Keynote Presenter – Dr. Rachel Freeman

Dr. Rachel Freeman is the Director of State Initiatives for the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Freeman has been actively involved in positive behavior support (PBS), statewide research and technical assistance systems for evidence-based practices, evaluation design and implementation, and person-centered practices for over 25 years. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Child and Family Studies, mentors doctoral students at the University of Minnesota who are working on application of MTSS using implementation science in schools and districts across Minnesota, and works with state, regional, and local teams implementing PBS and other practices within schools and districts, IDD organizations, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. Dr. Freeman served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Positive Behavior Support for over 15 years and as President for three years. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Arc Minnesota. Her research interests include state and organization-wide implementation of evidence-based practices, nonsuicidal self-injury and self-injurious behavior, and mixed methods evaluation. Rachel is a member of the Global PBS Coalition.