Catherine Grodensky

Catherine Grodensky is a justice researcher at RTI with extensive experience in evaluating public health and criminal legal system interventions and programs. Her expertise spans qualitative and quantitative research methods, including ethnography, interviews, focus groups, implementation and process measurement, and the design and administration of large surveys. Dr. Grodensky currently leads projects at RTI focused on the intersection of justice and health systems, such as evaluating the Lafayette Parish Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, which assessed the impact of mental health diversion programs on probation outcomes and treatment linkage. She also leads RTI’s training and technical assistance efforts for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP), supporting grantees with resources and collaboration to strengthen pretrial diversion efforts within court systems.

Before joining RTI in 2023, Dr. Grodensky spent 12 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine managing NIH-funded health systems research projects and coordinating the UNC Center for AIDS Research Social and Behavioral Science Research Core. She also conducted research on plea bargaining and court appearances with Duke University's Wilson Center for Science and Justice.