Colleen Cicchetti, PhD

Colleen Cicchetti is an Associate Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the Executive Director of the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR) at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago where she has worked as a clinical psychologist for nearly three decades. Dr. Cicchetti is passionate about and committed to addressing health disparities and decreasing exposure to violence and trauma for children and families via innovative public health strategies and multidisciplinary collaboration. Throughout her career, she has focused on connecting children with the mental health services they need; equipping providers with effective programming; and identifying new evidence-based interventions that address the emerging mental health needs of children and youth. In 2015, she founded CCR as an extension of the Community Linked Mental Health Services Program (2004), to provide trainings, education, and outreach to school professionals, community agencies, city leaders, and parents to increase young people’s access to mental health services. To address the issue of mental health reform holistically and support the framework for trauma-informed systems, CCR’s work focuses on five primary domains; School Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Child Serving Systems, Implementation Science, Pre-Professional Training, and Advocacy. 

In addition to her work with CCR, Dr. Cicchetti serves in leadership roles in numerous statewide advocacy groups, including her role as Clinical Director of the Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition, Co-Chair of the School-Age Practices and Policies Committee of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, and membership in the Planning and Practices Committee of the Kennedy Forum Illinois and Healthy Communities Advisory Committee at Lurie Children’s Hospital. She is also a leader in several city-wide mayoral initiatives aimed at addressing violence and other forms of trauma; has provided testimony on behalf of children and families in Chicago, Springfield, and Washington, D.C.; and contributed to legislation that addresses the critical need for building awareness, prevention and intervention strategies for children who experience trauma in Chicago and throughout the nation. 

Dr. Cicchetti has been the recipient of awards from multiple agencies and philanthropic organizations during her tenure with Lurie Children’s and Northwestern University. Most recently she received the Chicago Humanitarian Award by UNICEF USA, for her critical work with CCR and positive impact on children and families throughout the city. Furthermore, she was named, Public Educator of the Year, by the National Alliance on Mental Illness - Chicago (NAMI) for her service, leadership, and positive contributions to children’s mental health. 

Dr. Cicchetti received her Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University, a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Northwestern University Medical School.