Child Concentration

General Overview

The Child Concentration provides specialized training which brings together the basic tenets of clinical psychology with a thorough background in child and adolescent development, and family, developmental, and behavioral psychology. The concentration prepares students to conduct research; understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat psychological needs of children and adolescents; and learn how the family and other social contexts influence social-emotional adjustment, cognitive development, behavioral adaptation, and health status of children, adolescents, and their families. This concentration will provide the foundational skills to pursue specialized internship and/or postdoctoral experiences in the field of child and adolescent psychology.

Coursework:

Students within the Child Concentration will complete coursework designed to address child and adolescent theoretical concepts, assessment, and intervention, which incorporate the contextual factors of the child/family and diversity variables, and promotes social responsibility.

Courses and descriptions specific to the Child Concentration include:

Child Psychotherapy

This course reviews psychological interventions and treatment approaches for children from conception through late adolescence. Conceptual foundations of the major models of psychotherapy, as well as empirically supported interventions are emphasized.

Child Assessment

This course will provide an overview of child assessment theory, techniques, and strategies to prepare students for clinical work with children and adolescents. Students will learn to administer, score, and interpret specific child assessment measures, and continue honing basic skills in integrative report writing.

Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics I

Part I of a 2-sequence course addressing a wide range of developmental and behavioral difficulties. Part I places emphasis on assessment, management, and treatment of developmental and behavioral factors involved in the causation or maintenance of pediatric concerns such as various medical diagnoses with behavioral components such as diabetes and asthma, childhood obesity, and regulatory disorders (toileting, discipline difficulties, sleep, feeding/eating). Additional focus will be placed on adherence to medical regimen, quality of life, pain assessment and management, and evidence-based approaches.

Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics II

Part II of a 2- sequence course addressing infant through adolescent development; therapeutic interventions; and assessments and interventions for disorders such as Autism, Aspergers, and Nonverbal Learning Disorders. Specific health conditions in early childhood through adolescences such as immunological disorders, renal disorders, traumatic brain injury, etc., which were not covered in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics I will be addressed in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics II. Students will also learn about consultation (i.e. day-care and home-based), advocacy, and health care policy.

Family Therapy

This is an introductory course in family systems theory and family therapy that explores key aspects of the psychological literature relevant to the role functioning of a family psychologist practitioner. While it is not possible to provide an in-depth learning experience with all aspects of systems thinking and family work, students will be introduced to perspectives for how to do systems work at the level of interactions with individuals, dyads, and larger organizational configurations that constitute the domain of concern for the family psychologist.

Intervention

In addition to coursework, students within the Child Concentration will gain clinical experience in the treatment of children and families that will allow for the application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned.
Students are guaranteed at least one year of clinical practicum primarily working with children, adolescents, and their families under the supervision of SOPP child faculty.

Dissertations

Students within the Child Concentration are expected to complete a professional dissertation focused on issues relevant to children and families, which allows the student to further expand their research experience and practice within the field of Clinical Child Psychology.
The Child Con centration offers students the opportunity to work with SOPP faculty who have expertise within the field of Clinical Child Psychology in a forum focused on facilitating the students professional growth as a future psychologist.

Practicum Overview

Clinical practica will include at a minimum one year in an internal placement of required clinical training experiences, which focus on child and/or adolescent populations.

The Ellis Institute serves as an internal practicum placement which focuses on students getting therapy, assessment, and consultation experience with children, adolescents, and their families from varied socioeconomic and culturally mixed backgrounds in an out-patient community mental health center. Students assigned to this practicum have a break-out of their caseload consisting of 75% children and 25% adults.

The practicum at Ellis is designed to compliment student’s curricular content by providing the following experiences:
Children and adolescents
Family and groups
School consultation
Opportunities to work with adults
Opportunities to work with health care settings

External practicam might include sites such as:

South Community, a community mental health facility
Dayton Children’s Hospital
Center for Adolescent Services, Juvenile Detention Center

Concentration Faculty Biographies:

The faculty within the Child Concentration are core faculty members of the School of Professional Psychology whose areas of specialization include pediatric psychology; play therapy; developmental disabilities; child and adolescent violence; trauma; adolescent psychology; infant mental health; family and group therapy; school-based consultation and interventions; multicultural counseling; and assessments and interventions for children, adolescents , and their families.

Janeece Warfield, Psy.D. is a WSU-SOPP associate professor and Project Coordinator for the Center for Child & Adolescent Violence Prevention. She completed an APA approved post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology with a specialization in working with infants and developmental disabilities at Georgetown University Hospital. As a pediatric psychologist she specializes in therapeutic services and assessment with infants and children, developmental disabilities, and children with chronic illness. She also has expertise in play therapy, violence prevention, trauma, and multicultural/diversity training, which are also her teaching and private practice interests. She is a member of APA (Divisions, 33, 37, 45, & 54), ABPsi, OPA, and DAPA, and has leadership and memberships in other professional organizations, such as the Association of Play Therapy, Ohio Association of Infant Mental Health, National Black Family Coalition, and APA’s ACT program.

Allison Fernander, Psy. D. is an assistant professor in the School of Professional Psychology’s Child Concentration. Her clinical and teaching expertise focuses on pediatric psychology (working with children and families impacted by developmental or health concerns) and parenting. She completed an APA approved internship at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Mailman Center for Child Development and an APA approved postdoctoral fellowship at Columbus Children’s Hospital. Interests include integrated behavioral health care/psychology in primary care settings; child assessment; parent training; and working with children and families with health conditions. She maintains a small client caseload of her own. Her approach to treatment is attachment oriented, systemic, evidence-based, cognitive behavioral, and strengths focused. She is a member of the APA (including Divisions 53 and 54), ABCT, DAPA, SDBP, and OPA.

Michelle Schultz, Psy.D. received her doctorate degree from Wright State University in 2008 and is an assistant professor of WSU-SOPP. She teaches courses in clinical interviewing, supervision, history of psychology, and assessment. She is currently the director of the General Practice Clinic, supervises practicum students, and is a member of the internship training committee. She completed internship and postdoctoral experiences in treating adolescents and children who experienced trauma and/or exhibit disruptive behavior. Areas of interest include; treatment of children, adolescents, and families; assessment; play therapy; supervision; clinical training; multicultural issues; self-esteem; and women’s issues. Dr. Schultz is a member of Association of Play Therapy, Dayton Area Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, and its Divisions 26, 37, and 53.

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