HIgher Education Faculty Series: April 23, 2015 Cassandra Kisiel and Tracy Fehrenbach
How to respond to trauma-related issues for young children in the classroom
· How to support regulating the emotions of children and keeping the classroom safe
· How teacher educators can best support teachers who work with traumatized children
· How to identify clinical interventions for trauma in young children and local resources for early childhood treatment and services
Cassandra Kisiel, Ph.D. is a Research Associate Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Principal Investigator and Director for the Center for Child Trauma Assessment and Service Planning, a Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This Center specializes in child trauma assessment, training and education on the effects of trauma across developmental stages, and application and integration of trauma assessment strategies and evidence-based trauma interventions for children and families in public sector settings. Dr. Kisiel is a clinical psychologist and serves as the Associate Director of the Mental Health Services and Policy Program at Northwestern. She is a primary trauma consultant and the interim Principal Investigator for Northwestern’s training and evaluation contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She has extensive experience in supporting the development of trauma-informed systems and conducting child trauma research and evaluation activities, with a particular focus on child trauma assessment, complex trauma, dissociation, and risk and protective factors for child trauma; she has several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related to these issues.
Tracy Fehrenbach, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, where she serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Child Trauma Assessment and Service Planning and directs three projects examining the impact of various interventions for youth and families impacted by trauma. For the past 15 years, Dr. Fehrenbach has specialized in clinical work, evaluation and research with traumatized populations, including young children impacted by interpersonal traumas such as domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse. She has a particular interest in working with traditional underserved populations and efforts to make trauma-informed services maximally sensitive and relevant for various cultures.