Psychology Department

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Mason opens new behavioral health facility in Fairfax

Colleen Rich — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:28:23 +0000

Mason opens new behavioral health facility in Fairfax Colleen Rich Fri, 10/27/2023 - 14:28

On Friday, Oct. 27, ��AV’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Department of Psychology hosted a grand opening of its new facility for the Center for Community Mental Health and Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health, two centers whose research and community services are deeply connected to strengthening our communities.

From left, Keith Renshaw, Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read, center director Robyn Mehlenbeck, and Dean Ann Ardis. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The new City of Fairfax location at 9900 Main Street is optimally located to enable community members’ easy access to critical mental health services, while also providing space to advance research and train the next generation of behavioral health providers.

The Center for Community Mental Health serves as the main training clinic for Mason doctoral candidates in clinical psychology, as well as students in other behavioral health disciplines such as counseling and social work. The center provides state-of-the-art, accessible, affordable, and culturally sensitive therapy and testing services to those in need, regardless of income. It is one of the only sites in the mid-Atlantic to offer therapies and testing on a sliding scale, which enables access to care for as low as $5 per session. The center sees children as young as age 5, and works with community members across the lifespan, including addressing the mental health needs of veterans.

“At the Center for Community Mental Health, we firmly believe that mental health services should be available to everyone, regardless of ability to pay,” said Robyn Mehlenbeck, the center’s director. “We also believe you should receive help when you need it and not be told you’ll need to wait three or four months.”

To meet community need, the center has expanded staffing for its emotional support lines to 12 hours a day every day in both English and Spanish, Mehlenback said. Three session skills treatment plans are also available with little to no waitlist, as a bridge to longer term services, she added.

Last year, the Center for Community Mental Health provided more than 2,100 therapy sessions, completed 118 evaluations and more than 315 evaluation sessions, and helped train 77 undergraduates and 57 graduate students—all with a commitment to the community.

Mason’s Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health is committed to decreasing barriers to accessing high-quality mental health care. Serving as a critical bridge between research on the best therapies and real-life applications, it offers training and consultation to the community’s behavioral health workforce in culturally responsive, research-based, behavioral health treatments. The Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health has trained approximately 430 clinicians and clinical supervisors, who represent eight local county-based organizations and 38 private behavioral health organizations, over the last year alone.

“The Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health brings together Mason faculty, with different areas of expertise, to partner with and train behavioral health providers in research-based therapies,” said Christy Esposito-Smythers, CEBBH Director. “This helps our current workforce address gaps in training, learn new treatment techniques, and further enhance their ability to effectively treat clients with a variety of behavioral health concerns.”

“Mental health and behavioral health are health care. We need to change the conversation to remove both the stigma and the barriers to these critical services,” said City of Fairfax Mayor and Mason alum Catherine Read. “Mason is taking a leadership role in developing a model for quality affordable mental health services while training the next generation of mental health care providers. Fairfax City is the beneficiary of this groundbreaking effort to invest in the holistic well-being of an entire community. We are fortunate in our proximity and partnership with Mason.”

“The behavioral health needs in our community are acute, as are the behavioral health workforce development needs in the region,” said Ann Ardis, College of Humanities and Social Sciences dean. “This new facility will provide Mason faculty and students with a state-of-the-art environment in which to pursue research-to-practice activities in service to our communities.”

The Center for Community Mental Health’s Emotional Help Line provides free, anonymous, confidential support in both English (703-215-1898) and Spanish (703-914-3878). The line is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

See what Mason is doing for Community Mental Health

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Congressman Gerry Connolly championed Mason projects to land federal funding

Melanie Balog — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:12:42 +0000

Congressman Gerry Connolly championed Mason projects to land federal funding Melanie Balog Tue, 01/17/2023 - 09:12

��AV will expand its research and real-world impact in Northern Virginia with a pair of projects that were made possible by the efforts of U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to address cybersecurity and mental health care needs.

Mason will receive $1 million in federal funding to support the creation a first-of-its-kind Mason Center for Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience, and nearly $1 million for the Saving Lives and Decreasing Health Disparities project. Funding for both efforts came as part of the federal omnibus appropriations bill that President Biden recently signed into law to fund the government through Fiscal Year 2023.

Connolly, whose 11th District includes Fairfax, is a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and his party’s lead on the Subcommittee on Government Operations.

“��AV is a pillar of our community, but the effects of its world-class education and world-changing research can be felt throughout the country,” said Connolly.

Shehu

The future Center for Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience will act as a strategic partner in federal government cybersecurity and IT modernization efforts, translate state-of-the-art research on technology modernization and cybersecurity in federal practice, collate and disseminate best practices on federal government agency cybersecurity, and foster U.S. government cybersecurity organizational capacity.

The center will bring together experts in IT modernization, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure systems to develop and provide in-person, hybrid, live virtual, and online executive education, tabletop exercises and workshops for federal government IT and cybersecurity executives and middle managers. In addition, the center will leverage Mason’s Institute for Digital Innovation, which integrates transdisciplinary centers and labs with deep interdisciplinary expertise across all facets of cybersecurity research, governance, policy, and education.

Amarda Shehu, associate vice president of research at the Institute for Digital Innovation, and professor of computer science with Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, will operate the center along with J.P. Auffret, the director of research partnerships and grants initiatives in the School of Business and the director of the Center for Assurance Research and Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Auffret

“This is further evidence of the value and depth of Mason’s research, programs, and outreach in cybersecurity,” said Ken Ball, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing. “This funding will help us strengthen our programs and generate new discoveries that will make our nation more secure.”

“We are exceptionally grateful to Congressman Connolly for championing the central importance of cybersecurity for the federal government,” added Shehu and Auffret. “We are excited to engage with federal IT and cyber executives to modernize and secure systems, and advance excellence.”

Mason has a 25-year history in government IT leadership and governance education, including as a founding partner in the U.S. Federal CIO University and as a founding partner in the International Academy of CIO. Mason’s partners include the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, the Commonwealth of Virginia state government, the West Virginia state government, Connected DMV, and others.

Espisito-Smythers

Andre Marshall, Mason’s vice president for research, innovation and economic impact, praised Connolly for his continued leadership in the areas of federal cybersecurity and IT modernization.

“I am so proud to have secured funding for the Mason Center for Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience, the first of its kind, and I can’t wait to see the results in action,” he said.

The Saving Lives and Decreasing Health Disparities is other project championed by Connolly to receive federal funding, as Mason will receive $943,883 to play a critical role in addressing the mental health needs of young people in Northern Virginia.

The project will train community clinicians to serve diverse, low-income youth and families and provide access to low- to no-cost, culturally sensitive evidence-based assessments that can be easily implemented in community mental health settings. The project leads, Mason psychology professor Christianne Esposito-Smythers and Psychology Department chair Keith Renshaw, in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, hope to decrease mental suffering and, ultimately, the need for longer and more intensive treatments, emergency services, hospitalizations, and loss of life to suicide among the most affected populations.

Renshaw

“From world-class education to world-changing research, Mason plays a pivotal role in bettering the lives of folks across Northern Virginia,” Connolly said. “I am so proud to have secured funding for the Saving Lives and Decreasing Health Disparities project, and I can’t wait to see the results in action throughout the 11th District.”

As part of the project, Mason will work with community partners to address mental health problems through accurate assessment and identification of youth mental health difficulties, Esposito-Smythers said.

“This work is intended to increase the effectiveness of mental health services, reduce the likelihood of life-threatening behavior, and decrease the costs of care for our lowest-income youth and families,” she said.

Before the pandemic, more than 36% of youth in the United States reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, according to federal statistics. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth ages 10-24, and rates of emergency department visits for youth suicide risk increased 50.6% during the pandemic. In 2020, 86 children in Virginia died by suicide.

“Mason plays a vital role in this community by bringing our research to bear on important issues such as mental health within vulnerable populations,” said Ann Ardis, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “This funding from the Appropriations process, with support from Representative Connelly, will allow the Department of Psychology faculty to advance critical services to those in need.”

The funding for Mason is part of more than $28 million Connolly secured for the commonwealth.

“These vital investments in our region’s future are poised to meet Northern Virginia’s needs in health care, infrastructure, education and housing,” Connolly said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to assist in addressing some of the greatest challenges facing the 11th District of Virginia as we move on from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for our shared future.”

More Mason Research News

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October 18, 2022
What to look for: warning signs of suicidal thoughts
September 12, 2022
Mason offers options for mental health assistance, suicide prevention
September 5, 2022
Alemi Researches Connection Between COVID-19 and Suicide Among Essential Workers
January 6, 2022
Health Informatics Student Develops 5G-Enabled Telemedicine Technology
December 1, 2021

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Striving for a better understanding of late autism diagnosis

Shayla Brown — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 20:38:14 +0000

Striving for a better understanding of late autism diagnosis Shayla Brown Fri, 10/21/2022 - 16:38

��AV researcher Allison Jack recently received an Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) Network award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her research efforts aimed at understanding why some autistic individuals receive very late diagnoses, or none at all.

Allison Jack. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

NIH’s ACE Program funds large research projects to understand and develop interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This project is a collaboration between multiple universities, hospitals, and organizations.

“When we have people getting these late diagnoses that limit their ability to access a lot of supportive services,” said Jack, an assistant professor in Mason’s Psychology Department, “we were also noticing in our data that these individuals who had these late diagnoses were reporting much poorer quality of life with greater anxiety and depression.”

Jack has worked on the longitudinal project since its inception, starting as a postdoctoral fellow studying with Yale’s Kevin Pelphrey. Pelphrey, Jack and Lauren Kenworthy, director at Children’s National’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, are the three MPIs on the project.

During the early phases of the project, their team looked at children between the ages 8-17. “We tried to describe autistic girls, their brains, their genetics, and their behavior. Are they different from autistic boys in any way? Are they different from neurotypical kids?”

The following phase of the project was disrupted by COVID. “It ended up being a lot of online follow-ups with these kids who had come in the first five years of the project,” said Jack. “They were getting older, and we were following them into adolescence and the transition into adulthood to see how these youth were doing over time.”

Allison Jack. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

A tangible product their team hopes to have at the end of their research will allow patients to be diagnosed who are routinely missed by current methods.

“Ultimately, the tool will be a concise series of questions that an individual and/or caregiver can answer via a smartphone, web page, or via pencil and paper,” said Pelphrey, who is part of the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine. “This tool will provide a diagnostic access point for adolescents and adults at risk for late diagnosis.”

“Dr. Jack started with us and was instrumental in making this project successful,” said Pelphrey. “She’s been the primary author on several of the most important and impactful papers to come out of this work. It’s been an honor to watch her professional development.”

The award is special, said Jack, due to its highly competitive and high-profile nature.

This is the project’s third round of funding since 2012. "The sites that are working on east centers or east networks tend to get thought of as premiere locations for autism research nationwide, so this is a pretty big deal in the autism world!” said Jack.

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Institute for Biohealth Innovation

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NIH grant funding

Let’s pretend: Mason researcher look at how children’s interaction with fictional worlds influences their social development

Colleen Rich — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 20:04:13 +0000

Let’s pretend: Mason researcher look at how children’s interaction with fictional worlds influences their social development Colleen Rich Thu, 09/01/2022 - 16:04

As early as elementary school, ��AV researcher Thalia Goldstein was an active participant in the arts. Finding herself drawn to acting, dance, and gymnastics, Goldstein pursued majors in psychology and theatre during college and even work as an actress and dancer in New York City for three years following graduation.

Thalia Goldstein. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

However, Goldstein could not ignore her love for the study of the mind, and she soon began to question how she could combine her interests into a single profession. Goldstein realized that developmental psychology was the key for her, and a research career was born.

“My original research questions centered around how engagement with theatre and the arts interrelates with psychological concepts, such as empathy, emotional regulation, and understanding others,” said Goldstein, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology in Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Although these are prevalent across the lifespan, it is particularly intriguing to study how they affect children and their ability to learn.”

After being hired at Mason, Goldstein established her own lab: the Social Skills, Imagination, and Theater Lab. Her lab’s research primarily focuses on how children’s social and emotional development is impacted by their engagement in fictional worlds, including television and books.

“For any study we perform in my lab, the impact I’m always looking for is, ‘Does it spur the next question?’” said Goldstein. “We like to say that we are attempting to put together the pieces to the intricate puzzle that is known as childhood development.”

One of Goldstein’s major ongoing studies pertains to parental honesty—she is investigating how make-believe stories that parents often tell their children, like the existence of Santa Claus, influence a child’s emotional growth.

Her objective with this research is to address a paradox that emerged after analyzing initial findings: how do parents rationalize the inherent dishonesty of spreading fictional tales while simultaneously wanting to raise trustworthy and virtuous children? For Goldstein, this study calls into question the role of lying, specifically white lies and behavioral control lies, in modern society.

Listen to Goldstein discuss her research with Mason President Gregory Washington on the Access to Excellence podcast.

She is also the co-director of the National Endowment for the Arts research lab, the Mason Arts Research Center, which investigates the role and effects of arts engagement, across all art forms, on social and emotional development in educational and other contexts.

Goldstein’s career path has not come without its hurdles. She cites her perseverance as the main factor in overcoming any obstacles she has faced and believes persistence is a key trait for all women in science.

“Sometimes you may be underestimated, but you can’t let that hold you back,” said Goldstein. “You have to keep going.”

Goldstein’s constant curiosity also inspires her to continue moving forward with her work.

“This field of research is like a blank slate,” said Goldstein, who is also a member of Mason's Institute for Biohealth Innovation. “There are endless amounts of questions surrounding theatre, imagination, and pretend play: Why not start answering some of them now?”

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Institute for Biohealth Innovation

Mason team works to identify more objective evaluations to diagnose autism

Colleen Rich — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:42:08 +0000

Mason team works to identify more objective evaluations to diagnose autism Colleen Rich Wed, 07/20/2022 - 12:42

Mason research Allison Jack with a MRI simulator she uses to prepare young study participants prior to scanning. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

For most of her life, Allison Jack has aspired to improve the lives of autistic people. The ��AV researcher had a childhood friend with autism and had witnessed some of the challenges neurodiverse individuals face. That experience combined with her natural curiosity about the brain made her determined to carry out her mission.

As she became more embedded in the field of autism, Jack learned that many autistic people, including those designated female at birth and those who are gender nonconforming, often receive delayed diagnoses, misdiagnoses, or no diagnoses at all. Past autism research has frequently overlooked both subsets of individuals. Jack believes that these discrepancies may be partially responsible for a poorer quality of life for those affected.

“For years now, the autistic community has strongly been speaking up about how research and public policy have not always accurately reflected the needs and desires of neurodiverse people,” said Jack, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in Mason's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a member of the Institute for Biohealth Innovation.

Allison Jack. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

Jack is a member of the Gender Exploration of Neurogenetics and Development to Advanced Autism Research Consortium, a National Institutes of Health-funded Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) network focused on learning more about how sex and gender relate to biology, behavior, and the well-being of autistic children, teenagers, and young adults.

Her partners in this initiative include such local groups as the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s National and the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, two organizations that offer support to those diagnosed and promote autistic representation in research and public policy.

Inspired by ACE’s commitment to effectively engage autistic individuals and champion their equal representation, Jack wanted to build on their work. When she received a job offer from Mason, she knew she had found a university with similar values that would allow her to implement her plan.

“I wanted to set up an autism-friendly lab with heavy involvement from neurodiverse students, and Mason actively encouraged the idea,” said Jack. “Mason is very special in that way. I don't know that I've been in any place previously that would have been this affirmatively excited and accommodating.”

Jack’s lab fosters increased representation in research and provides an opportunity for neurodiverse individuals to receive scientific training so that they can assist in the design and execution of studies, another objective of autism advocacy groups. Jack believes autistic people should be involved in every level of autism research, and she finds their suggestions to be both enlightening and highly beneficial.

“I had one autistic graduate student propose that we have an infrastructure in place for current and potential autistic research participants to talk to us through text or online chat because they commonly feel very uncomfortable with other forms of communication we were using, like the phone,” said Jack. “As a neurotypical individual, I had never considered that before, and it was extremely eye-opening.”

Jack said she would like to see the introduction of more objective evaluations for autism. Current diagnostic measures are based on observation, which she believes may be a factor in late or missed diagnoses. Moving forward, she hopes that her lab’s work will result in more accurate tests that incorporate information about biology. Jack and her team are also utilizing Mason’s 3T MRI scanner to examine which regions in the brain may play a role in the development of autism.

While juggling multiple goals may seem daunting, Jack’s passion for helping the autistic community acts as her main motivator. She is also grateful for the contributions and insights of those who work alongside her.

“I love the brain and think it’s endlessly fascinating, but mostly I love my team,” Jack said. “It's such good fortune to get to work with people who are primarily concerned with ensuring that we're doing the best job possible of including people who might otherwise be ignored and representing the true breadth of experience out there.”

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Mason doctoral student receives national research award to study the relationship between PTSD and children’s emotional functioning

Colleen Rich — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 20:56:21 +0000

Mason doctoral student receives national research award to study the relationship between PTSD and children’s emotional functioning Colleen Rich Wed, 02/10/2021 - 15:56

Mason doctoral student Sarah Giff is examining the connection between parents with PTSD and their children’s emotional functioning, looking specifically at military families. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

A parent who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect the whole family. A ��AV researcher is looking at the effects of such stressors on children ages 6-12 and their emotional functioning.

With the support of an F31 National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, Mason doctoral student Sarah Giff is examining the connection between parents with PTSD and their children’s emotional functioning, looking specifically at military families.

Giff, who is working on a PhD in clinical psychology in Mason’s Department of Psychology, said that the negative impacts on emotional functioning can be “internalizing,” such as anxiety and depression, or “externalizing,” with the child showing anger or acting out in some way.

“This construct of emotion socialization has three components: how parents model emotions for their children, how parents respond to their children's display of emotions, and how parents talk to their children about emotions,” said Giff, who earned an MA in psychology from Mason in 2017.

Her research involves watching videos of parent-child interactions that were collected by researcher Abigail Gewirtz at the University of Minnesota. Giff is coding these videos for specific types of behavior seen throughout the exchanges, such as if a parent responds in a supportive manner to a child expressing emotion. The goal is to see if there is a link between military servicemembers who are struggling to regulate their emotions as a result of PTSD and potential difficulties with helping their children control their own feelings.

Giff’s inspiration behind the study was a combination of prior PTSD research for her master’s thesis, along with PTSD-related research by her dissertation director, Mason psychology professor Keith Renshaw.

“Best estimates show that roughly 10%-15% of veterans currently meet criteria for PTSD, with more who show some symptoms but don’t meet full criteria for a diagnosis,” said Renshaw, who leads the Military, Veterans, & Families Initiative at Mason and is an expert on the interpersonal dynamics of servicemembers and their families. “These symptoms, such as withdrawing from others and feeling emotionally numb, can have negative effects on relationships with family and friends, particularly partners and children.”

Giff believes her research will have broader applications to the general public and has been thinking specifically about frontline workers during COVID-19.

“There are high stress situations being created for families during COVID-19, especially if there is a family member who is working at a hospital every day and experiencing severe burnout,” said Giff. “We believe this research could help better educate and equip families facing these kinds of overwhelming challenges.”

With her research, Giff aims to raise awareness about the impacts of PTSD, both at the individual and family level.

“What I want to bring to light is when one person is enduring a burdensome level of stress, their family members may experience changes in their emotions and behavior, which can influence the course of treatment,” said Giff. “Ideally, I'd like to better implement ways to help treat mental health issues with a family context in mind.”

Giff has worked at the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center. Prior to attending Mason, she gained clinical research experience at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Giff credits the clinical training she received at Mason’s Center for Psychological Services as the catalyst for getting her involved in military-related research, particularly its collaboration with the Virginia Veteran and Family Support.

“There is so much more we need to learn about how PTSD symptoms can affect children and families as a whole,” said Giff. “I enjoy contributing to knowledge about how we help veterans and servicemembers recuperate from PTSD and how to form a supportive home environment for their recovery.”

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Jane Flinn celebrates 50 years of service

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 09:00:45 +0000

Jane Flinn celebrates 50 years of service Colleen Rich Fri, 10/09/2020 - 05:00

��AV psychology professor Jane Flinn has achieved something few Mason faculty have: She’s celebrating 50 years of service. Flinn is only the second Mason professor to meet this milestone; English professor Don Gallehr was the first in 2016. Here are some fun facts we learned about her:

She was originally a physicist. Flinn started teaching physics at Mason in 1969. She could only teach part time on Tuesdays and Thursdays while her young daughter was in preschool, and she felt very fortunate to be hired “at a very new and very young” Mason.

She was born in England and educated at Oxford. Flinn originally came to the United States for her graduate studies. While working on her PhD in physics at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., she was able to audit some psychology courses and loved them. She decided to pursue a second PhD, this time in social psychology at George Washington University (GWU), which she worked on part time while teaching at Mason. After completing her second PhD, Flinn taught in both departments for almost 10 years.

She created Mason’s undergraduate neuroscience degree program. While at Mason, Flinn served as chair of the Psychology Department and director of the undergraduate neuroscience program she helped to create, among other duties. She also has been recognized with numerous accolades and awards including the David J. King Teaching Award, the university’s highest teaching award, and a University Mentoring Award. She is currently director of Mason’s Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Program.

She loves her field of research. During a required physiological psychology class at GWU, she had an “a-ha moment” about her career. “I think that the professor and I were the only two people in the room who really understood the physics of neuronal conduction,” says Flinn. “I suddenly felt I had come home. I discovered the subject I love, which combines both hard science and behavior.” Flinn’s current research focuses on the role of certain metals in learning and memory, especially pertaining to Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury.

She thinks you should get moving. Flinn is a huge advocate for brain health. One of her favorite classes to teach is one she designed: The Brain in Books and Film. “I think it is important to understand how your brain works,” she says. And that includes the essential role that exercise plays in brain health. Flinn recently started adding a five-minute break to her classes during which she and students exercise using a video by Wendy Suzuki, author of “Healthy Brain, Happy Life.” “Interacting with young people on a daily basis is something that is valuable and perhaps keeps one’s brain going,” she adds.

She believes education is transformational. Each year, Flinn mentors undergraduate and graduate students in her lab and says she finds it very satisfying when her students find success. “Education opens doors, and at Mason it opens doors for students who might not otherwise have this opportunity.”

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