JCCAP FDF/2018

Future Directions Address 1: "Evidence-Based Youth Psychotherapy in the Mental Health Ecosystem"

Presented by John Weisz, Ph.D.

Description

Five decades of randomized trials research have produced dozens of evidence-based psychotherapies for youths. These psychotherapies produce respectable effects in traditional efficacy trials, but the effects shrink markedly when tested in practice contexts with clinically referred youths and compared to standard clinical care. Dr. Weisz considers why this might be the case, examines relevant research literature, and recommends strategies for future research.

Future Directions Address 2: "Future Directions in Research on Structural Stigma and Sexual Orientation Disparities in Mental Health Among Youth"

Presented by Mark Hatzenbuehler, Ph.D.

Description

In 2011, the National Academy of Sciences released a landmark report on health disparities in LGBT youth, hypothesizing these early life-course disparities to be the result of stigma. Still, research within the field of clinical psychology has left the connection between the structural stigma that LGBT youth face and early presentations of psychopathology largely unexplored - Hatzenbuehler aims to change this.

In his address, Hatzenbuehler illustrates stigma as a multi-level construct, including individual stigma (such as self-stigmatizing behaviors), interpersonal stigma (such as abuse, rejection, and overt/covert discrimination), and structural stigma (including state policies and institutional practice). Hatzenbuehler then walks the audience through the methodology of his research on structural stigma, as well as the critical implications of his findings. As Hatzenbuehler explains, there is a significant interaction between state-level policies that target LGB youth and rates of clinical presentation of dysthymia, GAD, PTSD, and psychological commodities.Moving on from discussing work that establishes a correlation between state policy and clinical presentation of psychopathology, Hatzenbuehler shifts to detail attempts to establish causation and directionality. Hatzenbuehler emphasizes the need for the field to capitalize on naturally occurring changes in policy, pulling data from a study that examines how prior exposure to stigma as an adolescent can affect an individual's current physiological stress response to stimuli presented in a lab environment.

Hatzenbuehler then addresses the future directions in this field of research, mentioning the necessity of the following:

• Testing the ability of previous research on structural stigma to be generalized to transgender youth
• Adopting a life-course approach to the study of structural stigma
• Developing and validating new methods of structural stigma measurement, particularly ones that are relevant to youth
• Examining structural stigma within the context of intersectionality
• Examining how structural stigma might impair the efficacy of psychological interventions aimed at improving the mental health of LGBT populations

Hatzenbuehler concludes his discussion by addressing the implications of his research and possible interventions, outlining the need for psychological research to influence informed public policies aimed at reducing stigma and bettering mental health outcomes.

Watch YouTube video recording of the address here.

Future Directions Address 3: "Future Directions in Sleep and Developmental Psychopathology"

Presented by Lisa Meltzer, Ph.D.

Description

By the age of 18, children and adolescents will have spent 40% of their lives sleeping, but very few psychologists spend 40% of their training learning about sleep. In her discussion of the interaction between sleep patterns and psychopathology, Meltzer emphasizes the pressing need for the incorporation of research relating to sleep in the field of child and adolescent clinical psychology.

Meltzer begins by walking her audience through the basic science of sleep cycles, sleep homeostasis, circadian rhythm, and the changes that occur in sleep patterns throughout development. Meltzer points out that the DSM lists sleep is a diagnostic, a symptom, and a negative outcome for many disorders, underlining the complex relationship between sleep and psychopathology in order to set the stage for her discussion of the future directions within the field.

In her discussion, Meltzer outlines the need to establish direction in the relationship between sleep and developmental psychopathology. As Meltzer explains, prospective studies have been used to help establish direction in this relationship, suggesting a degree of bidirectionality, but with a possible stronger effect on psychopathology by sleep patterns, rather than vise versa. Meltzer also explains the necessity for the field to more closely determine what goes on in the brain during sleep in order to best consider all dimensions of the relationship, drawing from existing studies to posit slow wave activity and sleep spindle density as possible markers for psychopathology. Finally, Meltzer returns to the classic nature and nurture debate to demonstrate the need for sleep psychology to examine the overlap between the heritability of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in order to between identify whether sleep problems or manifestations of psychopathology should be treated first when kids are struggling with both.

Metlzer concludes her address by briefly touching on several more future directions for inquiry within the field of sleep as it relates psychopathology, including the role of night to night variability in sleep patterns, contribution of circadian rhythm, individual vulnerabilities to sleep loss, and the occurrence of co-morbid sleep/psych issues pertaining to pharmaceutical treatment, as they relate to the presentation of clinical psychological abnormality in children and adolescents.

Watch YouTube video recording of the address here.

Future Directions Address 4: "Future Directions for Clinical Research, Services, and Training: Evidence-Based Assessment Across Informants, Cultures, and Dimensional Hierarchies"

Presented by Thomas M. Achenbach, Ph.D.

Description

In order to successfully treat psychopathological issues, you first need to know what you are treating.

Using the hypothetical example of a young boy who is referred to clinical psychological services for “ADHD-like” behavioral issues by a teacher, Achenbach demonstrates the need for multi-informant comparisons that are not targeted toward a specific disorder or set of diagnostic criteria when assessing children for psychiatric illness. Achenbach emphasizes the value of obtaining comprehensive reports from parents, not only in respect to the child, but also pertaining to the parents’ own psychological wellbeing. Though parental assessment is often overlooked in child clinical psychology, Achenbach argues such practices can help communicate about their relationship (with each other, themselves, and the child), identify the parents need for help, allow parents to see similarities and differences between child and parents problems, and ultimately to foster a therapeutic alliance to work on child and parent issues. Achenbach then details the methods of the Multicultural Family Assessment Module (MFAM), the formulaic and individualized approach of the MFAM to evaluating progress and outcome, and the application of the MFAM for use in assessment by masters-level clinicians without statistical knowledge and training.

Achenbach additionally discusses the benefits of incorporating multicultural norms, also detailing how to construct multicultural norms within different batteries in order to best optimize psychological assessment. Based on data from many societies, software can score individual data points in relation to societal norms in order to evaluate clients’ responses in relation to an appropriate context. Achenbach then outlines the future directions within the field of child psychiatric assessment that clinicians and research training should aim to achieve. These aims include: increasing providers’ use of multi-informant multicultural EBA, organizing clinical services around the use of EBA in all cases, and basing service decisions on intake/progress/outcome EBA.

Achenbach concludes his address by emphasizing the importance of personalized treatment, and not lumping clients into rigid (and often inefficient) diagnostic boxes, as this practice does not honor the dynamic characteristics of human nature and interpersonal interactions.

Watch YouTube video recording of the address here.

Workshops

Strategies for Improving Writing Clarity

Presented by Andres De Los Reyes, Ph.D.

Description

People tend to be drawn to and understand information best when it is communicated to them in the form of a narrative or “story” rather than a list of facts. However, researchers rarely receive formal training on leveraging narrative tools when writing about their academic work. In this workshop, Dr. Andres De Los Reyes describes evidence-based strategies for consistently applying narrative structure to academic work, with a focus on preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed academic journals. This includes his description of the and-but-therefore approach to writing and how this narrative structure can be utilized in academic writing as a way to make scientific information more interesting to consume and memorable to the audience.

Watch the YouTube recording of the workshop here.

Disseminating Science Through Wikipedia and Wikiversity

Presented by Eric A. Youngstrom, Ph.D.

Description

Currently, many evidence based practices are behind pay walls and not easily accessed by those without resources to paid subscriptions. The goal of this workshop was to share with individuals a way in which evidence based practices could be made freely available to anyone who has access to the internet with a focus on psychological science. Wikipedia and Wikiversity are two powerful tools for disseminating knowledge to diverse audiences, including scientists and other key stakeholders (e.g., parents, practitioners, policymakers). This workshop showed ways to leverage these tools for disseminating knowledge, reaching a wider audience and accelerating collaboration. In this workshop, Dr. Eric Youngstrom provided attendees with the know-how for using Wikipedia and Wikiversity, with a focus on the use of these platforms for increasing access to knowledge and resources relevant to evidence-based assessments and treatments of child and adolescent mental health. Dr. Youngstrom also shared his initiative to make psychological science more accessible by creating a non-profit called Helping Give Away Psychological Science (HGAPS) where students, professors, and other professionals in the field come together with the aim of making evidence-based psychological information more accessible. His team also discussed new student projects, funding opportunities, and travel awards.

Networking at Conferences

Presented by Deborah A.G. Drabick, Ph.D. and Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.

Description

To an early career scientist, attending professional meetings can be an overwhelming experience, with many opportunities to not only learn new things but also connect with like-minded scholars in the field. In this workshop, Drs. Deborah Drabick and Matthew Lerner demystify the process of networking at conferences, and provide attendees with concrete tools for developing and maintaining professional relationships with conference attendees. The presenters discuss how to approach a researcher who you are interested in building a connection with and how to maximize the time you have to speak with them and to make yourself stand out. Drs. Drabick and Lerner also discuss how to have a meaningful discussion that can carry into a long-term professional relationship such as collaborations on research projects. It is also important to be mindful of how you are carrying yourself and what your interactions look like as you never know who is around and watching. Having a go to question can be a good way to start the conversation such as asking what the current state of that person's research is or discussing the current state of the literature in their field of study. Always make sure you know about the person's research before approaching them and consider how their work can inform yours. It is also important to attend their session if they are speaking at the conference or event so you can be informed on their current work and research goals.

Preparing Your First Grant as a Principal Investigator

Presented by Joshua M. Langberg, Ph.D. and Tara S. Peris, Ph.D.

Description

Submitting your first grant as a Principal Investigator (PI) can appear on the surface to be a daunting task, with many expectations, requirements, and complicated forms. In this workshop, Drs. Joshua Langberg and Tara Peris leverage their years of experience with extramural funding to explain the grant submission process, and provide attendees with concrete tools for submitting successful grant applications. This includes different stages of applying for grants such as picking a topic, collecting preliminary data, forming your team and budget, and telling your story. In picking a topic, usually, you start by thinking of a topic related to research you conducted during graduate school or a fellowship where as one may be a newer area you are wanting to explore. From there, you should explore the literature and think about the trends in the field on these topics. Most grants require preliminary data to show there is promise on your research topic, this means you need to gather some data to prove your topic is worthwhile. Showing this data can be done by a small pilot study or open trial. Next, you need to strategically select your team that will conduct the study. This may include needing a senior researcher with many years of experience in the field, individuals with experience in the contexts you are working in (i.e., schools), or individuals who are experts in statistical analyses. The next step is planning the budget and deciding who will serve as a Co-PI and who will serve as a consultant, will you hire graduate students or project coordinators and what will their salaries be, what are the costs of running the study, etc. Lastly, you need to tell your story. This should be done similarly to the why in a manuscript and describe how this study will change the field or what implications this research will have on the field. Additionally, Drs. Langberg and Peris describe how you should select which institutions to apply for grants at, how to align your research goals to their mission, how many grants you should apply for, what the process is like, and the timeline you should expect.

Strategies for Writing Training Grants

Presented by Andres De Los Reyes, Ph.D.

Description

This workshop serves as a companion to our workshop on writing clarity (“Strategies for Improving Writing Clarity”). In this workshop, Dr. Andres De Los Reyes describes narrative tools for writing clear and successful training grant applications for submission to funding agencies. The examples used during the workshop refer to applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health. However, the principles covered in this workshop apply generally to how one uses narrative tools to construct funding applications. Similar to the advice given in “Strategies for Improving Writing Clarity”, Dr. De Los Reyes focuses on how to tell a story about your research when writing a training grant.

Work-Life Balance

Presented by Sarah J. Racz, Ph.D. and Joshua M. Langberg, Ph.D.

Description

Sometimes it feels like everyone in our field is “always on task” and unable to “unplug”. But is that a realistic view of how we balance our work lives with our lives outside of work? In this workshop, Drs. Joshua Langberg and Sarah Racz discuss the competing demands placed on us across our various work, family, and social spheres; and strategies to manage these demands in the necessary pursuit of healthy, balanced lives. They begin with practical advice such as knowing what your priorities are and how you operationalize them. Then map your schedule so you have a clear picture of your time and your commitments. From there you will need to make choices out of the time items you have left on your priorities and what time you have left in the day. By having routine and structure for each day, you are able to maximize your time and make conscious choices of what you are spending your day doing. They also recommend being flexible, but organized when creating a work-life balance as sometimes things in your schedule may shift and you need to quickly adjust. Being organized may look like keeping a calendar and/or to do list as well as using family management apps. It is also important to communicate with others in your household about your schedule and set up a plan that works for all of you. Lastly, it is important to advocate for yourself and to know your rights and responsibilities if you are a working parent when it comes to parental leave and time off.

Starting a Lab

Presented by Eric A. Youngstrom, Ph.D. and Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.

Description

In graduate school there is no course on how to start your own lab once you graduate. This workshop gives you the tools you need to start a new lab. Drs. Matthew Lerner and Eric Youngstrom both established their own laboratories in a variety of academic settings that interface with multiple campus units including Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics. On the basis of these experiences, attendees will learn from the experts on key considerations with starting a lab, including selecting and purchasing equipment, hiring competent staff, recruiting graduate students, and progressing along the tenure track.

Job Search and Job Negotiations

Presented by Deborah A.G. Drabick, Ph.D. and Tara S. Peris, Ph.D.

Description

In this workshop Drs. Deborah Drabick and Tara Peris provide advice when it comes to searching for jobs and negotiating job offers. They give practical advice for determining when to go on the job market, where are the best places to search for job openings, how to write a good cover letter that will catch an employer's attention, and where to find resources that will assist in the preparation for a job interview. It is always good to monitor list-servs from APA, ABCT, and other relevant groups for job postings as well as checking APA psyc careers and following up via word of mouth. When applying for jobs, you should have your CV up to date and a cover letter ready that details your experiences and qualifications. They also detail how to advocate for yourself, negotiate salary and benefits, and how to get a lab startup package when given a job offer. When negotiating you can negotiate on salary, title, space, start-up funds, time between moving from your current place to your new job, protected time, parking, childcare, and housing. You should always ask for more than what you want since you are negotiating and will not get everything you ask for. Lastly, the remind you to always be gracious when interviewing and negotiating job offers as well as to send thank you notes to those you interact with during the process.

Responding to Peer Review Commentary

Presented by Andres De Los Reyes, Ph.D.

Description

Publishing academic work often involves submitting scholarly manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. A key component of the publishing process involves receiving commentary about your work from peers in your field and satisfactorily responding to such commentary. Despite it being a core feature of the publishing process, researchers rarely receive formal training on responding to peer review commentary. In this workshop, Dr. Andres De Los Reyes describes evidence-based strategies for responding to peer review commentary, including strategies for how to compose cover letters for responding to such commentary. Along these lines, Dr. De Los Reyes details how to respond to peer reviews line by line to ensure all comments have been addressed. Additionally, he outlines how to respectfully respond to and address comments from a reviewer that you may not agree with.

Preparing a Training Grant

Presented by Deborah A.G. Drabick, Ph.D. and Tara S. Peris, Ph.D.

Description

Submitting a training grant involves considering multiple factors that focus on not only a proposed study but also a concrete plan for developing the skills needed to execute this study. By construction, these applications carry many expectations, requirements, and complicated forms. In this workshop, Drs. Deborah Drabick and Tara Peris leverage their years of experience with extramural funding to clarify the process of submitting a training grant, and provide attendees with concrete tools for submitting successful training grant applications. Training grants are important because they offer opportunities to graduate students and post-docs that may not otherwise be available and provide additional mentorship and consultation. There are several types of training grants that typically fall into either F grant class or K grant class. Based on the type of grant you are applying for, the information needed to apply will vary; however, picking your topic and telling your story will always be required. In doing this, you should describe what you are interested in researching, the current state of the field, and how your research will address gaps you have identified in the current research. Grants are typically reviewed on a scale of 1-9 in 5 areas which are then compiled into an overall impact score. Reviewers then meet and discuss the top 50% of the grant applications and make a decision on who will receive funding.

Job Options in Academia

Presented by Eric A. Youngstrom, Ph.D. and Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.

Description

Graduate training in fields relevant to child and adolescent mental health (e.g., Education, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work) prepares trainees for careers in a variety of policy, research, and practice settings. How does a trainee learn about these opportunities and maximize their chances for landing jobs in one or more of these settings? Drs. Matthew Lerner and Eric Youngstrom provide attendees with a broad overview of the job options available in academia, with a specific focus on strategies for crafting the training and scholarly records that make someone a compelling candidate for these job options.

Preparing Your First Grant as a Principal Investigator

Presented by Joshua M. Langberg, Ph.D.

Description

Submitting your first grant as a Principal Investigator (PI) can appear on the surface to be a daunting task, with many expectations, requirements, and complicated forms. In this workshop, Dr. Joshua Langberg leverages his years of experience with extramural funding to demystify the grant submission process, and provide attendees with concrete tools for submitting successful grant applications.

Ceremony for the Future Directions Launch Award

Emily M. Becker-Haimes Ph.D.

• Received Ph.D. from University of Miami

About the award recipient

Emily received the 2018 Future Directions Launch Award in Treatment. After receiving her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Miami in 2016, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Penn Center for Mental Health. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania and is the Clinical Director of the Pediatric Anxiety Treatment Program at Hall-Mercer (PATCH). Dr. Becker-Haimes’ research dually focuses on treatment optimization for pediatric anxiety and related disorders and studying how to optimize the implementation of evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy into community settings. Learn more about Emily's work here: https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/cmh/people/emily-becker-haimes

Watch the YouTube video recording of the remarks here.

Spencer C. Evans

• Received Ph.D. University of Kansas

About the award recipient

Spencer was a recipient of 2018 Future Directions Launch Award in Assessment.  After receiving his Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from University of Kansas in 2017, he held a Postdoctoral Fellow position in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Miami. His lab focuses on irritability and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, including interests in developmental processes, assessment, and intervention. Learn more about Spencer's lab here: www.evans-lab.org

Watch the YouTube video recording of the remarks here.

Maggi Price

• Received Ph.D. from Boston College

About the award recipient

Maggi received the 2018 Future Directions Launch Award in Stigma. After receiving her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College in 2018, she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Maggi is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Boston College. Her lab focuses on stigma, trauma, and youth mental health, with an emphasis on understanding and effectively reducing health inequities for youth with stigmatized identities (e.g., transgender youth, youth of Color). Learn more about Maggi's research and lab here: www.affirmlab.org

Watch the YouTube video recording of the remarks here.