Speaker Biographies

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J. David Hawkins Ph.D., Endowed Professor of Prevention, School of Social Work, University of Washington  

J. David Hawkins, PhD, is the Endowed Professor of Prevention and Founding Director of the Social Development Research Group, University of Washington School of Social Work. His research focuses on understanding and preventing child and adolescent health and behavior problems. Dr. Hawkins is a current member of both the National Academies’ Board on Children, Youth, and Families and the Forum on Promoting Children’s Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Health.  He is also a member of the American Association of Social Work and Social Welfare Grand Challenges Executive Committee and a steering committee member of the Coalition for Promotion of Behavioral Health.  He received his PhD in sociology from Northwestern University.

 

 

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Rahil Briggs, Psy.D., Director, Pediatric Behavioral Health Services, Montefiore Medical Center

Dr. Rahil Briggs is associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, director of Healthy Steps at Montefiore, and director of Pediatric Behavioral Health Services at Montefiore Medical Group. Briggs joined Einstein and Montefiore in 2005 as the director and founder of Healthy Steps at Montefiore. Her work concentrates on integration of mental health specialists within primary care pediatrics, with a focus on prevention, early childhood mental health and development, and parent-child relationships. Briggs was named the director of Pediatric Behavioral Health Services at Montefiore in 2013, to spearhead the formation of one of the most comprehensive integrated pediatric behavioral health systems in the nation, which will provide services to over 90,000 children and their families in the Bronx, NY. She is currently working on a book about integrated early childhood mental health in primary care, to be published by Springer in 2016. Briggs completed her undergraduate work at Duke University (magna cum laude) and her doctoral work at New York University.

 

 

 

Diane E. Bloomfield, M.D., Family Care Center Pediatric Teams, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Assistant Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Diane Bloomfield, MD, FAAP is Medical Director of Family Care Center Pediatric Practices at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  She has pursued her interest in children's mental health through collaborations with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academic Pediatric Association and the New York State Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology for Primary Care Program.

 

 

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Ms. Rebecca Mueller on Incredible Years

Rebecca Mueller and her husband Eric Mueller reside in Fall City, Washington with their two children, Bryce, age 13, and Vivian, age 11. They were first introduced to the Incredible Years (IY) program in 2008 after enrolling in a study conducted by Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, and her team at the University of Washington Parenting Clinic, on parenting children with challenging behaviors. After successfully completing the 20 week program, the Muellers have continued to use the strategies and techniques learned through IY to manage their relationship with their son Bryce and to help him to use the behavioral techniques he learned to be successful at school and with peer relationships.

 

 

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Ms. Lidiana Baster on Familias Unidias

Lidiana Baster is a Cuban born naturalized citizen of the United States, and has lived in Miami, Florida for the last 18 years. Currently, Ms. Baster is a real estate agent for Century 21. She is a proud mother of two amazing children: Brandon, 14, and Natalie, 12. They both attend the Cambridge Program for gifted students at Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School. Last summer, Lidiana and her son Brandon had the opportunity to participate in the Familias Unidas Program sponsored by the University of Miami. Her experience with the program was positive and helped improve their mother-son relationship. This program provided parent-child communication techniques and addressed such topics as sex, drugs, and behavioral patterns in teenagers. Today, Lidiana feels like a more confident and prepared parent thanks to Familias Unidas.

 

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Benard P. Dreyer, MD, FAAP, is the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Dr. Dreyer is a general and development-behavioral pediatrician who has spent his professional lifetime serving poor children and families. Professor of Pediatrics at NYU, he leads the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, is Director of Pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital, and also works as a hospitalist. After graduation from NYU School of Medicine and chief residency at Jacobi Hospital, he stayed as Director of Emergency Medicine, starting the first Emergency Medicine Residency in New York State.  For over 30 years he led a primary care program at Bellevue, including co-located mental and oral health services and clinics in homeless shelters. His research is focused on interventions in primary care to improve early childhood outcomes, including early brain development and obesity.

 

 

 

Laurel K. Leslie, M.D., M.P.H., American Board of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine

Dr. Leslie facilitates and oversees all research programs for the ABP and the ABP Foundation. She maintains her position as Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. She has extensive research experience in the areas of identifying, treating, and delivering health services to children and adolescents with medical, developmental, and mental health needs. Dr. Leslie also has worked with a number of pediatric initiatives to improve the future of physician training and practice, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for children and adolescents. Dr. Leslie is board certified in general pediatrics and developmental-behavioral pediatrics.