Ruth Paris

Professor

Specialties

• Attachment-based therapeutic interventions for parents and young children

• Trauma and early childhood in vulnerable populations

• Substance misuse and parenting

• Cultural issues in parenting

• Infant and early childhood mental health

• Mixed methods research

• Community-based participatory research

faculty details

Bio

Visit Prof. Paris’s Google Scholar Profile

Ruth Paris is recognized for her expertise in trauma and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), including a particular focus on families struggling with substance and opioid use disorders (SUDs and OUDs). With support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), other federal funders and private foundations, she has developed and evaluated multiple attachment-based interventions targeted at vulnerable families with young children.

Paris’ work is driven by her desire to develop effective and accessible interventions that are feasible in community settings, culturally responsive, benefit families with young children and make substantive sense in the field. Recently, Paris evaluated a dyadic therapeutic parenting intervention, BRIGHT (Building Resilience Through Intervention: Growing Healthier Together), which is offered in substance use treatment programs. She also developed a curriculum guide in association with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which provides more in-depth social work education on infant and early childhood mental health.

She has served as a subject matter expert for SAMHSA/HHS and Mathematica Policy Research regarding interventions for parents with SUDs and their young children. Paris is also an invited member of the Council on Social Work Education steering committee to develop an IECMH curriculum guide for schools of social work.

Education

BA (Psychology & Sociology)

Clark University

MSW

Smith College

PhD (Social Welfare)

University of California, Berkeley

Postdoctoral Fellow (Public Health)

University of California, Berkeley

Courses

CP 759 Introduction to Clinical Social Work Practice
CP 772 Clinical Practice with Families
CP 782 Stress and Trauma in the Early Years: Interventions with Young Children and Families
CP 785 Family Therapy
CP 791 Seminar: Family Therapy
SR 904 Quantitative Clinical Research Methods

Courses

Publications

Publications

Presentations

Presentations

Grants

Grants

Professional Activities and Certifications

2020-2021 Faculty Affiliate: Boston University Center on the Ecology of Early Development (BU CEED)

2019-present Boston University Institute for Early Childhood Well-being, Founding member of Faculty Alliance

2011-2014: Qualitative Research Consultant for R01 (NIH/NCAM, 1R01AT005956-02), Boston University School of Medicine, Yoga vs. Physical Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Minority Populations (PI: Robert Saper, M.D., M.P.H.).

2008-2013: Qualitative Research Advisor for K01 award (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), Boston University School of Public Health. Underage alcohol use and dating abuse perpetration (PI: Emily Rothman, Sc.D.).

2009-2014: Qualitative Research Consultant for K01 award (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1K01HD058733-01A1), Tulane University School of Public Health. Prevention of child maltreatment: A focus on social norms and corporal punishment (PI: Catherine Taylor, M.S.W., M.P.H., Ph.D.).

2005-2007: Qualitative Research Consultant, Harvard School of Public Health, Impact of Domestic Violence on Cancer Treatment, Jeanne Hathaway, M.D., M.P.H., Principal Investigator

2002-present: Research consultant, Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Center for Early Relationship Support, Waltham, MA

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Professional Activities and Certifications

Awards and Honors

2019-2020 Invited member of the Council on Social Work Education steering committee of the Task Force on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Developmental Neuroscience.

2019 Subject matter expert, SAMHSA invited meeting, "Supporting families: bridging substance use treatment and early childhood systems.” Rockville, MD

2016-2021: Faculty Participant, SAMHSA-funded Behavioral Health Curriculum Development Initiative (competitive application to build and evaluate child-focused curricula for schools of social work)

2016-2017: Subject Matter Expert, SAMHSA-funded Mid-America ATTC Center of Excellence on Behavioral Health for Pregnant and Postpartum Women (ATTC CoE-PPW)

2016: Fulbright Specialist Grant, Bar Ilan University, Tel Aviv, Israel

2014 – present: Inaugural Fellow, Society for Social Work and Research

2010: Susan Hickman Memorial Research Award, Postpartum Support International

2010: Top 20 Most Influential Social Work Professors, www.mastersofsocialwork.org

Awards and Honors

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