Michael A. Southam-Gerow

Associate professor and co-director, VCU Anxiety Clinic

Contact information

Phone: (804) 827-0585
E-mail: masouthamger@vcu.edu
Web site: Dr. Southam-Gerow's teaching and research

Education

Ph.D. (1997), Temple University

Program affiliation

Clinical Psychology

Research interests

The Southam-Gerow lab is a busy and exciting place to work and learn. Our focus is the improvement of mental health services for children and families through partnerships with community agencies. To this end, our research currently focuses on adapting and testing evidence-based treatments (EBTs) in community settings through input from stakeholders in the community. We are currently engaged in an NIMH-funded project examining the effects of adapting a treatment in partnership with a large community mental health clinic here in the Richmond metro area. The study involves qualitative interviews and clinical studies, including a pilot open trial.

We are also engaged in a study screening youth in primary care for mental health problems. We have moved into a second phase of that project involving a partnership approach with stakeholders in the primary care setting to develop and implement programs to address mental health needs in the primary care population.

In collaboration with Dr. Bryce McLeod (VCU Psychology Department), we also have a growing research program in coding child therapy tapes for adherence and therapist competence.

Finally, we are engaged in several early collaborative relationships with Virginia mental health agencies to conduct program evaluations.

Selected publications

Weisz, J. R., Southam-Gerow, M. A., Gordis, E. B., Connor-Smith, J. K., Chu, B. C., Langer, D. A., McLeod, B. D., Jensen-Doss, A. Gelbwasser, A., & Weiss, B. (In press). Cognitive-behavioral therapy versus usual clinical care for youth depression: An initial implementation test in community clinics. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology.

Southam-Gerow, M. A., Hourigan, S. E., & Allin, R. B. (In press). Adapting evidence-based treatments for youth in partnership with mental health stakeholders. Behavior Modification.

Miller, L. M., Southam-Gerow, M. A., & Allin, R. B. (2008). Who stays in treatment? Child and family predictors of youth client retention in a public mental health agency. Child & Youth Care Forum.

Southam-Gerow, M. A., Marder, A. M., & Austin, A. A. (2008). Transportability and dissemination of evidence-based manualized treatments in clinical settings. In R. G. Steele, T. D. Elkin, & M. C. Roberts (Eds.), Handbook of evidence based therapies for children and adolescents (pp. 447-469). New York, NY: Springer.

Southam-Gerow, M. A., Chorpita, B. F., Miller, L. M., & Gleacher, A. A. (2008). Are children with anxiety disorders privately-referred to a university clinic like those referred from the public mental health system? Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 35, 168-180.

Recent/current courses taught at VCU

• Abnormal Psychology, undergraduate level
• Abnormal Child Psychology, undergraduate level
• Child Therapy, graduate level
• Clinical Practicum, graduate level