Trenette T. Clark, PhD, LCSW will join the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children (RYC) at the University of Maryland School of Social Work on February 2, 2009 to collaborate on the production of the final report and a series of scholarly papers about the replication of Family Connections with grandparent families.  She received a PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University and MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She graduated magna cum laude from Elizabeth City State University and received a BA in Sociology/Social Work and BS in Criminal Justice.  Dr. Clark also holds a nonprofit leadership certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Clark’s primary research interest is the role of context, culture, and gender in the etiology and prevention of youth drug use and risk behaviors.  Her dissertation, “Pathways to Drug Use among Rural and Urban African American Adolescents: The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Parent and Peer Influences” was another step towards understanding the adolescent drug use phenomenon.  Dr. Clark has conducted quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies and co-developed community based programs that focused on a range of research areas to include adolescent drug use, child welfare, domestic violence, and the social work academy.  She has presented her research at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences.  Dr. Clark’s research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, a book chapter, and research report.

Dr. Clark’s practice experience includes working as a social worker in the Department of Neurology at Duke University Medical Center.  She also worked as a therapist and provided outpatient family centered psychotherapy in work with children and adult clients who were diagnosed with mental and/or emotional and behavioral disorders.  While a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Clark was awarded the Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Program Award, funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2005-2008) and the Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar fellowship (2005-2010).  Dr. Clark serves as a manuscript reviewer for Theory In Action and board member for several local and state organizations that focus on youth and families.