AC21 - F1 - Engaging Biological Caregivers in Trauma Treatment for Children in Foster Care: CPP, PCIT, TF-CBT Considerations

Elissa Dougherty, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Dougherty's clinical work is dedicated to delivering evidence-based assessment and interventions for children and adolescents with histories of traumatic life experiences. Dr. Dougherty is a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist and is currently working towards becoming a PCIT Level I (Within Agency) trainer. She is also a certified therapist in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and recently began training in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) in efforts to expand her clinical repertoire to infant mental health. Furthermore, her research interests are focused on contributing to the scientific literature examining the risk factors associated with child and parent characteristics that independently and together contribute to both the exacerbation and undermining of child psychopathology following traumatic life experiences. Dr. Dougherty earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Texas Tech University and completed both her doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at UAMS.

Glenn Mesman, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Psychiatry. He specializes in empirically-supported assessments and psychotherapies for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and is nationally-certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). He also is a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Level 1 trainer. Dr. Mesman is the Assistant Training Director of the UAMS Doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and completed his doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at UAMS.

Sufna John, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences who specializes in evidence-based mental health services for young children who have experienced trauma. She co-directs the Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) program, which focuses on improving outcomes for traumatized children and their families in Arkansas through excellence in clinical care, training, advocacy, and research. She is nationally-certified to provide several evidence-based trauma mental health treatments for children and families and co-directs the Complex Trauma Assessment Program, which provides trauma-informed evaluation services for high-risk children in the Arkansas child welfare system. She is a Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and DC:0-5 State Trainer. She is also the primary investigator of a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant that focuses on expanding the availability of comprehensive, trauma-informed evaluations for youth involved with child welfare and connecting families who have experienced trauma to evidence-based mental health treatments. She has published several research articles; participated in state workgroups; and given numerous local, state, and national presentations on topics pertaining to trauma in children and adolescents.