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Brenna Maddox, PhD, LCP
Postdoctoral Fellow and Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Brenna Maddox, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Penn Center for Mental Health. She received her BS in Psychology from Davidson College in 2008, MS in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2012, and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2015. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Autism track intern. Dr. Maddox’s program of research focuses on the assessment and treatment of commonly co-occurring difficulties within autism, such as anxiety and depression. Her postdoctoral research, under the mentorship of Dr. David Mandell, focuses on improving community mental health services for adults with autism. Dr. Maddox’s current research is funded by the NIMH National Research Service Award (F32) and the FAR Fund.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Improving Community Mental Health Services for Adults with ASD and Co-Occurring Psychiatric Disorders

The aims of this community-partnered study are to: 1) Identify factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of a high-quality model of care for adults with ASD served in community mental health centers; 2) Pair evidence-based treatment strategies with a therapist training program specifically designed for community mental health therapists working with adults with ASD and co-occurring anxiety or depression; and 3) Examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of this service delivery model.

Role: Principle Investigator
Funder: NIMH and FAR Fund
Mechanism: F32

Suicide Prevention in Adolescents and Adults with Autism

The aims of this study are to: 1) Use a community-partnered research approach to adapt the Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) for autistic individuals; 2) Examine beliefs among autistic individuals and their family members regarding suicide prevention interventions; 3) Examine community clinicians’ current motivation, attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy related to assessing suicide risk and using SPI with autistic individuals; and 4) Pilot test and refine the adapted SPI.

Role: Co-Investigator
Funder: FAR Fund