Amber Wimsatt Childs, PhD
Cards
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Director of Training, YSM Doctoral Internship in Clinical and Community Psychology, PsychiatryBiography
Dr. Amber W. Childs is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine. She is the Director of Training for the Yale Doctoral Internship in Clinical and Community Psychology in the School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Division of Quality and Innovation within Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YNHPH) where she is a member of the medical staff. Additionally, Childs is the co-founder and director of the Getting Racism Out of our Work (GROW) Initiative, co-founder of the Yale Measurement-Based Care Collaborative and founder of M-Select, a comprehensive digital mental health solution for youth at YSM.
Childs is deeply involved in antiracism and DEI efforts within the Psychiatry Department. She served as the Co-Chair of the Doctoral Internship Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, from 2020-2023, of which she has been a member since 2016 . She served as the invited co-chair of the Education Subcommittee of the Yale Department of Psychiatry Antiracism Task Force (ARTF) from 2020-2023 and remains a member of the ARTF Steering Committee.
Childs’ work aims to improve equity, access, and outcomes in psychiatric services and education through data-driven quality improvement and a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is dedicated to clinical and educational program innovations that support the implementation of evidence-based practices and diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts to improve clinical and educational practices. Across her roles, Dr. Childs professional activities include: 1) promotion and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP), such as Measurement-Based Care (MBC), that prioritize person-centered, individualized treatment and improved psychosocial outcomes; 2) improvement of psychiatric treatment among those who experience chronic and acute psychiatric illness, particularly for young people who are marginalized and minoritized; and 3) cultivating a generation of psychology leaders who have a deep and sophisticated understanding of DEI as it relates to clinical service delivery, research, and education.
Childs earned her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and completed a doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, where she specialized in child and adolescent services.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- GROW Initiative Leadership
- Psychiatry
- Psychology Section
- Yale Measurement Based Care Collaborative
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital (2015)
- PhD
- The University of Tennessee, Clinical Psychology (2014)
- Predoctoral Fellow
- The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital (2014)
Research
Publications
2024
Getting Racism Out of Our Work (GROW): Design, Deployment, and Early Outcomes for a Program to Increase Psychology Supervisor’s Multicultural Competence
Childs A, Crusto C, Miller R. Getting Racism Out of Our Work (GROW): Design, Deployment, and Early Outcomes for a Program to Increase Psychology Supervisor’s Multicultural Competence. Training And Education In Professional Psychology 2024 DOI: 10.1037/tep0000478.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSupervisor multicultural competenceCulturally competent supervisionClinical supervisory practiceSupervisory practicesPsychology traineesMulticultural competenceCompetent supervisionClinical supervisorsPsychologyHigh levels of satisfactionIntegration skillsPilot participantsApplication of programsSkillsTrainee satisfactionHigher levelsClinical practiceSupervisorsTraineesAlternative formatsLevel of satisfactionParticipantsSatisfactionIncrease accessCompetenceData-Informed Communication: How Measurement-Based Care Can Optimize Child Psychotherapy
Connors E, Childs A, Douglas S, Jensen-Doss A. Data-Informed Communication: How Measurement-Based Care Can Optimize Child Psychotherapy. Administration And Policy In Mental Health And Mental Health Services Research 2024, 1-15. PMID: 38662178, DOI: 10.1007/s10488-024-01372-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeasurement-based careMeasurement-based care practicesChild-serving settingsMental health systemAdolescent psychotherapyChild psychotherapyClient ageFamily systemStandardized measuresPsychotherapyAdolescent servicesCare childrenResearch evidenceMultiple reportsChildrenHealth systemClinical workflowMeasurement-basedCase-based examplesCareLeveraging Measurement-Based Care to Reduce Mental Health Treatment Disparities for Populations of Color
Barber J, Childs A, Resnick S, Connors E. Leveraging Measurement-Based Care to Reduce Mental Health Treatment Disparities for Populations of Color. Administration And Policy In Mental Health And Mental Health Services Research 2024, 1-7. PMID: 38489017, DOI: 10.1007/s10488-024-01364-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeasurement-based careMental health servicesTherapeutic allianceCommunities of colorClients of colorMental health treatment disparitiesMental health treatmentEngagement to treatmentMental health treatment qualityMental health careHealth service qualityPerson-centered practiceWhite clientsTherapeutic relationshipHealth treatmentProgress feedbackSources of disparitiesTreatment relevanceAssociated with early terminationPopulations of colorHealth servicesHealth careTreatment disparitiesDisparities literatureCareUnderstanding and Preparing for Value-Based Care: A Primer for Behavioral Health Providers
Rothrock N, Bott N, Douglas S, McKune E, Owings-Fonner N, Ross D, Stephens K, Bard D, Bobbitt B, Childs A, Doucette A, Hepner K, Lanca M, Lysell K, Wright C. Understanding and Preparing for Value-Based Care: A Primer for Behavioral Health Providers. Professional Psychology Research And Practice 2024, 55: 68-78. DOI: 10.1037/pro0000537.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Demystifying treatment disposition patterns for psychiatrically high-risk youth referred for intensive outpatient psychiatric services: The role of demographics and telehealth
Kruger M, Barnes S, Childs A. Demystifying treatment disposition patterns for psychiatrically high-risk youth referred for intensive outpatient psychiatric services: The role of demographics and telehealth. Clinical Child Psychology And Psychiatry 2023, 28: 1435-1448. PMID: 36932876, DOI: 10.1177/13591045231165191.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisposition patternsTreatment modalitiesHigh-risk youthOutpatient psychiatric treatmentOutpatient psychiatric servicesClinical outcomesTreatment referralTreatment completionCare settingsTelehealth modalitiesMultinomial logistic regressionPsychiatric servicesTreatment dispositionPsychiatric treatmentLogistic regressionPerson servicesTelehealthModalitiesFuture studiesTreatmentCurrent studyReferralIOPPersonsCourseThe Need for a Measurement-Based Care Professional Practice Guideline
Boswell JF, Hepner KA, Lysell K, Rothrock NE, Bott N, Childs AW, Douglas S, Owings-Fonner N, Wright CV, Stephens KA, Bard DE, Aajmain S, Bobbitt BL. The Need for a Measurement-Based Care Professional Practice Guideline. Psychotherapy 2023, 60: 1-16. PMID: 35771518, DOI: 10.1037/pst0000439.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
How Is Everyone Doing? Baseline Psychological Distress and Adaptive Functioning Among Transgender, Nonbinary, and Cis Youth Presenting for Intensive Outpatient Psychiatric Services
Childs AW, Kaufman CC, Olezeski CL. How Is Everyone Doing? Baseline Psychological Distress and Adaptive Functioning Among Transgender, Nonbinary, and Cis Youth Presenting for Intensive Outpatient Psychiatric Services. Psychological Services 2022, 19: 541-550. PMID: 34292007, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000573.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAdaptive functioningIntensive outpatient programBinary transgenderPsychiatric distressSelf-reported domainsBaseline psychological distressNonbinary youthPsychological inflexibilityGender diverse youthPsychosocial functioningPsychological distressYouth PresentingFunctioningDistressYouthMost ratingsFuture researchOutpatient programTransgender youthUnique needsPreliminary findingsHigh levelsOutpatient psychiatric servicesClinical implicationsArchival data
2021
Using a Patient Safety/Quality Improvement Model to Assess Telehealth for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services Among Special Populations During COVID-19 and Beyond
Li L, Childs AW. Using a Patient Safety/Quality Improvement Model to Assess Telehealth for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services Among Special Populations During COVID-19 and Beyond. Journal Of Psychiatric Practice 2021, 27: 245-253. PMID: 34398574, PMCID: PMC8318385, DOI: 10.1097/pra.0000000000000555.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBehavioral health servicesHealth servicesSpecial populationsPsychiatric care needsMental health needsCoronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemicSustainability of telehealthCritical mental health needsCare needsHealth care landscapeHealth needsTelehealth servicesQuality improvement modelHealth care organizationsTelehealthCare organizationsCOVID-19Care landscapePopulationPandemicYouth populationCareShowing Up Is Half the Battle: The Impact of Telehealth on Psychiatric Appointment Attendance for Hospital-Based Intensive Outpatient Services During COVID-19
Childs AW, Bacon SM, Klingensmith K, Li L, Unger A, Wing AM, Fortunati F. Showing Up Is Half the Battle: The Impact of Telehealth on Psychiatric Appointment Attendance for Hospital-Based Intensive Outpatient Services During COVID-19. Telemedicine Journal And E-Health 2021, 27: 835-842. PMID: 33999738, DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2021.0028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHigh-risk individualsAppointment attendanceIntensive outpatient programNon-Hispanic white youthRace/ethnicityPsychiatric servicesTreatment programIntensive outpatient servicesOutpatient psychiatric settingsImpact of telehealthHigher clinical acuityChi-square testClinical treatment programsWarrants further investigationNon-Hispanic Black youthAdult patientsIOP groupInsurance typeOutpatient programOutpatient servicesClinical acuityPsychiatric settingsCommercial insuranceClinical programsTelehealth services
2020
Emergency conversion to telehealth in hospital-based psychiatric outpatient services: Strategy and early observations
Childs AW, Klingensmith K, Bacon SM, Li L. Emergency conversion to telehealth in hospital-based psychiatric outpatient services: Strategy and early observations. Psychiatry Research 2020, 293: 113425. PMID: 32862066, PMCID: PMC7443337, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113425.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIntensive outpatientAmbulatory servicesComplex patient populationPsychiatric outpatient servicesMental health servicesCritical mental health servicesMental health needsPatient populationEmergency conversionOutpatient servicesPhysical distancing guidelinesClinical protocolsHealth servicesHealth needsClinical settingInfectious spreadGroup-based servicesTelehealthCOVID-19Earlier observationsHelpful toolOutpatientsPatientsWorkforce trainingAction steps
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Links & Media
News
- July 25, 2024Source: CNBC
Young People Today are Stressed, Depressed — and Changing the Fundamental Pattern of Happiness
- November 13, 2023
Childs Named Hartford Business Journal 'Healthcare Hero'
- November 01, 2023Source: American Psychological Association
This Psychologist is Training Supervisors in the Dynamics of Power and Privilege, and How Those Can Play Out in Their Work With Students
- July 21, 2023
2023 Psychology Section Graduation Honors Fellows, Faculty