Associate Professor
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
School of Health and Human Sciences
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Contact information:
Email:sicoard@uncg.edu
Website: http://www.uncg.edu/hdf/facultystaff/Coard/coard.html

Research Interests & Goals:
Stephanie Coard is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Human Development and Family Studies. A psychologist and clinical researcher, Dr. Coard primarily conducts research on youth conduct problems, antisocial behavior and violence; racial, ethnic and cultural influences on child mental health treatment and prevention; and cultural adaptations of interventions and community dissemination. Her understanding of socio-cultural factors as they relate to the etiology, treatment and prevention of child mental health problems has informed her work on a number of locally and federally funded studies. She is a former recipient of a Scientist Development Award (K01) from the National Institute for Mental Health to pursue research on translation, implementation and testing of clinically efficacious interventions into community settings; and in culturally adapting and testing those interventions to ensure successful dissemination within urban and inner-city communities. A primary focus of this research has been the development of culturally-relevant strategies to assist African American parents to prevent and manage common behavior problems of young children. This research has resulted in the development of an observational measure of racial socialization and a parenting curriculum and written materials. The Parent-Child Race-Related Observational Measure (PC-RROM) is a parent-child observational measure of the race-related communication and interaction. Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies (BPSS) is an evidence-based culturally relevant parenting program for use African American families for preventing and managing common childhood behavior problems. Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies – Child (BPSS-C) is a strengths- and culturally-based program that aims to promote cultural, social and emotional health and academic success within African American children. The BPSS programs have been developed to incorporate the most successful strategies used by parenting and child development specialists, while drawing on the strengths, unique parental strategies and processes inherent in Black families (e.g., racial socialization). Dr. Coard is former Chair, American Psychological Association Task Force on Resilience and Strength in Black Children and Adolescents.