Dr. Frank specializes in trauma-informed care, mental health supports, and wellness for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related conditions. She is particularly interested in strengths-based and community-informed approaches. Her research and clinical practice aims to increase wellbeing for neurodiverse children and adults by addressing issues related to the availability of and access to effective, acceptable, and evidence-based care.
Education and Training:
Ph.D. Educational Psychology, School Psychology from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Dissertation: An Exploratory Study of Trauma Screening Procedures and Instruments in Schools
M.A. in Educational Psychology, Special Education from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Thesis: Connecting Children’s Mental Health Resources with Child Protection Professionals: An Exploratory Investigation and Findings
B.A. in English Literature from Reed College (Portland, Oregon)
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland)
Doctoral Internship in Pediatric Psychology at Fraser (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Research Interests:
Content areas: assessment and treatment of trauma in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders; autism evaluation; trauma-informed care; mental health/wellness and neurodiversity; challenging behavior; translational research; community engagement in research; health equity
Research methodology: varied
Populations: children and adolescents; early childhood; families; neurodevelopmental disability; autism
Professional Contributions:
*Denotes acknowledged contribution
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
- Donisch, K., Zhang, Y., Bray, C. Frank, S., & Gewirtz, A (2021). Development and Preliminary Validation of the University of Minnesota’s Traumatic Stress Screen for Children and Adolescents (TSSCA). J Behav Health Serv Res 48, 50–62 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-020-09725-1
- *Hoch, J. D., & Youssef, A. M. (2020). Predictors of Trauma Exposure and Trauma Diagnoses for Children with Autism and Developmental Disorders Served in a Community Mental Health Clinic. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(2), 634-649.
- Cook, C. R., Coco, S., Zhang, Y., Fiat, A., Duong, M., Renshaw, T., Long, A.C., & Frank, S. (2018). Cultivating positive teacher-student relationships: Evaluation of the establish, maintain, and restore (EMR) method. School Psychology Review. 47(3):226-243.
Manuals
- Hoover, D., D’Amico, P., Vogel, J., Frank, S. Tallant, B., Hoffman, D., Fleming, T., Khan, M., Babad, S., & McNair, M. (2023). Tailoring Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth with Developmental Disabilities (TF-CBT IDD) and their Caregivers. STRYDD Center (Supporting Trauma Recovery for Youth with Developmental Disabilities), Long Island, New York. Retrievable from: https://tfcbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TF-CBT-IDD-Implementation-Guide.pdf
- *National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota. (2020). Co-Occurring Disorders: Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Illnesses. National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrievable from: https://namimn.org/new-booklet-on-co-occurring-disorders/
- Rattenni, A., Bray, C., Frank, S., Realmuto, G., Barry, K., & LaLiberte, T. (2018). Guide to understanding the use of medications for children with mental health disorders in the child welfare system [medication resource]. Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare. University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Selected conference poster and oral presentations
- Frank, S. [chair]. (2024). Incorporating Perspectives of Neurodivergent Individuals to Inform Clinical Practice Recommendations. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington.
- Frank, S., Gurba, A., Lerner, M., & Hoffman, M. (2024). Developing Trauma-Informed Practice Recommendations for Behavior Support and Management, In Frank, S. (chair), Incorporating Perspectives of Neurodivergent Individuals to Inform Clinical Practice Recommendations. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington.
- Lee, C., Frank, S., Bose, M., Lee, J., & Hudock, R. (2024). Adapting PEERS: Understanding and Tailoring Social Skills Interventions for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. In Frank, S. (chair), Incorporating Perspectives of Neurodivergent Individuals to Inform Clinical Practice Recommendations. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington.
- Schneider, S. & Frank, S. (2023). Not just assessment: school psychologists as therapists in outpatient behavioral settings. In A. Fiat & A. Grennan (chairs), The value of school psychologists working in non-traditional settings. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
- Frank, S. (2022). School-Based Screening Beyond Academics: Methods and Instrumentation Considerations. Presented for the Minnesota Assessment Group at the Minnesota Department of Education, St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Frank, S., Hoch, J., Hoover, D., and Romero, E. (2021) The future of trauma-focused services for neurodiverse children: bringing research to practice. Presented for the Fraser Conference, Bloomington, Minnesota.
- Frank, S., Herting, N., Bray, C., Wonderlich, S., Boub, J., & Gewirtz, A. (2018, November). Screening and assessment for child traumatic stress: Lessons learned from the field and research to guide future policy and practice. 34th Poster presented at the Annual Meeting International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Washington, D.C.
- Larson, M., Frank, S., Fiat, A., & Cook, C. R. (2017, August). The role of implicit bias in the overrepresentation of African American males in punitive and exclusionary discipline within the public-school system. Poster presented at the 125th Annual American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, D.C. Blue ribbon top ten poster.