Education & Training

Twenty-eight pediatric/medicine-pediatric residents from the OUHSC campus completed the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric rotation during January-December 2019. Each trainee’s rotation consisted of supervised clinical experiences on the clinical teams, visits to community programs, didactic material and critical reviews of developmental and behavioral research. We supported the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric training in the OU-Tulsa pediatric/medicine-pediatric residency program by providing 9 residents 32 hours each of supervised clinical experience, didactic material, and critical reviews. Several additional healthcare/undergraduate students completed 1-day clinical observations with our DBP medical team.

The Developmental Behavioral Pediatric fellowship training program is a 3-year interdisciplinary training, clinical, and research program that received ACGME accreditation in 2006. The fellows develop their clinical skills through participation in a variety of interdisciplinary clinics and electives and also see their own patients longitudinally in a weekly follow-up clinic. Fellows are exposed to research, educational, QI, and advocacy opportunities throughout the 3 years and work directly with a research mentor to develop and implement a scholarly work project. The program Director is Ami Bax, MD., MS.

To learn more about the program, please contact the Program Coordinator, Kecia Huff at kecia-huff@ouhsc.edu.

The Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics offers two additional education programs in Psychology. See below for more information:

• Clinical Psychology Internship 
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology.

The Section offers a two-semester academic and clinical program for advanced students in Pediatrics, Dentistry, Psychology, Law, Social Work, Education, Public Health, Nursing, Sociology, and related disciplines. Established in 1987, the ITP provides specialized training in clinical practice, prevention, policy formation, child advocacy, research, and administration in the field of child abuse and neglect. The 2019-2020 class of 19 trainees from law, social work, and psychology graduated in April 2020. For more information on ITP, please contact Matthew Rhoades at (405) 271-8858. Use these links for the Program Brochure and the 2023-2024 Application.

The Section offers a two-semester interdisciplinary leadership education program for advanced graduate or postgraduate students in Audiology, Autism/Applied Behavioral Analysis, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Genetic Counseling, Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Medicine/Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatric Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Public Health, Social Work and Speech-Language Pathology. In addition a parent or family member is selected to represent the Parent-Family Perspective and an Individual with a Disability is selected to represent Self-Advocacy. Core Faculty representing those disciplines work together as Interdisciplinary Mentors. OKLEND was established in 1995 through a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Interdisciplinary education experiences are provided through classroom, clinical/community and research activities focused on the core principles of Person/Family-Professional partnership, Cultural Awareness, Interdisciplinary Teaming and Inclusive Community-Based Practices on behalf of infants, children, youth, and young adults with Autism or other Developmental Disabilities and their families. The LEND program includes trainees from across the State of Oklahoma.

 For more information on the LEND program please email Kecia Huff  or contact by phone at (405) 271-5700.

The Indian Country Child Trauma Center (ICCTC) was established to develop trauma-related treatment protocols, outreach materials, and service delivery guidelines specifically designed for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and their families. The ICCTC was originally funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2004 with the goal to develop and deliver training, technical assistance, program development, and resources on trauma informed care to tribal communities. It is housed at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. The ICCTC provides training to clinicians who serve children and their families in Indian Country in the Honoring Children, Mending the Circle curriculum, which is the cultural enhancement of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

The Indian Country Child Trauma Center also provides administrative leadership for the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), funded by SAMHSA. The SPRC provides training, education, resources and a Best Practices Registry on Suicide Prevention efforts to states and programs across the country. For more information on Suicide Prevention please see the SPRC website.

For more information see Indian Country Child Trauma Center website.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is administered by the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Indian Country Child Trauma Center. It is the only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

SPRC advances suicide prevention infrastructure and capacity building through:

• Consultation, training, and resources to enhance suicide prevention efforts in states, Native settings, colleges and universities, health systems and other settings, and organizations that serve populations at risk for suicide.
• Staffing, administrative, and logistical support to the Secretariat of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), the public-private partnership dedicated to advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
• Support for Zero Suicide, an initiative based on the foundational belief that suicide deaths for individuals under care within health and behavioral health systems are preventable. The initiative provides information, resources, and tools for safer suicide care.

Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART), NCSBY has provided TTA to programs funded to target late childhood and early adolescence for implementing evidence-based, comprehensive, and coordinated early intervention services to address problematic sexual behavior (PSB) of youth and the effects on child victims and their families. OJJDP and Smart have funded 18 programs, who have received TTA from NCSBY. Evaluation results indicate significant reductions in problematic sexual behavior, with low recidivism rates, as well as improvements in general behavior problems and parental stress. Deliverables are developed and disseminated through the NCSBY website (www.NCSBY.org) which provides information and resources for parents/caregivers and professionals who serve these families. Products include guidelines, fact sheets, newsletters, protocols, professional guides, peer reviewed manuscripts, and webinars. To better address the training needs in our nation, NCSBY sponsored the National Symposium on the Sexual Behavior of Youth February 22-24, 2022. Use this link for more information on the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth.

Over the past 12 years, the Oklahoma Autism Center (OAC) has created an infrastructure for statewide research and professional development in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The mission of the Oklahoma Autism Center is to improve the quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorder (and related disabilities) and their families by building capacity of public programs and other providers to offer effective services in Oklahoma. This mission has been accomplished through promoting the use of evidence-based practices in community and public agencies through education, training, and direct service to children and families. OAC offers comprehensive services for children with ASD and their families in the state and is connected to programs on a national level. The Oklahoma Autism Center specializes in early identification, early intervention, training, research, consultation and service provision. For more information, visit the Oklahoma Autism Center website.

The Center on Child Abuse and Neglect provides administrative staff for the Oklahoma Advisory Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. The Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect requires the State of Oklahoma to maintain a multi-disciplinary advisory task force on children’s justice composed of professionals with knowledge and experience relating to the criminal justice system and issues of child abuse and neglect, sexual abuse and exploitation, fatalities and children with disabilities who are suspected victims of abuse or neglect. The task force makes policy and training recommendations and awards grants to provide state agencies to improve the response to maltreated children.

Child Trauma Services (CTS) provides clinical service, training and consultation in the treatment of children and families impacted by trauma. Training includes child trauma assessment and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CTS has been funded through the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) since 2008. CTS expanded and added the Family Tree Program, to provide assessment and therapy services to families involved in child protective services. Family Tree is in collaboration with the Department of Pediatrics' Fostering Hope Clinic, Oklahoma Department of Human Services and NorthCare center. Our CTSP leadership team are approved trainers for Dr. Brian Miller’s CE-CERT model of clinical supervision to reduce secondary traumatic stress. We have incorporated CE-CERT into our introductory TF-CBT training and our quarterly directors calls, as well as offering full day training in the CE-CERT model with follow-up consultation for our DMH contracted agencies. For more information, visit the Oklahoma TF-CBT website.

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence based treatment program involving children ages 2 to 7 years old with a wide variety of emotional and behavioral problems. It includes play and behavioral therapy where caregivers can learn and practice new skills and techniques for relating to children with emotional or behavioral problems, language issues, developmental disabilities, or mental health disorders.

The PCIT Training Program offer training and consultation for therapists across the country. PCIT training includes a 4 day workshop followed by a 3 day follow-up workshop approximately 2-3 months later for over 40hours of training and weekly telephone consultations for a year. The PCIT Training program provide remote live consultation to therapists and ongoing weekly telephone consultation. Bi-weekly advanced case staffings are held to maintain fidelity and support among the practicing PCIT clinicians. Recalibration training in PCIT is provided to promote maintenance of high quality services in the community. The PCIT trainers continue to be active in academic presentations and publications on an international, national, regional, and local level. For more information on PCIT, please contact Andrew Mellon.

The training program for the Youth with Problematic Sexual Behavior – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT) provides training to sites across the United States as well as a site in Canada and one in the United Kingdom. This training combines clinical training to the behavioral health team and community training to address systems change, collaboration, and policy. Training is funded through grants and contracts and has included state-wide efforts in New York, Missouri, New Jersey, and Maryland, as well as smaller community training for agencies in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Denver, Boston, South Dakota, Maryland, North Dakota, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and New Jersey. The PSB training and technical assistance team provides presentations at local, national, and international events and conferences. For more information, visit the NCSBY website.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Disability Employment (PFP-IDE) supports mid-career professionals (fellows) from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, who are committed to advancing inclusive employment for individuals with disabilities. Fellows participate in an intensive four-week program to learn innovative strategies to promote economic empowerment of individuals with disabilities through the growth of inclusive employment opportunities and develop a project to implement in their home countries.

The SafeCare model is used in training provided by the Section for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for Secondary Prevention (High Risk Prevention Program) and Tertiary Prevention (Oklahoma Children's Services). Secondary Prevention training in SafeCare was provided to three (3) additional home visitors trained in 2019 and three (3) providers completed training and became certified in 2019 as Home Visitors at the National SafeCare Training and Research Center’s standards. Tertiary Prevention training was provided to field workers in the field with consultants that work for the agencies. Assistance was provided to the Consults/Trainers if they were still learning, if they needed help because of large numbers, or if there was a need to monitor fidelity. All training is provided in conjunction with the training guidelines of the National SafeCare Training and Research Center at Georgia State University. For more information, visit ParentPRO.org and NSTRC.org.

Established in 2017, the program continued to build in its 3rd year. It is the only treatment program in the region that that offers an intensive behavioral treatment program, Mighty Mouth Kids Camp, for young children with Selective Mutism. In 2019, the intensive program offered services to 18 families from three states. The 11 day period of 5 days of camp and 6 days of pre-work preparation before camp resulted in over 200 direct clinical hours. Camp was attended by 19 campers, ages 4-10 and their parents participated in 8 hours of training as well. To achieve results, the program recruited and trained 23 staff volunteers that included members of our section, graduate students from Allied Health in speech and language pathology, as well as graduate students from the clinical program at OSU. Faculty members included are Drs. Funderburk and Shawler from DBP and Mona Ryan from Allied Health and Lucia Ciciolla from OSU. In addition to the strong interdisciplinary and inter-university programming vital to camp, Shawna Standiford, M.Ed directs SM assessment and services to individual families throughout the year. For more information visit the Selective Mutism OKC website.