E Waiver Demonstrations in Utah and Idaho, implementing innovative approaches to child welfare services. He is the past Director of the Social Research Institute at the University of Utah. In his role as an evaluation consultant to the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, he continues to shape federal initiatives aimed at strengthening child welfare outcomes nationwide. Dr. Davis co-developed the Virtual Social Work Trainer, a deliberate practice approach for training social service and medical professionals to learn complex skills prior to on-the-job practice, including Motivational Interviewing. This training approach has established partnerships with more than 25 states, counties, and universities across the United States, with the system being tested and/or implemented across 31 jurisdictions and universities. He previously directed the development of a continuous quality improvement approach for improving the implementation and fidelity to evidence-based interventions. The approach has been found useful for reliably improving program quality as rated on standardized assessment tools, such as the Correctional Program Checklist. The Administration on Children and Families, Children’s Bureau has cited this approach as leading the field in child welfare.
