Dr. Samantha Wulfsohn currently works on the operations team for the Building Bridges and Bonds project, a study of innovative fatherhood programs. She is the primary liaison with one of the program developers for the project. Previously she headed up the technical assistance efforts for High 5s and Making Pre-K Count. As a licensed psychologist, she integrates a clinical perspective into her work that is both research- and policy-relevant. She has more than 15 years of experience in providing coaching and mental health consultation to home visiting and early childhood education programs. This includes 5 years providing direct clinical services to families and children experiencing trauma and 8 years of mental health consultation in early childhood settings to help teachers adopt a trauma-informed lens and support children experiencing trauma. Wulfsohn has also developed and provided training to mental health consultants on trauma-informed approaches and to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families providers and administrators on secondary trauma and self-care. Before working at MDRC, she successfully developed and oversaw a statewide effort in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education to provide mental health coaching to home visiting programs (targeting children from birth through age 3) and prekindergarten programs throughout Illinois. There she demonstrated her leadership in an effort that enhanced the capabilities of early childhood professionals, built a workforce of mental health coaches statewide, and provided a model for other states to expand coaching in early childhood systems. Wulfsohn received an MS in Human Development and a PhD in Human Development and School Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
