Professor | Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
At the heart of Director of Clinical Training and Professor Sarah Kate Bearman’s work is a commitment to transforming the quality of and access to mental health care for children, adolescents, and families. Her research bridges science and practice, ensuring that interventions are not only evidence-based but also practical and accessible in the complex settings where most youth receive care.
At the LEAP Lab—the Laboratory for Leveraging Evidence and Advancing Practice for Youth Mental Health Services—Bearman and her team of researchers are completing a five-year randomized controlled effectiveness trial of FIRST. FIRST is a transdiagnostic approach to treatment where clinicians learn efficient, engaging ways to teach children ages five to fifteen and their parents five core skills:
Youth in outpatient mental health care often present with complex, shifting needs, and traditional treatments can struggle to keep pace. As children’s needs evolve, FIRST empowers therapists to adapt treatment. Its principles can be used flexibly and strategically in the treatment of anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, misconduct, and other behavioral health problems. In partnering with Harvard University and clinics in Texas and Massachusetts, the trial will not only evaluate FIRST’s effectiveness but also explore how therapist characteristics influence successful implementation.