New Program in Stress, Adversity, and Trauma Launched at Yale Child Study Center

Newswise - Trauma-informed care has been a focus of the work at Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) for decades. Through clinical service and research, the center has engaged in a range of evidence-based work with children and families who have experienced considerable adversity.

This past summer, the center announced the launch of a new program in stress, adversity, and trauma to continue and expand this work. A new faculty position to lead the program was created in July 2025, and an internal search process began. Carla S. Stover, PhD, stepped into the director role in December 2025.

The new program is translational, designed to connect research findings to real-world practice. It aims to address the effects of trauma and adversity on child and family development and has two main areas of focus:

Scientific understanding of the various impacts of stress, adversity, and trauma

The development and dissemination of effective interventions

Tasked with leading research, education, and clinical activities for the program, Stover comments, "I am thrilled to be taking the helm of this broadened program and to work with the existing talented team. I am dedicated to translational science where our research efforts are designed to improve the care we provide to children and families."

Stover shares that her new role also involves building new collaborations that focus on implementing innovative team science. Goals include advancing prevention, intervention, and training in the fields of stress, adversity, and trauma across the lifespan.

"Stress, trauma, and early adversity are common pathways to many behavioral health needs in children, adolescents, and their families, and this program will build upon some of the strong foundational work in this area across our center," comments YCSC Chair Linda Mayes, MD.

This has included trauma-informed treatments and services, clinical research, and training. It has also involved the development, implementation, and dissemination of interventions such as the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) and Fathers for Change.

CFSTI is an evidence-based mental health treatment co-developed by Steven Marans, PhD, with Steven Berkowitz, MD, and Carrie Epstein, LCSW-R. It is used with children and families immediately after a traumatic event and has been implemented across the United States and other countries.

Stover developed Fathers for Change (F4C) in 2013 for fathers with histories of intimate partner violence and substance use problems to help interrupt the cycle of family violence. She has trained practitioners throughout Connecticut to deliver the intervention to families referred by the Department of Children and Families. Stover has also delivered implementation training in Florida, Missouri, and London, UK.

"I look forward to the future of this new program, and to the implementation of Carla's vision for tying together and moving forward our center's long history of research and clinical work with children and families who face adversity and experience traumatic events," says Mayes.

"I am also grateful to all those who have contributed to this important area of work at the center over the years and provided such a strong foundation for this new program, with special thanks to Carrie Epstein-not just for her considerable contributions to the field, but for stepping in to continue the work begun by Steven Marans upon his retirement from Yale last year,” Mayes adds.

Stover first came to Yale in 2001 as a psychology fellow. After completing her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2002, she joined YCSC as a faculty member in the trauma section. This included working in a clinic led by Marans. The clinic offered a range of treatments and interventions for children, adolescents, and families after experiencing violent or overwhelming events. Stover was named Harris Professor in the Child Study Center in December 2024.

The new position was announced internally and posted for 30 days, after which time a search committee chaired by Mayes was convened to review and rate de-identified vision statements submitted by applicants. Interviews were then scheduled with selected candidates. The committee included Yale faculty members Uche Aneni, MBBS, MHS; Andrea Asnes, MD; Andrea Danese, MD, PhD; Tom Fernandez, MD; Michele Goyette-Ewing, PhD; Eamon McCrory, PhD; Kieran O'Donnell, PhD; Helena Rutherford, PhD; and Wan-Ling Tseng, PhD. Tara Davila, LCSW, joined the committee as a non-voting member.