Pamela Vona

She is the lead developer of the Trauma-Responsive School Implementation Assessment and the Trauma-informed Skills for Educators (TISE) curriculums. For eight years she served as the Program Manager for the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope and Wellness in Schools funded by the U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Completed Projects

Founder, Center for Safe and Resilient Schools and Workplaces, Inc (CRSW) The CRSW provides training and consultation to schools and workplaces in an effort to promote safety, well-being, and individual capacity. The Center aims to build resilient individuals and organizations to effectively enhance their ability to achieve their strategic goals.

Wellness and Organizational Change Consultant for Advanced Search Partners, Inc.

Program Manager University of Southern California, Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

In my capacity, I oversee program development, research, and administrative activities for a multi-site Center comprised of researchers and subject matter experts from USC, UCLA, and the RAND Corporation. The Center is charged to develop and evaluate innovative school-based strategies to support children and adolescents exposed to trauma.

Adjunct Policy Analyst RAND Corporation

Support the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to support children experiencing PTSD following Hurricane Maria.

Consultation and District Support

Los Angeles Department of Mental Health/UCLA Prevention Training Center of Excellence Center is dedicated to bringing trauma- and resilience- informed care to Los Angeles County. Serve as a curriculum developer for various sectors of care including K-12 schools and Parks & Recreation.

SAMHSA- Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center

Center aims to bring trauma- and resilience- informed care to school districts in the Northwest United States.

Clark Country Unified School District: Las Vegas, Nevada

Support the development of short- and long-term recovery strategies following the Mandalay Bay shooting.

Publications

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Childhood absence epilepsy: behavioral, cognitive, and linguistic comorbidities

Caplan, R., Siddarth, P., Stahl, L, Lanphier, E., Vona, P., Gurbani, S., Koh, S., Sankar, R.,Shields, W.D. (2008).  Epilepsia, 49(11):1838-46 

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Obstacles to mental health care in pediatric epilepsy: insights from parents. Epilepsy & Behavior, 14(2), 360-366

Vona, P., Siddarth, P., Sankar, R., Caplan, R. (2009).  

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Language in pediatric epilepsy. Epilepsia, 50(11):2397-407

Caplan, R., Siddarth, P., Vona, P., Stahl, L., Bailey, C.E., Gurbani, S., Sankar, R., Donald, W.D. (2009). 

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School personnel perspectives on their school's implementation of a school-based suicide prevention program. J Behav Health Serv Res, 37(3):338-49

Stein, B.D., Kataoka, S.H., Hamilton, A.B., Schultz, D., Ryan, G., Vona, P., Wong, M. (2010). 

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The role of teachers in school- based suicide prevention: a qualitative study of school staff perspectives. J School Mental Health. 3(4):209-221

Nadeem, E., Kataoka, S.H., Chang, V.Y., Vona, P., Wong, M., Stein, B.D. (2011).