Pediatric Inpatient Therapist
Posted on: 2010-10-05
Melissa Connolly, M.A.
Education
2008 – Present
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA (APA Accredited)
Anticipated Graduation Date: August 2013
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology: July 2010
Dissertation Topic: Moral Traits and the Development of Prosocial Behavior in Urban and Underserved Adolescents
2003 - 2007
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Bachelor of Science: Cognitive Science (Clinical Aspects of Cognition)
Minor: Psychology
Clinical Experience
Sep 2010 – Present Practicum II: Pediatric Therapist at Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital
Supervised Hours: Ongoing
BHC Alhambra Hospital, Rosemead, CA
Supervisor: Joseph Dadourian, E.D.D., L.C.S.W.
Setting: Private psychiatric inpatient hospital.
Population: Ethnically diverse children and adolescents admitted for intent to harm self or others. Most present with trauma histories and emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral issues.
Responsibilities: Provide individual, group, and family therapy. Perform psycho-social intakes upon arrival to hospital. Rapid stabilization.
Training: Attend seminars/trainings and group supervision. All day training in non-violent crisis intervention.
Sep 2009 – Jun 2010 Practicum I: School Guidance Counselor
Supervised Hours: 200
Azusa Unified School District, Slauson Middle School, Azusa, CA
Supervisors: Pablo Anabalon, Ph.D.; Larry Kuhn, Psy.D.
Setting: Public middle school.
Population: Ethnically diverse adolescents with academic, emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral problems referred by their teachers, principal, guidance counselor, or parents.
Responsibilities: Provide play therapy and counseling in a school setting to students. Provide feedback and psychoeducation to parents.
Training: Attend weekly training seminars. Receive weekly individual and group supervision.
Feb – Jun 2010 Practicum I (cont.): Community Counseling Center Therapist
Community Counseling Center, Azusa, CA
Supervisors: Larry Kuhn, Psy.D. &
Jeanne Clevenger, Psy.D. (See reference)
Setting: Community counseling center situated in a low-income community offering individual, couples, and family therapy services.
Population: Ethnically diverse children, adolescents, and adults presenting with a variety of issues.
Responsibilities: Provide individual therapy.
Training: Attend weekly group supervision. Conceptualize and present cases as well as provide recommendations for cases presented by peers.
Jan – Dec 2009 Pre-Practicum: Counselor for Undergraduate Students
Supervised hours: 50
Community Counseling Center, Azusa, CA
Supervisor: Sheryn Scott, Ph.D.
Student Supervisors: Joshua Knabb, M.A. & Pedro Romero, M.A.
Setting: Community counseling center situated in a low-SES and diverse community.
Population: Undergraduate university students presenting with a variety of issues including stress, relationship problems, social skills problems, communication, substance abuse issues, eating disorders, identity development, and adjustment disorders.
Responsibilities: Provide individual therapy.
Training: Participate in weekly individual and group supervision. Present case material as well as implement strategies as directed. Provide recommendations for cases presented by peers.
Sep 2008 – Sep 2010 Community Counseling Center Assistant
Community Counseling Center, Azusa, CA
Supervisor/Executive Director: Stephanie Miyake, MFT
Setting: Community counseling center situated in a diverse and low-SES community.
Responsibilities: Phone and walk-in screenings for potential clients to the clinic. Provide referrals, consultation, and risk assessment over the phone or in person (in the case of walk-ins). Risk assessment included screens for suicidal ideation and intent, child abuse, and domestic violence.
Dec 2007 – Aug 2009 Full-Time Pediatric Play (DIR/Floortime) Therapist, ABA Therapist, and Group Therapist
Holding Hands Pediatric Therapy and Diagnostics, Los Angeles, CA
Primary Supervisor: Anna Baumgartner, Psy.D. (see reference)
Setting: Regionally and privately funded clinic situated in socio-economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood.
Population: Ethnically diverse children diagnosed with various developmental delays presenting with behavioral, relational, and sensory issues. Also had regular interaction with the families of these clients.
Responsibilities: Provide individual Floortime Therapy at the clinic and/or at the client’s home, coach parents in implementing behavior intervention and Floortime strategies in the home, behavior aid in classroom, and facilitate social interactions between clients in a group.
Training: For each client seen, .5 - 1 hour of supervision per week was provided to ensure accuracy and efficiency of therapy implementation. Attended monthly in-services regarding a variety of new material in the field and weekly group behavior intervention meetings to present and discuss cases. Received DIR/Floortime certification as a result of training.
Related Professional Experience
2008 - Present Teaching and Research Assistant (15 hours a week)
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Supervisor: Robert Welsh, Ph.D., ABPP, Department Chair
Responsibilities: Collect and review literature relevant to faculty research projects. Enter research data. Edit manuscripts in preparation for publication for faculty. Write grant proposals. Act as teaching assistant to various faculty members. Assist in interview day for prospective students to the program.
Oct 2007 – Mar 2008 Administrative Assistant for MOBILE TEST
Office of Aids Programs and Prevention
Valley Community Clinic, North Hollywood, CA
Project Director: Neva Chauppette, Psy.D. (See reference)
Setting: State funded community clinic situated in low SES area.
Population: Ethnically diverse sex and drug addicted adults staying at various addiction treatment centers. Clients were known to have engaged in risky behaviors for STDs, HIV, and Hepatitis.
Responsibilities: Join MOBILE T.E.S.T. team on site visits to counsel and test drug and sex addicts for STDs, including HIV. Interview clients about sexual and drug history; compiled data into the online database.
Training: Trained in interviewing clients regarding sensitive and confidential material. Accompanied project director to conferences that were based on issues involving addiction and addiction-related illnesses.
Research Experience
2009 - Present Doctoral Dissertation
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Topic: Moral Traits and the Development of Prosocial Behavior in Urban and Underserved Adolescents
Description: Quantitative research exploring how moral traits and motivation developmentally moderate volunteerism in a sample of 1550 urban, diverse, and underserved adolescents.
Chair: Kevin Reimer, Ph.D. (See reference)
2009 - 2010 Pediatric Neurodevelopment Institute (PNI) Research Group
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Supervisor: Beth Houskamp, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: Member of an interdisciplinary research group investigating neurodevelopmental disabilities and information processing in children and adolescents. Collect and analyze research data using SPSS. Create and submit proposals and presentations to various national conferences. (See presentations and publication below)
2009 – 2010 AUSD Research Group
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Supervisor: Robert Welsh, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: Member of a research group comprised of students who have treated Hispanic children in the Azusa Unified School District (AUSD). Investigated various issues surrounding the experience of these clients who are referred for in-school therapy. (See presentation below)
2006 - 2007 Autism Lab Student Research Intern
University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychology
Supervisor: Laura Schreibman, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: 240-hour commitment to learn and practice therapeutic methods designed to teach children with Autism how to effectively communicate verbally (PRT and PECS) and then collect and enter data concerning progress of subjects into research database. Supervised new students practicing PRT at home sessions.
2005 - 2006 Research Assistant
University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry
Supervisor: Natacha Akshoomoff, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: Entering, compiling, and summarizing research surveys related to the validity and reliability of various methods of diagnosing Autism, scoring diagnostic tests for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and various office tasks. Help out with camera and setting up for diagnostic testing sessions at the Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California.
Assessment Experience
Sep – Dec 2010 Projective Assessments
PPSY 754 Assessment IV
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructor: Barbara, L. Janetzke, Ph.D.
This course includes a lab for practice in the administration, scoring, interpretation, and report writing of projective personality assessments such as the Rorschach (using Exner’s comprehensive system), the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), and projective drawings.
Jan – May 2010 Intelligence Testing
PPSY 714 Assessment III
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructor: Robert Welsh, Ph.D., ABPP
This course included a lab for practice in the administration, scoring, interpretation, and report writing of psychological assessments such as the WAIS, WISC, WRAT, WIAT, and MMSE.
Sep – Dec 2009 Personality Assessments
PPSY 713 Assessment II
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructor: David Brokaw, Ph.D.
This course included a lab for practice in administering, scoring, interpreting, and report writing of the MMPI-II, PAI, NEO-PR, and 16PF. Provided a feedback session to client regarding results.
Sep – Dec 2009 Pediatric Neurodevelopment Institute (PNI) Supervision Meetings
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
Supervisor: Beth Houskamp, Ph.D.
Observed weekly PNI supervision meetings in which the comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of clients were presented and supervised. Performed behavior observations during neuropsychological testing and scored various inventories.
Teaching Experience
Sep – Dec 2010 Teaching Assistant
Child Psychology (PPSY 717)
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructor: Diane Puchbauer, Psy.D.
Responsibilities: Create power-point lectures, grade coursework, and teach selected lectures when needed.
Jan – May 2010 Teaching Assistant
Assessment I (PPSY 540)
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructors: Robert Welsh, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: Grade coursework.
Sep – Dec 2009 Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Clinical Practice: Basic Skills (PPSY 580)
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
Instructors: Holli Eaton, Psy.D. & Stephen Cheung, Psy.D.
Responsibilities: Grade papers and student therapy videos. Supervise in-class role-plays and act as client for students’ baseline videos.
Aug – Sep 2007 Volunteer English Teacher
IFRE (International Field Research Expeditions)
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Taught English to underprivileged children (ages 5-11 years old) at a Buddhist monastery school 30 hours a week for four weeks. Responsible for generating lesson plans and leading lessons.
Sep – Dec 2006 Instructor’s Assistant
Sensation and Perception (COGS 101B)
University of California, San Diego, Department of Cognitive Science
Instructor: Christine Johnson, Ph.D.
Responsibilities: Lead two weekly class lab sections (25 students each section) on course material. Taught one lecture to entire class on special effects. Graded coursework and exams.
Scholarships and Awards
Sep 2008 – Present Teaching and Research Doctoral Scholarship
Azusa Pacific University, Department of Graduate Psychology
May 2007 Superior Teaching Award
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Received special recognition and cash reward for “Superior Teaching” based on student and professor ratings of performance as a TA.
Presentations
Morris, P. E., Allan, C., Connolly, M., Reyes, R., McKeehan, J., & Welsh, R. (2010). School-Based Therapy: Retention and Attrition of Hispanic Children. Poster presented at the APA Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.
Fok, A., Morris, P., Houskamp, B. M., Connolly, M., Gunn, T., & Laubacher, J. (2010).
A Neurodevelopmental Approach to Understanding Children with Externalizing Behaviors. Poster presented at the APA Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.
Legardy, S. N., Mota, E., Laubacher, J., Connolly, M., Houskamp, B. M., & Wolff, M. (2010). Executive Functioning Deficits in Children with ADHD and Behavioral Disorders. Poster presented at the APA Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.
Publications in Preparation
Reimer, K. & Connolly, M. (In Data Analysis) Understanding resiliency in low socioeconomic and underserved adolescents.
Morris, P., Connolly, M., & Houskamp, B. (Revising) Neurodevelopmental trajectories of children with externalizing behavior problems.
Selected Professional Seminars and Conferences
Aug 2010 APA Annual Convention
San Diego, CA
Nov 2009 Integrative Psychotherapy
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
Mark McMinn, PhD., ABPP/CL
Oct 2009 Workshop on Collaborative Problem Solving: Parenting, Teaching, and Treating Children with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
Stuart Ablon, Ph.D.
Oct 2009 Play Therapy Seminar
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
Susan Reedy, M.A.
Jan 2009 Child Abuse Workshop
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
Marjorie Graham-Howard, Ph.D.
Professional Memberships
2010 – Present Los Angeles County Psychological Association (Student Affiliate)
2008 – Present California Psychological Association (Student Affiliate)
2008 – Present American Psychological Association (Student Affiliate)
Member of Division 53 – Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Member of Division 54 – Society of Pediatric Psychology
Volunteer Service
Aug – Sep 2007 Volunteer English Teacher in Thailand (See “Teaching Experience”)
Sep 2001 – Jun 2003 Volunteer in I.C.U. at Solheim Retirement Home (Eagle Rock, CA)
Assisted in feeding, caring for, and entertaining elderly people suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other age-related illnesses.
Sep 2001 – Jun 2002 Volunteer for Equestrian Special Olympics (Tarzana, CA)
Helped developmentally delayed children and teens ride horses in preparation for Special Olympics competitions.