The Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology is dedicated to the integration of clinical science and practice, the promotion of rigorous and replicable empirical research, and training future clinical scientists. Susan White was elected President of SSCP, starting her role as President-Elect in January 2022. Below is her statement.
Biography
Dr. Susan White is Professor and Endowed Chair in Clinical Psychology at The University of Alabama, where she directs the Center for Youth Development and Intervention. Her research focuses on psychiatric comorbidity and intervention evaluation and implementation for youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using an experimental therapeutics approach. In addition to prior work as a clinician in private practice and in residential settings, Dr. White’s program of research rests solidly at the intersection of science and practice. She is a dedicated teacher as well, and has received public recognition for her dedication to mentoring and inclusive education. She is a Fellow of APA, SCCAP (Division 53), and ABCT, and she is board-certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. She is co-author of several treatment curricula, widely published in high-impact scientific journals, and has co-edited several books, including the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Committed to the dissemination and implementation of clinical science and evidence-based practice, Dr. White is actively engaged in patient-centered, stakeholder-informed research, as well as community training and outreach. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense, and several foundations. She is co-author of several treatment curricula including the Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) Program, and developer of the Multimodal Anxiety and Social Skills Intervention (MASSI) and Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD (STEPS).
Dr. White has extensive professional service experience. She is a standing member of the Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities study section of the NIH and she has been Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology since 2016. Dr. White previously chaired ABCT’s Public Education/Media Dissemination Committee, founded and co-chaired ABCT’s Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders SIG, and was inaugural editor of the Oxford clinical practice series, ABCT Series on Implementation of Clinical Approaches. She is also Coordinator of the Publications Committee of ABCT.
Candidate statement
It would be my honor and privilege to serve as President of the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology. In this era of heightened fragmentation and splintering across many segments of society, we share a belief that empirical research is important in clinical psychology’s viability and relevance, that practice and research must be integrated in our field, and that scientific principles should be involved in the training of all clinical psychologists. The origin of SSCP stemmed from a desire to integrate science and practice rather than divide them. The value of integration rings true today – we are a diverse group of individuals representing nearly all areas of behavioral science united by the value we place on clinical research.
In this role, I will promote integration of research and clinical practice by building upon ongoing initiatives (e.g., enhancing diversity in training), expanding the organization’s reach and membership, and heightening our focus on dissemination and implementation science. SSCP recognizes that diversification will keep us at the growth edge. I will work to increase involvement of early career scientists from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, and support efforts to increase attention to underrepresentation in our field’s research populations and foci. This organization is positioned to bridge persistent gaps in dissemination and improve community uptake of effective practices. Strengthening bridges internally (e.g., Division 12) and externally, with organizations focused on implementation science and diversification in training, we can make strides toward our collective goal of promoting integrated science and practice, increase the visibility and impact of SSCP, and meaningfully diversify the field. We can do more to fortify the role that clinical science plays in mental health promotion, as well as improving the human condition more broadly. Through transparency (e.g., adhering to principles of open science) and ensuring the voices of all stakeholders are considered, we can optimize the impact of research in our own communities.