Welcome
Behavioral Science and Research Consulting
Helping mission-driven people use behavioral science and data to do good work.
about DL CHANGE COnsulting LLC
Deborah Levesque, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Deb is a PhD-level research psychologist who has been developing and testing evidence-based programs to improve well-being for over 20 years. A generalist, Deb has designed, won, and led large-scale National Institutes of Health- and foundation-funded research grants applying behavioral science -- especially the "stage model" -- to a range of social, health, and mental health conditions.
When developing interventions, Deb uses participatory approaches that rely on the wisdom of end-users (community members, patients) and stakeholders so the programs resonate and are usable and appealing. She combines user input with evidence-based behavioral science and high-quality research methodology to ensure that interventions will have the maximum impact under real-world conditions.
Experience
Deb was born and raised as a researcher at the Cancer Prevention Research Center at the University of Rhode Island. There, she worked with Dr. James Prochaska, the world-renowned developer of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM, the stage model). She continued to work with Dr. Prochaska when he and his wife, Dr. Jan Prochaska, founded Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., whose mission was to develop and disseminate digital interventions based on the TTM. Serving first as Program Director, then as VP for Research & Product Development, and then as Chief Science Officer at Pro-Change, Deb won over $10+ million in NIH and other funding to develop and test innovative, digital TTM-based interventions. Now, she is helping other mission-driven organizations bring behavioral science and high-quality research to their work to change the world!
Approach
We offer a suite of general research consulting services, including research design, measure development, data analysis, grant-writing, and -- for doctoral students -- assistance with dissertation research. Our approach includes a free 30-minute consult to help identify research needs and opportunities and a report with a project plan, milestones, timeline, and cost analysis. Data isn't scary; it's wonderful! We aim to have you leave your consult feeling excited about the story your data will tell.
Do you want to apply the TTM to your work? We also offer training on the TTM, consultation on integrating a stage approach into your work, and assistance in developing digital or person-delivered TTM-based interventions from scratch.
Batterer intervention programs wanting a sensitive measure of change for outcome evaluation now have access to the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment for Domestic Violence Offenders (URICA-DV), which Deb developed for her doctoral dissertation and refined with funding from the NIH and NIJ. Related services include outcome evaluation design, scoring, and reporting.
Research and Consulting Focus Areas
Grief
Depression
Stress management
Alcohol and other substance use disorders
Chronic disease self-management
Family caregiving
Workplace readiness
Domestic violence
Dating violence and bullying
Juvenile delinquency
Organizational change
Testimonials
It's not every day that a consultant can truly help to grow and shape a company, but Deb has absolutely expanded the horizons for Help Texts. Her analysis of our data, as well as her strong research & writing skills, have helped to establish us as a world-leader in the provision of grief-informed text support as a bereavement intervention. Deb brims over with genuine curiosity for the work and the broader research environment. This curiosity is matched only by her attention to detail and research rigor. Her work has helped us sign new clients, gain the interest and respect of industry associations and policy makers, and advance partnerships with world-leading researchers. Deb is a committed team member, brilliant researcher, and a pleasure to work with. We're lucky to have her as part of our team.
Emma Payne
CEO, Help Texts