Education and Training

Fellowship

Post-Doctoral Fellowship - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Board Certification

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Graduate Degree

PhD - Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Titles and Academic Titles

Behavioral Health Consultant/Clinical Social Worker

Adjunct Professor, Fordham University, Online MSW Program

Departments and Services

Research Interests

Impact of stress and adversity/trauma on neurodevelopment, symptom complexity, and mental health outcomes; ACES/Complex trauma; Adolescent perinatal mental health; Integrated Healthcare; Evidence-based practice

Selected Publications

2019

Lombardi, B.M., Bledsoe, S.E., Killian-Farrell, C., Lanier, Paul.,& Skinner, A. C. (2019). Child and adolescent polyvictimization and depressive symptoms in young adults. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

2017

Killian-Farrell, C., Rizo, C. F., Lombardi, B., Meltzer-Brody, S., & Bledsoe, S. E. (2017). Traumatic Experience, Polyvictimization, and Perinatal Depression in a Diverse Sample of Adolescent Mothers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Bledsoe, S. E., Wike, T., Killian-Farrell, C., Lombardi, B. M., Bellows, A., Sommer, A. R., & Sheely, A. (2017). Feasibility of treating depression in pregnant adolescents using brief interpersonal psychotherapy. Social Work in Mental Health.

Bledsoe, S. E., Rizo, C. F., Wike, T., Killian-Farrell, C., Wessel, J., Bellows, A., & Doernberg, A. (2017). Pregnant adolescents’ perceptions of depression and psychiatric services in the United States. Women and Birth. 

2016

O’Brien, J., White, K. &, Wu, Q., & Killian-Farrell, C. (2016). Mental Health and Behavioral Outcomes of Sexual and Non-Sexual Abuse among Child Welfare-Involved Youth. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.

Publications

Abstracts

2018

Killian-Farrell, C., Graham, J., Williams, A., Bizzell, J., Waltz, H., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2018). Aberrant Stress Physiology and Brain Function in Adolescents with Arousal-Related Psychopathology. Biological Psychiatry: Supplement: 73rd Annual Scientific Convention and Meeting.

2017

Killian-Farrell, C., Williams, A., Bizzell, J., Waltz, H., Andersen, E., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2017). Maturation of Stress Regulatory Brain Circuits. Biological Psychiatry: Supplement: 72nd Annual Scientific Convention and Meeting, 81, (10s).

Posters and Presentations

National Presentaions

2019

Killian-Farrell, C.*, Bizzell, J., Graham, J., Waltz, H., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2019). Victimization Exposure is Associated with Altered Adolescent Brain Function during Stress”, Oral Paper Presentation, Society for Social Work and Research 23rd Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Killian-Farrell, C.*, Williams, A., Bizzell, J., Graham, J., Andersen, E., Waltz, H., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2019). “Aberrant Development of Stress Response and

Neural Circuitry in Adolescents with Clinical Symptomology”, Oral Paper Presentation, Society for Social Work and Research 23rd Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

2018

Killian-Farrell, C.*, Graham, J., Williams, A., Bizzell, J., Waltz, H., Pruessner, J., Campbell, A. & Belger, A. (2018). Stress Effects on Neural Circuitry Maturation in Children with Arousal-Related Psychopathology. Poster, Society of Biological Psychiatry, 73rd Annual Scientific convention and Meeting, New York, NY.

Killian-Farrell, C., Williams, A., Bizzell, J., Graham, J., Andersen, E., Waltz, H., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2018). "Stress and Anxiety Impact Maturation of Adolescent Neural Circuitry Involved in Emotion and Reward Processing". Poster, Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

2017

Killian-Farrell, C., Williams, A*., Bizzell, J., Waltz, H., Andersen, E., Pruessner, J., & Belger, A. (2017). Maturation of Stress Regulatory Brain Circuits. Society for Biological Psychiatry 72nd Annual Scientific Convention and Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Lombardi, B.M., Killian-Farrell, C., Bledsoe, S.E. (2017). Understanding the Impact of Child and Adolescent Polyvictimization on Young Adult Depressive Symptoms. Poster Presentation, Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.

2016

Killian-Farrell, C., Bledsoe, S. E*., Fraga, C., Lombardi, B.M. & Meltzer-Brody, S. (2016). Interpersonal Trauma in Low-Income Adolescent Mothers: The Epidemiology of an Unrecognized Epidemic. Paper, Society for Social Work and Research 20th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Killian-Farrell, C., Lombardi, B. M.*, Bledsoe, S. E., Nguyen, C., Jefferson, E., Rizo, C., O’Brien, J., Coleman, K., & Snyder, S. (2016). Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Maltreated Adolescents in the Child Welfare System: A Systematic Review. Poster, Society for Social Work and Research 20th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Killian-Farrell, C., Rizo, C., Lombardi, B.M., Bledsoe, S. E*., Meltzer-Brody, S. (2016). Predicting Perinatal Depression in Low-Income Adolescent Mothers: The Role of Interpersonal Trauma and Polytraumatization. Paper, Society for Social Work and Research 20th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

2015

Killian-Farrell, C., O’Brien, J.,* Lombardi, B., Nguyen, C. & Bledsoe, S. E. (2015). A systematic review of interventions for maltreated adolescents coping with complex trauma: Implications for social work practice. Paper, Society for Social Work and Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Killian-Farrell, C., Van Tilburg, M., Dubowitz, H., English, D., Goldston, D., Kotch, J., Litrownik, A., Runyan, D., and Thompson, R. (2015). Child Maltreatment, Depression and Suicide in Adolescents with Functional Pain: A Path Analysis. Paper, Society for Social Work and Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. (withdrawn-could not attend)

Awards and Honors

National Research Service Award (NRSA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Post-Doctoral Fellowship, #T32-HD40127

UNC Royster Society of Fellows - Jesse Ball DuPont Dissertation Fellowship, ($20,000 award) The Graduate School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

APPLES Internship Curriculum Fellowship ($6000 award), Carolina Center for Public Service, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

First Place Award, Social Sciences Division - University Research Day, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Summa Cum Laude, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

Leadership and Memberships

Society for Social Work Research

Society of Biological Psychiatry