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DBH Student Profile: Jean-Andre Constant, LCSW, CSOTP

By October 7, 2026No Comments6 min read

Building on a Career of Service: Jean-Andre Constant’s Pursuit of Health Equity and Systems Change

Jean-Andre Constant brings more than three decades of experience in social work, education, research, program development, and behavioral healthcare across the United States and internationally. Originally from Haiti, he holds degrees in social work from the State University of Haiti and the University of Puerto Rico and has spent the past 15 years specializing in forensic behavioral health, including the evaluation and treatment of individuals with a history of sexual offending and paraphilic disorders. A Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, Jean-Andre s academic and professional interests focus on integrated care, health disparities, social determinants of health, and improving access to comprehensive healthcare for underserved and stigmatized populations. In this interview, Jean-Andre shares how the DBH program has shaped his approach to leadership and integrated care, his commitment to addressing healthcare disparities among marginalized populations, and the professional purpose that continues to guide his work.

How has the DBH program influenced your approach to behavioral health?

The DBH at CGI has taught me that leadership must adapt to situational contexts, and the need to align my personal and professional values with organizational decisions and culture. It has also helped me reconcile my passion for education and the value of service while upholding ethical standards in providing quality care and advancing research. One of the biggest reveals for me was the systemic issues influencing integrated care and the intricacies of healthcare service delivery, especially difficulties to balance profit and quality. The DBH program has equipped me with tools to enhance the level of integration of healthcare organizations, which is closely connected to patient’s health outcomes. I finally learned to develop business plans and clinical pathways to address complex comorbidities, including mental health issues, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and substance use disorders experienced by patients with paraphilic disorders or a history of sexual offending.

What are your future career goals, and how do you envision the DBH program contributing to your success?

As a DBH, I will contribute to expand and enrich the behavioral health field by conducting and publishing research on the medical implications of chemical castration of sex offenders , which is a sentence imposed in many US states on individuals convicted on sex offenses. I will also apply my expertise in the behavioral health field as a consultant for FQHCs’ leaderships to help strengthen their capability and streamline their operations to provide integrated care for patients with a history of sexual offending or paraphilia. Finally, I will contribute to the workforce development in the behavioral health field by teaching in universities and colleges and assisting junior professionals and clinicians in pursuing their education or their respective board clinical license.

Can you share an experience that shaped your understanding of integrated behavioral healthcare?

I had never reflected on my professional purpose and vision, with a tendency to say what I do instead of who I am and how I see myself until I attended the leadership courses of the DBH program. The program has led me to deeper self-reflection on my career development in connection with my values as I strive to balance clinical expertise, emotional intelligence, and systemic insights. Plus, discovering the evidence-based measures of level of integrated care as well as the quality measures and indicators of healthcare performance was key to my professional development.

What fuels your passion for advancing integrated behavioral health, and how do you stay motivated?

From my first job as a sex educator and reproductive health professional in Haiti Port-au-Prince’s brothels and slums to becoming a licensed clinician specialized in the psychosexual evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, my professional career has been strongly shaped by servicing marginalized and outcast social groups. A lifelong commitment to social justice and service and a strong desire to contribute to closing health disparities have driven my pursuing a DBH at CGI. As I observe the systemic neglect of sex offenders, influenced by media-driven myths and stigma against this population, even within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), despite their multifaceted healthcare needs, I want to address such a contrast, evaluate healthcare organizations’ level of integration, and align FQHCs’ operational mechanisms with their mission to provide integrated care to medically underserved populations with the needs of sex offenders.

What advice would you give to prospective students or professionals considering the DBH program?

I would advise anyone considering pursuing a DBH degree to clarify their professional values and purpose and to identify their main areas of interest, their research or academic focus before enrolling. Then look for a school or a program that aligns with their professional motivation and values. If you’re looking for a small net of behavioral health scholars who are supportive, passionate, nitty, flexible and committed to students’ success, I recommend CGI. Besides, the tuition is affordable. The schedule is tailored to established and full-time working individuals.

Jean-Andre Constant’s career reflects a longstanding commitment to serving marginalized populations, advancing health equity, and improving access to integrated care. Through the DBH program at CGI, he has expanded that work by strengthening his understanding of healthcare systems, leadership, integrated care, and organizational performance while gaining new tools to address complex behavioral and physical health needs. As he continues his work in forensic behavioral health, research, consulting, and education, Jean-Andre plans to apply his DBH experience to help healthcare organizations better serve individuals with complex needs, contribute new research to the behavioral health field, and support the development of future clinicians and professionals.

Connect with Jean-Andre Constant

What Jean-Andre Constant Hopes to Accomplish with His DBH Degree

What Drives Jean-Andre Constant’s Commitment to Integrated Behavioral Health

 

Testimonials

“As a member of the AAPI community, I’m very familiar with the barriers to mental health services and the need to break through the glass wall of cultural stigma that prevents many from receiving potentially life–saving treatment. I was the only Asian American person in my master’s cohort, the only Asian American person in many of my clinical work settings, the only Asian American person to walk into many of the professional settings that I pushed myself to show up to. In my current practice, I’m constantly reminded by my patients of how difficult it is to find an Asian American mental health provider, though this reminder constantly informs me that more needs to be done for my community. Day after day, I read stories of Asian American people who die by suicide as a consequence of our culture’s avoidance of mental health topics. As a DBH, my biggest goal is to use my expertise in whole–person care to amplify the conversation around mental health and help my community understand that mental healthcare is not a privilege that we are not entitled to, it is a crucial part of our healthcare that will manifest differently in us than what many Western psychology or psychiatry textbooks will describe, and that our unique experience of mental health issues are valid, important, and is time to be part of the larger conversation.”

Willam Chum, LMHCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 16, 2022

“The Doctor in Behavioral Health (DBH) program has changed my understanding of the subject and career path. Before this academic journey, my knowledge of behavioral health was primarily theoretical, including essential ideas and methods. However, the DBH curriculum combined intense academic research with practical application, helping me understand behavioral health from multiple angles. Recognizing mental health as part of total health changed my perspective. The biopsychosocial model, which showed how biological, psychological, and social variables affect mental health, was stressed in the DBH curriculum. This comprehensive approach made me realize how complex human behavior is and how important it is to address mental health issues. Effective interventions must target the individual’s surroundings, relationships, and life experiences, not just symptoms. The curriculum also gave me enhanced evidence-based practice training to execute successful solutions. Studies methods and data analysis classes improved my critical thinking and allowed me to evaluate and apply behavioral health studies. This gave me the confidence to contribute to the field’s knowledge base through practice and research.”

Dr. Rhea Hill, DBH, LPCDBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 17, 2025

“This program will change how you present to the world, not just as a professional but as an individual. Understand this is work but the work is worth it and the journey is undeniably transformative. If you are seeking a doctorate for the title, this is not the program for you. If you are seeking a doctorate to interrupt and disrupt the course of healthcare, then this is the program for you. You won’t find a more supportive program with professors who are dedicated to your success and your education. This program is not about the regurgitation of information. It is about the appropriate applied application of knowledge and information to push forward and become an advocate for equitable and quality care for all.”

Brandy K. Biglow LMHC, CCTP, QSDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 5, 2024

“The Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program has definitely transformed my understanding of behavioral health. Understanding the links between physical and mental health has taught how to make better treatment decisions. The DBH program has also given me insights that otherwise would not be possible and allows me to view individuals through a lens that I was previously ignorant of. This program has helped me grow into a more confident individual, provider, and parent.”

Cory H. Cannady, BCBA, LBADBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 13, 2024

“The DBH program has reinforced my vision of viewing behavioral health (BH) as an integrated component of the healthcare system rather than a siloed service. As a practitioner in the focused BH realm of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, I observe on a regular basis how identifying and serving SUD patients is often missed, ignored and stigmatized in primary healthcare, despite the fact that early intervention at these check-points often has the potential to intervene earlier and lessen the negative SUD outcomes frequently seen by the time a patient reaches specialty SUD services. Reinforcement received in my DBH program has motivated me to promote integration as a leader in my workplace and is a primary factor in considering the long-term trajectory of my individual career path.”

Kenneth L. Roberts, MPS, LPCC, LADCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - November 5, 2024

“Graduating from the DBH program has influenced and enhanced my approach to addressing behavioral health challenges and making a difference in the field by preparing me to become a serious business owner. Through the DBH program, I understand now that becoming a business owner not only assists me in reaping the financial benefits of working for myself, but the program also offers me a sense of freedom to make a difference in an individual’s life.”

Dr. Rebecca K. Wright, DBH, LBA, BCBA, QBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - December 18, 2024

“I have always wanted to pursue a higher degree but never found a program that met my needs. When I investigated the DBH program, I can honestly say I was excited. It was a program that would expand my knowledge in behavioral health but also how it relates to physical health. The philosophy of treating the whole person was exactly what I was looking for.”

Elizabeth Nekoloff, M.Ed., LPCC-S, NCCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 16, 2025

“Prior to obtaining my DBH, I practiced behavioral health within the boundaries of behavior analysis. The DBH degree has given me the ability to broaden my scope of competence allowing me to provide a higher quality of care to my clients through a person-centered approach, while still staying within my scope of practice. I was in the beginning stages of opening my business when I enrolled in the DBH program which set my trajectory towards being a stronger leader. The program equipped me with essential healthcare leadership and entrepreneurial skills, allowing me to ensure high-quality services for my clients and foster a supportive work environment for our staff. It has also given me the confidence to expand my business and pursue other healthcare ventures, reaching a broader range of patients in need.”

Dr. Pauline Tolentino Pablo, DBH, BCBA, IBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 21, 2025

“Although I have worked with many patients who have mental health diagnoses, or behaviors which make managing their medical diagnoses and day to day life difficult, the DBH program at CGI is broadening that knowledge and providing a deeper understanding of behavioral health and how best to help these individuals manage their health and improve their quality of life. This will allow me to provide and advocate for more meaningful and seamless integrated care, providing new tools for my intervention toolbox, and the confidence and skills to collaborate within and lead whole person focused interdisciplinary teams. I also anticipate building upon my knowledge as a nurse case manager and long time caregiver, as well as my personal passions and professional vision, learning about processes and operations, to be in position to start up and lead my own company one day, offering the services and care I know every person should have access to.”

Hollie Wilson, MSN, RN, CCMDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 11, 2025

“The DBH program will open opportunities for me to contribute to healthcare system innovation, particularly through trauma-informed care and integrated behavioral health settings. I will be better positioned to advocate for and implement holistic care models that improve health outcomes for underserved populations. Ultimately, this program will help me transition into higher-level roles, such as a director or consultant in behavioral health, where I can influence broader system changes and contribute to the future of healthcare delivery.”

DeKyn Rashad Peters, MPH-CHES,BSW/BA,APCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 4, 2025

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