Mandi Spishak-Thomas, PhD, MSW, LCSW

Research & Program Staff

Mandi Spishak-Thomas, PhD, MSW, LCSW is a Medicaid research scholar at the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy. Dr. Spishak-Thomas is experienced in researching health policies as wealth policies and focuses much of her work on Medicaid’s impact on intergenerational transfers of wealth, financial burden, and wealth accumulation among low-income individuals and families, especially birthing people and older adults. Ongoing project work includes the Medicaid 1115 Waiver evaluation. She is a Co-PI for the design and evaluation of policy changes to long-term services and supports as well as the postpartum coverage extension. Dr. Spishak-Thomas has been recognized for her work by the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy with the Horowitz Foundation Award, 2023 for her research on Medicaid estate recovery. Her work also involves public service, including serving as a community board member for Brooklyn Community Board 6 and as a support group facilitator for the Alzheimer’s Association. Prior to pursuing a PhD and joining the Center in 2023, Dr. Spishak-Thomas worked as a licensed clinical social worker at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Alzheimer’s Association in San Francisco, CA. She earned her PhD in Social Work from Columbia University.

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