Laurie Cardona, Psy.D. made history this month by being the first Latina faculty member promoted to Associate Professor at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC).
During her 30-year career at the center, Cardona has served in educational leadership roles within YCSC child psychology and child psychiatry training programs. For 17 years, she served as chief of psychology for the training program, wherein she substantially expanded the psychology training curriculum and the accompanying faculty resources.
Through her clinical work on the Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Service and the Inpatient Pediatric Consultation Liaison Service, Cardona is recognized for her expertise in psychoeducational testing, and evidence-based treatments for children with externalizing disorders, mood disorders and chronic illnesses.
“Representation truly matters, and it’s especially wonderful to recognize Dr. Cardona for her work at the center as we close out Hispanic Heritage Month,” commented YCSC Chief Diversity Officer Tara Davila. “This promotion makes it possible for Latinx and other faculty with identities that have been historically marginalized to see themselves – and a future – at the Child Study Center.”
As a hospital-based attending, Cardona has also served on the Pediatric Ethics Committee, provided leadership on hospital quality improvement projects, and developed educational programs for multidisciplinary medical teams. As the first pediatric psychologist at the YCSC, Cardona established an integrated model of behavioral health consultation within several ambulatory pediatric specialty clinics.
As the Child Study Center’s longest serving Latina psychologist, I have made a personal and professional commitment to promoting DEI initiatives in my educational, mentorship, and clinical roles.
Laurie Cardona
In line with her long-standing commitment to the dissemination of evidence-based clinical practices and training methodologies in child mental health, Cardona has published many book chapters and peer reviewed articles that focus on training multidisciplinary mental health professionals in various areas of clinical practice.
An elected member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, Cardona is committed to promoting training policies and clinical care standards that support diverse populations at the national level.
“As the Child Study Center’s longest serving Latina psychologist, I have made a personal and professional commitment to promoting DEI initiatives in my educational, mentorship, and clinical roles,” she commented.
Cardona was recognized for her contributions as a clinical supervisor and mentor within the YCSC when she received the Samuel Ritvo Teacher of the Year Award and the Sally Provence Award for Excellence in Supervision. She was the first psychologist at the center to receive both awards.