Suzanne Decker, PhD
Associate Professor of PsychiatryDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
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Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Contact Info
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Contact Info
About
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Titles
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Biography
I am a psychologist and investigator at VA Connecticut Health Care System (VACHS) and New England Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), and Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine. My work focuses on adapting and implementing behavioral treatments for suicide prevention and substance use, and I am particularly interested in treatments that target emotion dysregulation, like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Groups. A developing line of work focuses on suicide and substance use risk among perinatal Veterans (those who are pregnant or in the 12months postpartum), in partnership with VA Office of Suicide Prevention. I am director of the Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research, Education, and Treatment at New England Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)'s West Haven campus.
Last Updated on September 16, 2025.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Psychiatry
- Psychology Section
- Yale Instruction/Investigation/Intervention in Emotional Lability and Dysregulation (YIELD)
Education & Training
- PhD
- Western Michigan Univ (2011)
- MA
- Western Michigan Univ (2007)
Research
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Overview
My work focuses on adapting and implementing behavioral treatments for suicide prevention and substance use. I am particularly interested in treatments that target emotion dysregulation as a mechanism, like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Groups. I have conducted research at various stages of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development, evaluating treatment needs and risk factors for substance use and suicide, piloting tailored interventions, and evaluating an adapted treatment (a transdiagnostic, adjunctive DBT Skills Group with therapist consultation team) in a randomized hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial. With VA Office of Mental Health, Women’s Mental Health division, I developed and implemented a multi-session training on DBT Skills Groups with therapist consultation team and have trained teams at 30 sites. As a scientist and clinician educator, I am especially interested in the role of out-of-session practice (“homework”) to maximize the effectiveness of behavioral treatments, and in supporting therapist fidelity to behavioral treatments.
A developing line of work focuses on suicide and substance use risk among perinatal Veterans (those who are pregnant or in the 12months postpartum), in partnership with VA Office of Suicide Prevention.
Medical Research Interests
Emotions; Mental Disorders; Psychotherapy; Substance-Related Disorders; Suicide
Public Health Interests
Implementation Science
ORCID
0000-0002-8653-0509
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Suzanne Decker's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Suzanne Decker's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Suzanne Decker is interested in exploring.
Steve Martino, PhD
Charla Nich
Joseph Lucien Goulet, PhD, MS
Sally Haskell, MD
Brian D. Kiluk, PhD
Erica A. Abel, PhD
32Publications
419Citations
Emotions
Psychotherapy
Suicide
Mental Disorders
Substance-Related Disorders
Publications
2025
Applying Motivational Interviewing Strategies to Facilitate Secure Firearm Storage During Clinical Encounters—Part 1: Relational Foundation
Aunon F, Martino S, Khazanov G, Decker S, Dobscha S, Simonetti J. Applying Motivational Interviewing Strategies to Facilitate Secure Firearm Storage During Clinical Encounters—Part 1: Relational Foundation. Journal Of Psychiatric Practice 2025, 31: 275-277. PMID: 40952847, DOI: 10.1097/pra.0000000000000875.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricApplying motivational interviewing strategies to facilitate secure firearm storage during clinical encounters – Part 1: Relational foundation
Aunon, F.M., Martino, S., Khazanov, G., Decker, S.E., Dobscha, S., & Simonetti, J.A. (2025). Applying motivational interviewing strategies to facilitate secure firearm storage during clinical encounters – Part 1: Relational foundation. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 31, 275-277. doi: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000875Peer-Reviewed Original Research In PressStaff Perspectives on Implementing Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration
Decker S, Mattocks K, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Aunon F, Walker L, Galliford E, Doran N, Baird S, Rielage J, Sadek J, Ridley J, Bannister J, Giovannelli T, Landes S, Goodman M, DeRycke E, Shriver C, Spana E, Honsberger M, Demirelli S, Shest E, Martino S. Staff Perspectives on Implementing Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration. Psychological Services 2025 PMID: 40522853, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000960.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupHealth AdministrationVeterans Health Administration staffHybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trialSkill groupsReduce suicide attemptsReducing veteran suicideSemistructured qualitative interviewsHealth care systemImplementation challengesSuicide attemptsUrban veteransStressed health care systemsStaff shortagesStaff perspectivesVeteran suicideCare systemIdentified themesSuicide preventionVeteran populationQualitative interviewsVeteransStaffSuicidePreliminary Feasibility, Acceptability and Referral Efficacy of a Drop-In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group to Promote Enrollment in Standard DBT Skills Group
Aunon F, Carretta R, Lovell J, Wolkowicz N, Decker S. Preliminary Feasibility, Acceptability and Referral Efficacy of a Drop-In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group to Promote Enrollment in Standard DBT Skills Group. Cognitive And Behavioral Practice 2025, 32: 244-257. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2024.01.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsDBT skills groupSkill groupsDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupDialectical behavior therapyEvidence-based treatmentsDBT skillsBehavioral therapyMindfulness practiceTreatment readinessAmbivalent clientsPretreatment interventionClientsPreliminary feasibilitySkillsMindfulnessAcceptanceSessionsEfficacyParticipantsPretreatmentReferralGroupInterventionNeeds of Veterans With Personality Disorder Diagnoses in Community-Based Mental Health Care.
Edwards E, Greene A, Decker S, Leonard H, Goodman M. Needs of Veterans With Personality Disorder Diagnoses in Community-Based Mental Health Care. Federal Practitioner 2025, 42: s12-s21. PMID: 40832463, PMCID: PMC12360808, DOI: 10.12788/fp.0572.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health careCommunity-BasedPersonality disorderHealth careCommunity-based mental health careCommunity mental health facilitiesNational sample of veteransNational sampleMental health servicesMental health facilitiesState-funded mental health servicesSample of veteransState psychiatric hospitalsPersonality disorder diagnosisCare coordinationPsychosocial needsHealth facilitiesHealth servicesPsychiatric hospitalGeneral populationVeteransDisorder diagnosisTrauma-relatedOutcome patternsPD diagnosisTo Adopt or Adapt: A Scoping Review of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy With Patients With Minoritised Identity Constructs
Aunon F, Ingram P, Wolkowicz N, Martino S, Kacos H, Spana E, Honsberger M, Rielage J, Doran N, Carretta R, Ridley J, Giovannelli T, Bannister J, Merians A, Howell B, Demirelli S, Smith J, Decker S. To Adopt or Adapt: A Scoping Review of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy With Patients With Minoritised Identity Constructs. Counselling And Psychotherapy Research 2025, 25 DOI: 10.1002/capr.70000.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsDialectical behavior therapyEvidence-based psychological interventionsBehavioral therapyReducing suicidal behaviourSuicidal behaviorPsychological interventionsWhite samplesImplementation science frameworkPatient populationModifications-EnhancedArticles of studiesImplementation outcomesScoping ReviewAdult patient populationScience FrameworkWestern contextsPsycINFOClinical administrationDocument adaptationPRINCIPLE FINDINGSContextStudy protocol of a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation multisite trial: Dialectical behavior therapy skills group for Veterans at high-risk for suicide attempt
Decker S, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Mattocks K, Aunon F, Galliford E, DeRycke E, Doran N, Baird S, Rielage J, Ridley J, Bannister J, Giovannelli T, Fuehrlein B, Shriver C, Spana E, Honsberger M, Demirelli S, Shest E, Landes S, Goodman M, Martino S. Study protocol of a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation multisite trial: Dialectical behavior therapy skills group for Veterans at high-risk for suicide attempt. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2025, 151: 107828. PMID: 39923893, PMCID: PMC12344970, DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107828.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDialectical behavior therapyTreatment-as-usualDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupSuicide attemptsEmotion dysregulationComponents of dialectical behavior therapyComprehensive DBTVeterans Health AdministrationTherapist consultation teamSkill groupsNon-veteran samplesReduce suicide attemptsAdjunctive treatmentSelf-directed violenceBehavioral therapySuicidal behaviorSuicideMultisite trialEffectiveness trialHigh-risk veteransVeteransPost-randomizationSuicide deathsEmotionsRandomized Controlled TrialsThe Promise of a Retreat: Perspectives of U.S. Women Veterans and Interdisciplinary Experts on the Development of a Retreat-Based Suicide Prevention Program for Violence-Exposed Women Veterans.
Presseau C, Walls S, Murray-Swank N, Portnoy G, Decker S, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Martino S. The Promise of a Retreat: Perspectives of U.S. Women Veterans and Interdisciplinary Experts on the Development of a Retreat-Based Suicide Prevention Program for Violence-Exposed Women Veterans. Violence Against Women 2025, 10778012241303471. PMID: 39763454, DOI: 10.1177/10778012241303471.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSuicide prevention programsWomen veteransPrevention programsMental health programsVeterans Health AdministrationPrevention program componentsSemi-structured interviewsHealth programsHolistic healthHealth AdministrationProgram facilitatorsFocus groupsEmergent themesViolence-exposedProgram preferencesSuicide riskProgram componentsPrevention strategiesVeteransInterdisciplinary expertsSubject matter expertsSocial connectionsWomenMatter expertsProgram
2024
Mixed-methods formative evaluation of implementing an adapted suicide prevention treatment: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration
Decker S, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Mattocks K, Aunon F, Galliford E, Doran N, Baird S, Rielage J, Ridley J, Bannister J, Giovannelli T, Landes S, Goodman M, Walker L, DeRycke E, Shriver C, Spana E, Honsberger M, Brown H, Demirelli S, Shest E, Martino S. Mixed-methods formative evaluation of implementing an adapted suicide prevention treatment: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2024, 15: 1495102. PMID: 39655211, PMCID: PMC11626407, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1495102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupEmotion dysregulationSuicide attemptsVeterans Health AdministrationSkill groupsReducing emotion dysregulationSuicide prevention treatmentsReduce suicide attemptsImproving coping skillsSuicidal behaviorCoping skillsSuicide preventionLimited staffingHealth AdministrationSuicideVeterans Health Administration medical centersHybrid effectiveness-implementation trialVeteran suicideMixed-methods formative evaluationVeteransIntegrated Promoting ActionEffectiveness-implementation trialPrevent veteran suicideQualitative dataRandomized Controlled TrialsClinical Documentation of Patient Identities in the Electronic Health Record: Ethical Principles to Consider
Decker S, Farook M, Meshberg-Cohen S, Matsuura T, Manning M, Abel E, Blakley L, Prelli F. Clinical Documentation of Patient Identities in the Electronic Health Record: Ethical Principles to Consider. Psychological Services 2024, 21: 589-600. PMID: 37917474, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000816.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMulticultural guidelinesAmerican Psychological Association’s multicultural guidelinesFluid identitiesLanguageLived experienceIdentitySet of questionsIdentity variablesPurpose of documentationEthical dilemmasDocumentation approachAssociation CodePsychologistsPatient identityEthical principlesOrganizational mandatesDocumentationGeneral principlesArticleDilemmaQuestionsExperienceLittle guidance
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Barriers and facilitators to group-delivered coping skills groups in Veterans Health Administration: Mixed-methods progress-focused formative evaluation during implementation of adjunctive Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups for Veterans at high risk for suicide attempt
11/21/2025 - 11/21/2025Poster PresentationAssociation for Behavioral and Cognitive TherapiesDetailsNew Orleans, LA, United StatesCollaborators- Suzanne Decker, PhD
- Steve Martino, PhD
- Frances Aunon, PhD
- Kristin Mattocks, PhD
activity Acceptance and Change Protocol
09/19/2025 - 09/26/2025DemonstrationBehavioral Care Center of New Jersey and Metro NY DBT CenterDetailsvirtual trainingCollaborators- Andrea Gold, PhD
activity Using dialectical dilemmas to inform treatment: The Acceptance and Change Protocol
11/16/2022 - 11/16/2022DemonstrationInternational Society for the Improvement and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior TherapyDetailsNew York, NY, United StatesCollaborators- Suzanne Decker, PhD
- Andrea Gold, PhDBrown University School of Medicine
- Seth Axelrod, PhDYale School of Medicine
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