Speaker Bio – May 14 meeting of the Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among Children, Youth, and Young Adults

ROBERT HEINSSEN, Ph.D., ABPP is Associate Director for Prevention Research and Program Chief, Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Heinssen obtained the doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Catholic University of America and completed a clinical fellowship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Prior to entering federal service, Dr. Heinssen worked for 12 years as a mental health practitioner and clinical researcher; during this period he developed several science-based, multi-disciplinary treatment programs for persons with schizophrenia in inpatient, partial hospital, residential, and community outpatient settings. He is the founder and past president of the Schizophrenia Special Interest Group within the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. Since joining NIMH in 1999, Dr. Heinssen has promoted translational behavioral research strategies for improving screening, assessment, treatment, and preventive interventions relevant to persons with serious mental illness. Dr. Heinssen is the sits on the Editorial Board of Clinical Psychology Review and serves as an editorial consultant for several other scientific journals. Outside of his duties at NIMH, Dr. Heinssen is a commissioned officer in the Maryland Army National Guard and a Disaster Mental Health volunteer with the American Red Cross.