Ernestine Briggs-King, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience in the fields of child maltreatment and child traumatic stress. Dr. Briggs-King is the Director of Research at CCFH; Director of the Data and Evaluation Program at the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress; and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. She is a clinical/community psychologist with a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As part of her current work, she is involved in the implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of evidence-based practices aimed at reducing the sequelae associated with maltreatment and child traumatic stress. Dr. Briggs-King is also a co-investigator on several multisite, longitudinal studies examining the developmental and psychosocial impact of trauma and violence. She also has expertise in the area of cultural, gender, community, and systemic issues.
Prior to coming to Duke, she was a research fellow at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center and the Medical University of South Carolina, where she studied the impact of family violence, child maltreatment, and other traumatic events on youth. Dr. Briggs-King has extensive experience in providing, developing, disseminating, and evaluating several trauma-focused mental health treatments delivered to children, adolescents, and their families. Dr. Briggs-King has developed a national reputation for her clinical, research, and implementation efforts and has received several awards and honors for her work in diverse communities. Dr. Briggs-King is a master trainer in several evidence-based treatments. Her clinical and research interests include minority mental health; implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of interventions; assessment and screening; resiliency; reducing disparities; chronic adversity; PTSD; and traumatic stress.
Areas of Focus: Trauma Screening and Assessment, Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trauma Informed Organizational Assessment and Practice