As Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) faculty, staff, and trainees continue to work together to meet the on-going behavioral health crisis in the U.S. and around the world, the Center is proud to officially welcome the following community members to the faculty this summer, in addition to those announced in April. “As we continue to experience a dramatic increase in referrals for behavioral health needs, we remain committed to developing our faculty, who have outstanding promise as innovative researchers and clinicians, and who have the capacity to conduct transformative science in child behavioral health,” commented Mayes.
Taryn Anderson, LCSW: After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale, Anderson received her master's in social work at Quinnipiac University. During her graduate training, she completed internships at High Roads Primary/Middle School in Wallingford, Connecticut and The Children's Center of Hamden Extended Day Treatment Program. Prior to obtaining her MSW, Taryn worked at Elm City College Preparatory Middle School as an Office Coordinator and Behavior Specialist. For the last four and a half years, she has worked as a multisystemic therapy clinician at Wheeler Clinic in Waterbury and New Haven.
Ayotunde Ayobello, MD: Prior to completing his psychiatry internship at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute in Roanoke, Virginia, Ayobello earned his MD at Crimea State Medical University in Ukraine, shortly after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. He went on to complete his child and adolescent psychiatry training at the Yale Child Study Center. A self-taught oil painter, he delights in creating paintings with psychiatric and psychological under-themes. He is the recipient of the 2021 Yale Poorvu Grant for Teaching and Learning, in support of The Heritage and Legacy project, an inclusive art project furthering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ayobello has interests in medical humanities, particularly the intersection of psychiatry and visual arts.
Kiersten Caportorto, LCSW: Having completed graduate school in December of 2021, Caportorto passed her licensing exam in April of 2022 and is excited to start her social work journey and career at Yale. She looks forward to learning a variety of clinical skills from her new YCSC colleagues as she begins her new role with Intensive In-Home Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS).
Hector Chaidez Ruacho, LCSW: Before joining Yale, Chaidez Ruacho completed his Master of Social Work at the University at Buffalo – SUNY. As a Mexican-Immigrant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, he hopes to utilize his trauma-informed and human rights lenses to reduce barriers to care among Latino, Immigrant, and Spanish-speaking families. His interests include migratory grief, trauma, and utilizing a cultural humility-informed clinical care that recognizes the strengths in all cultures. As part of the outpatient clinical services team, Chaidez Ruacho will continue supporting families through trauma-specific and other evidence-based interventions.
Kalee De France, PhD: In her role as an associate research scientist with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, De France’s research is focused on emotion regulation, as well as poverty and child emotion development. Before earning her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, De France completed her undergraduate degree in Criminology and Psychology and worked as a counselor for justice-involved youth. In graduate school, her research largely focused on how, and how well, youth manage their emotional experiences, as well as the consequences these have for wellbeing.
Erin Dillman, LMSW: After earning a bachelor's degree in psychology at Southern Connecticut State University, Dillman went on to receive a master's degree in social work with a violence prevention concentration at the University of Connecticut. During her graduate training, she completed an internship at Yale Children's Day Hospital IOP where she worked with children and adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, and trauma. Prior to the Children's Day Hospital, Erin served as a behavior therapist working with children with a range of developmental difficulties and behaviors.
Preston Ebaugh, MD: A native Floridian from Miami, Ebaugh remained in the sunshine state for much of his education which included undergraduate studies at the University of Miami, a Master’s degree in Medical Sciences at the University of South Florida, and his MD from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. For residency, he trained at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Psychiatry. After completing residency requirements, he matched at the Yale Child Study Center for a fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. He is now continuing his work at the Center as an assistant professor.
Mackenzie Fay, LPC: After attending the University of Connecticut for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Fay went on to earn a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Fairfield University. A Licensed Professional Counselor with a background in yoga and meditation, she also holds a 200-hour yoga certification from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and integrates her training in these areas into her work. She is experienced in working with children, adolescents, and their families through several years of delivering Intensive In-home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS) and has worked with young adults in college settings where she provided individual therapy.
Lauren Naples, EdD: As an associate research scientist in the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI), Naples’ research focuses broadly on the development of social and emotional skills to enhance student well-being among children with diverse learning needs. Nationally board-certified as a mental health counselor specializing in play therapy, she joined YCEI after earning a doctorate in special education and disability studies from the George Washington University. Her work focuses on collaborating within research-practice partnerships to develop and adapt strengths-based strategies that promote access to effective SEL instruction for the widest range of student diversity.