Dear Division 37 Members,
It is both an honor and a pleasure to introduce the exceptional individuals running for board positions that will take effect January 2026. This slate of candidates represents a group of dedicated individuals who are eager to serve and contribute to the continued success of our Division. Below, you will find a brief biography of each candidate running for various positions. We are truly grateful for their time, commitment, and consideration in stepping forward to serve our Division.
In the coming months, members will receive a link via email from APA to cast their votes. We encourage you to participate and support the candidates of your choice.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to email me directly.
Candidates for President Elect
Christy L. Olezeski, PhD
Christy L. Olezeski (she/her) is a child and adolescent clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine. She is also the co-founder and director of the Yale Pediatric Gender Program, an interdisciplinary program serving transgender and gender diverse individuals 3-25 and their families throughout the state of Connecticut and in 7 outside states. Along with providing comprehensive clinical care for transgender and gender diverse youth, Olezeski engages in mentorship, education and research, and is passionate about advocating for the rights of transgender youth, and the liberation of all individuals. Olezeski has been fortunate to mentor learners in the departments of Psychiatry, Divinity School, School of Public Health and the Child Study Center. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Supervisor Award and Chairman’s Award in the Department of Psychiatry in 2022 and was awarded the Community Partnership Award from the Connecticut Psychological Association in 2024. Olezeski served as the Division 37 Early Career Member at Large from 2017-19 and is presently the Division Secretary (2023-25). Olezeski is committed to the mission of Division 37 and is looking forward to continuing to uphold the Division values and ensure evidence-based advocacy, policies and services for children and families.
Yo Jackson, PhD, ABPP
Yo Jackson is a board-certified, clinical child psychologist, a professor in the Psychology Department in the Clinical Child Psychology Program, and is the Associate Director of the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network at Penn State. Her research focuses on the development of models of the process of resilience for youth exposed to trauma with a specific focus on youth exposed to child maltreatment and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Her work includes observational and physiological techniques in addition to survey measures in longitudinal and prospective research approaches. She also works on the development of assessment for trauma as well as the assessment of emotion regulation and cognitive functioning for youth and families exposed to adversity. She also conducts research on multicultural issues for ethnic minority youth. In addition to her many publications, conference presentations and invited talks, she has served as clinic director as well as a teacher of courses on child psychology, developmental psychopathology, advanced child and family assessment, diversity issues in clinical psychology, and supervision of clinical practicum. Jackson is currently an associate editor for the American Psychologist and she also serves as a consulting editor for several other journals including Evidence-based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Her research has been funded by several RO1 grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIH) and she has served as a member on several study sections for NIH. She is the PI of a T32 training grant focused on training scholars in child maltreatment science and she is the project director for a P50 Center grant for Penn State’s Transitional Center for Child Maltreatment Studies. She has testified before Congress in support for the Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act and is the author of numerous public policy briefs on child health and well-being.
Candidate for APA Council Representative
Cindy L. Miller-Perrin, PhD
Cindy L. Miller-Perrin has been an active member of APA for 32 years, 24 years of which she has previously served on the executive boards of Division 37 and the Section on Child Maltreatment in various roles such as President of both the division and section. Currently she is finishing her final year of a 3-year term as Representative to the APA Council. She also served as Co-Chair of the Interdivisional Task Force on Physical Punishment of Children, helping to generate the Resolution on Physical Punishment of Children adopted by Council in February 2019. She is a Fellow of APA and served in APA governance as a Member and Chairperson of the Committee on Division/APA Relations (CODAPAR) and the Fellows Committee. She is a clinical psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University. She has authored or coauthored numerous journal articles and five books including Violence and Maltreatment in Intimate Relationships (with R. Perrin & C. Renzetti, 2018, 2021), Family Violence Across the Lifespan (with O. Barnett & R. Perrin, 1997, 2005, 2011), Child Maltreatment (with R. Perrin, 1999, 2007, 2013), Child Sexual Abuse: Sharing the Responsibility (with S. Wurtele, 1992), and Faith from a Positive Psychology Perspective (with E. Mancuso, 2015). She serves on the Editorial Boards of a number of professional publications, including Advances in Child and Family Policy and Practice. Throughout her career, she has been active in advocating for policy change to improve the lives of children, youth, and families. She has enjoyed bringing her strong administrative and leadership skills to both the Division and APA, and would be honored to serve a second term as Council Representative for Division 37.
Candidates for Member-at-Large: Advocacy Coordinator
Carlo Panlilio, PhD
Policies that ignore scientific evidence are being introduced that may negatively impact children and families. Rather than remain a quiet bystander, I aim to advance advocacy efforts that promote the well-being of children and families. It is with this goal in mind that I humbly be considered for the Division 37 Member-at-Large for Advocacy position. I have enjoyed being part of Division 37 for several years, starting as a graduate student, and finding a society of like-minded professionals who care about the children and families we serve. If elected as Member-at-Large for Advocacy, I will continue to push for the use of scientific evidence to inform policy and practice decisions that affect children and families. For example, my research focuses on understanding the developmental and learning processes that mediate early maltreatment experiences and later academic outcomes, which then informs the iterative development of trauma-informed pedagogical approaches in classrooms. This translational aspect of my work attempts to bridge the use of empirical evidence as change mechanisms that can potentially yield evidence-informed, trauma-informed practices in schools and communities. In addition, if elected to this position, I would like to broaden and strengthen our relationships with APA Divisions and other professional societies with similar interests in promoting the well-being of children and families. This includes, for example, outreach to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers across different professional organizations to establish a unified voice and policy agenda that can promote the well-being of children and families. I believe that there is strength in numbers and if we are to continue to serve our children and families, we will need a critical mass to help promote evidence-informed policy and practice decisions.
John L. Cooley, PhD
It is an honor to be considered for the Member-at-Large: Advocacy position on the Board of the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice. I am the Irving and Rose Fien Endowed Assistant Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Florida (UF), where I direct the Positive Youth Development Lab. I am also a Licensed Psychologist, hold the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology through the PSYPACT Commission, and am a Faculty Affiliate in the UF Prevention & Intervention Network for Youth, Families, Schools, and Communities. I was the Division 37 Program Co-Chair for the 2024 APA Convention; it was a very rewarding experience to work with such a great group of individuals, and I would be excited to continue my service to the Division in the years ahead through the Member-at-Large: Advocacy position. One of the central questions guiding my work is “How can we expand families’ access to evidence-based mental health services and resources?” There is a well-documented gap between the number of youth who need services and those who are able to access them. And as rates of mental health concerns among children and adolescents—and levels of stress among parents—continue to rise, the work of Division 37 and its members is more important than ever. If elected to this position, I plan to explore new avenues to translate psychological knowledge in ways that directly benefit youth and families. I will also work to build collaborative advocacy initiatives to promote health equity with underserved and vulnerable populations. Lastly, I am interested in developing opportunities for our members to directly engage with parents/caregivers and learn from their lived experiences with service delivery and public policies.
Candidates for Member-at-Large: Early Career Psychologists
Monica Barreto, PhD
Monica Barreto, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Clinical Director of Behavioral Health at Nemours Children's Health, Primary Care in Central Florida. She completed her residency and fellowship in pediatric psychology at the Yale Child Study Center at Yale University. Barreto specializes in supporting children and families from underserved cultural and linguistic backgrounds. With her expertise in developing brief interventions and programs within medical settings, she is committed to increasing access to mental health care and reducing barriers for children and families.
Barreto is actively engaged in the Central Florida community, collaborating with universities, schools, and after-care programs to raise awareness about youth's psychological needs and reduce stigma. Her initiatives include creating externship opportunities for graduate students in partnership with local universities in social work, mental health counseling, and psychology and providing training opportunities for post-doctoral psychology fellows and medical residents in the primary care setting.
Barreto is dedicated to advocating for children and families across various treatment settings. Her interest in Division 37 arises from a desire to improve access to care, combat stigma in underserved communities, and enhance representation among early career psychologists. As a Spanish-speaking Latina, she emphasizes the importance of diversity in leadership within psychology. She strives to promote growth and positive change in representation, policy, and support for the optimal development of children and youth.
Shaquanna Brown, PhD
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University as well as a Research Scientist at the Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine at The Miriam Hospital and on the COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR). I earned my PhD in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2019. I completed my predoctoral internship at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, a 1-year postdoctoral clinical fellowship at the University of Michigan, and a 2-year T32 postdoctoral research fellowship at Brown University. My research, which aims to better understand the mechanisms of risk and resilience associated with early life adversity, is currently supported by a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
It would be an honor to serve as Division 37’s member-at-large for early career professionals. Recently, John Cooley, PhD and I served as your Division 37 Program Co-Chairs for the 2022-24 term. During that time, we assisted with the ECP Committee’s efforts to collaborate with the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), which included a virtual Student Research Symposium held in May 2024. If elected member-at-large for early career professionals, my goal would be to build on our existing relationships with ABCT and other APA divisions that share our commitment to children and families, while also extending our reach by seeking opportunities to establish new partnerships. Importantly, I am about halfway through my early career years. I believe this is the perfect time for me to reflect on the resources, training, and networking opportunities that have helped shape my personal and professional identity and advance my career as well as those that I wish I had access to as a backdrop for enriching the Division's relevance to early care professionals.
Thank you for considering me for the Division 37 member-at-large for early career professionals position.
Sarah Cleary, PhD
Sarah Cleary, PhD, is a Child & Adolescent Outpatient Psychologist at Denver Health Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed her doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Denver in 2016. She completed her predoctoral psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth Medical School, where she was able to focus on working with children and families who have experienced trauma. She is a certified therapist in TF-CBT, as well as a certified therapist and In-House Trainer in Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT). She is passionate about fostering peer support and mentorship amongst psychologists. Sarah hopes to help give voice to other ECPs within the division, while using her own experiences of what has been helpful and less helpful during this time period to create positive change for others.
Jacob B. W. Holzman, PhD
Jacob B. W. Holzman is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine as well as a Licensed Psychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He received his PhD and MA degrees in clinical child psychology from Northern Illinois University and his bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Iowa. He completed his predoctoral internship at Dell Children’s Medical Center / University of Texas at Austin and postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Holzman directs the REACH Families program at CU Anschutz which focused on transforming mental health services in Real-world settings to improve their Effectiveness and Accessibility for CHildren and Families. His current research focuses on evaluating who benefits the most from parenting programs adapted to be accessible. In particular, this project examines how transdiagnostic parental factors (e.g., executive functioning, emotion regulation) and social determinants of health may intersect to shape responses to accessible parenting programs. It is designed to partner with parents who do not benefit from brief, telehealth parenting programs and identify adaptations needed to achieve their intended benefits. This work is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Avielle Initiative. Holzman also has built several community partnerships, including a local Head Start program, that focus on translating evidence-based mental health interventions to communities across Colorado through principles of community-based participatory research as well as dissemination and implementation science.
As an early career professional, I am excited to build more connections with colleagues who are also invested in addressing disparities in mental health care while building better services that can be accessed by all families. I hope to continue working with similarly passionate people in Division 37 and help early career professionals find ways to continue making their career meaningful. It would be an honor to serve in this position.
Candidates for Secretary
Austen McGuire, PhD
It is with great enthusiasm that I seek election for the Secretary position in Division 37. I am currently a second-year postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina’s National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. I received my PhD in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Kansas. My research aims to improve the field’s understanding of the mechanisms that link adversity exposure (e.g., maltreatment, car accidents, death of a close individual) to youth wellbeing, with a focus on youth and families involved in the child welfare system and who live below the federal poverty threshold. My research also leverages evidence-based practices for the assessment of exposure to adverse events and seeks to improve service delivery for vulnerable populations exposed to adversity. In my clinical work, I provide evidence-based, trauma-focused services to youth, adults, and families exposed to adversity.
I am excited about the opportunity to serve as Secretary for Division 37 and further contribute to Division 37’s mission to improve advocacy, service delivery, and policy for youth and families using evidence-based knowledge. In my role as Secretary, I look forward to ensuring there is accurate and efficient record keeping among Division 37’s officers, Executive Board, and committees. This also includes ensuring appropriate communication and distribution of these records to members of Division 37, such as through sharing updates on Division activities and initiatives discussed during the midwinter and convention meetings. I have served in several leadership positions at my home institutions and in professional organizations, such as through my service as the Student Board Communications Officer for Division 37’s Section on Child Maltreatment. I look forward to bringing these experiences to this new role. Thank you all for considering me for Secretary of Division 37.
Helen Milojevich, PhD
Helen Milojevich is a research scientist at the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy. Previously she completed a NICHD postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Developmental Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Milojevich received a PhD in Psychology and Social Behavior, with specializations in Developmental Psychology and Quantitative Methods, from the University of California, Irvine and a B.S. in Human Development from the University of California, Davis. Milojevich’s research focuses broadly on child and family well-being, with an emphasis on the primary and tertiary prevention of child maltreatment and adversity. In the earlier stages of her career, she took a basic science approach to understanding the sequalae of child maltreatment on children’s emotional functioning and long-term well-being. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center she translated her basic science expertise to the application of prevention; specifically, implementation, evaluation, and quality improvement of early prevention and parenting programs. This work included field trials of intervention effectiveness, continuous quality improvement projects, and secondary data analysis projects that require large aggregation of outcomes from multiple administrative data systems. Within this work, she utilized mixed methods and longitudinal designs to examine specific mechanisms within the home visiting curriculum that promote child well-being and health and how to improve enrollment and retention in these services. Currently, as a research scientist at Duke University, Milojevich is a co-investigator on an R37 NIH-funded randomized controlled trial of Community Navigation, a community-based parenting intervention delivered prenatally, and at 12-, 24-, and 36-months. Within Community Navigation, trained navigators conduct annual assessments with parents during which they assess family needs and connect families with relevant community resources and supports. Milojevich has been actively involved on the board of Division 37’s Section on Child Maltreatment and would welcome the opportunity to serve the broader Division 37 community.