EDUCATION
University of Hartford
MA/PsyD, 2001/2003
Clinical Psychology
Boston University
BA, 1999
Psychology/Rehab Counseling
BRIEF BIO / PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
Dr. Rao is the Director of Child Welfare Services and Psychology Training at WIHD. Dr. Rao received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford and her undergraduate degree at Boston University. Dr. Rao first came to WIHD in 2003 to complete her post-doctoral fellowship. Since then, she has served as a Clinical Psychologist in the Child Welfare Program and as a LEND Faculty Member.
Dr. Rao has over 20 years of experience working with the child welfare population. She has experience with providing both clinical and psychological assessment services to children involved in the child welfare system, as well as children with developmental disabilities and co-occurring trauma backgrounds. In 2006, she co-developed a specialized curriculum for use by Project IMPACT, an intensive in-home parenting program for parents with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Rao has presented findings about the efficacy of the model at both local presentations and national conferences, as well as in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Rao also frequently provides workshops and presentations on topics including trauma, understanding psychological evaluations, and child development.
As Training Director, Dr. Rao is responsible for coordinating and supervising training activities at the externship, internship, and fellowship levels. For the LEND program, Dr. Rao is the Vulnerable Populations Course Module Director and a Team Leader for a Seminar in Evidence Based Methods team, with a particular research interest in the intersection between developmental disability and trauma. Dr. Rao also serves as a Faculty Member at the School of Public Health at NY Medical College and an Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department at Iona College.
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH INTERESTS/ACTIVITIES
Dr. Rao’s research interests are in the intersection of developmental disability and child welfare, as well as the needs of parents with intellectual disabilities. She also has an interest in the effects of trauma on early childhood development.
RESEARCH INTERESTS/ACTIVITIES CATEGORIES
CLINICAL RESEARCH
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Parents with Intellectual Disabilities
SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL AND EDUCATION
- Children in the Child Welfare System: Training, Family Reunification, & Impact of Trauma
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Rao, T., Reiman, B., Faas, M., Lopreto, J., Rawal, M. and Yablonsky, H. (2021, November). A Profile of Young Children in Westchester County Foster Care. Poster resented at AUCD National Conference, Virtual.
Rao, T. (2021, March). Building Resilience through Self-Care. Workshop presented for the Children’s School of Early Development, Virtual.
Rao, T. Reiman, B., Brenna, K., Frank, L., Kennish, L., Perkins, L., Rukaj, J. and Zaninovic, V. (2020, December). A Profile of Young Children in Westchester County Foster Care. Poster presented at AUCD National Conference, Virtual.
Rao, T. (2020, February). Right to Family. Roundtable Facilitator at the Sixth Annual Disability and Civil Rights Clinic Roundtable, Brooklyn, NY.
Rao, T. (2020, January). The Overlap of Trauma & Developmental Disabilities. Workshop presented for the Children’s School of Early Development, Ossining, NY.
Rao, T. & Reiman B. (2019, November). Bridging child welfare and developmental disabilities: Tools and Strategies. Concurrent session presented at AUCD National Conference, Washington, D.C.
Rao, T. & Reiman, B. (2019, June). Bridging child welfare and developmental disabilities: Tools and Strategies. Workshop presented at the Field Center’s Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare, Philadelphia, PA.
Rao, T. & Reiman, B. (2018, June). Trauma and loss for children in foster care. Training presented to staff at Camp Morty, North Salem, NY.
Rao, T., Reiman, B., Huber, C., Hughes, C.A., Valcourt, P., & Vivien, M. (2017, November). Children with disabilities rate of disclosure and subsequent outcomes: An exploratory study. Poster presented at AUCD National Conference, Washington, D.C.
Rao, T. (2017, July). The effects of loss, grief, and trauma. 2 part training presented to staff at the Family Reunification Program of Lincoln Hall, Lincolndale, NY.
Rao, T. & Maltby, J. (2016, December). Foster care youth with developmental disabilities. Training give for the Peer 2 Peer Navigator Training, Yonkers, NY.
Rao, T., Reiman, B., Reynolds, C., Short, A., Tiwari, S., Traylor, D., & To, S. (2016, December). Child Welfare caseworkers’ understanding of children with developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the AUCD National Conference, Washington, D.C.
Rao, T. (2014, December). IQ 101: Intelligence Testing and Parents with Intellectual Disabilities. Training given for the Westchester County Department of Social Services, White Plains, NY.
Rao, T. (2014, December). Impact of Domestic Violence within Early Childhood Settings. Presentation given at the Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc, Scarsdale, NY.
Rao, T., Cooney, C., Kenny, A. Stupak, N., & Thai, M. (2014, November). Assistive Technology Applications to Support Parents with Intellectual Disabilities. Poster presented at the AUCD National Conference, Washington, D.C.
Rao, T. (2014, September). Supporting Families with Developmental Disabilities: Practical Tools for Services Providers. Presentation given at an Office of Children and Families Regional Training, Valhalla, NY.
Rao, T. & Stok, S. (2014, February). Succeeding Socially: Speaking up for Ourselves in Social Relationships. Presentation facilitated at the WIHD Self Advocacy Group, Valhalla, NY.
Rao, T. (2013, October). Talk Show Guest. “WVOX, Your Community Today with Ralph Gregory.” Provided information and addressed questions by radio talk show host regarding the needs of parents with intellectual disabilities.
Rao, T. (2013, October). Providing Intensive, In-Home Supports to Parents with Intellectual Disabilities. Presentation given at The Association for Successful Parenting Innovative Partnership and Practice International Conference, Mystic, CT.
Rao, T. (2013, March). Practical Tips in Using Psychological Evaluations. Presentation sponsored by the Westchester County Coordinated Children’s Services Committee, Yonkers, NY.
Rao, T. (2012, December). Best Practices in Clinical Evaluations for the Family Court. Presentation given at request of 2nd Judicial Department and Family Court Committee on Mental Health Evaluations, White Plains, NY.
Rao T., Duarte, S., Schulman, J., & Vasilevsky, M. (2012, May). Exploring Parental Learning Strategies and Intellectual Disabilities in Evidence-Based Home Visitation Models. Poster presented at the LEND Annual Poster Presentation, Valhalla, NY.
Rao, T. & Grossman, P. (2011, May). Understanding the Needs of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities & Mental Health Treatment of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Presentation sponsored by the Westchester County Department of Community Health, Tarrytown, NY.
Rao, T. (2011, May). Responding to the Challenges of Working with Children with Complex Needs: The Stress of Caring. Presentation given to the Alcott Early Intervention Center-Based Program, Scarsdale, NY.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Rao, T., Weisberg, D., Augsberger, A., Zeitlin,W. (2020). Supporting parents with intellectual disabilities through community and university collaboration. Children’s Voice, 29(2), 58-61.
Augsberger, A., Zeitlin, W., Rao, T., Weisberg, D. & Toraif, N. (2020). Examining a child welfare intervention for parents with intellectual disabilities. Research on Social Work Practice, 31(1), 65-74.
Zeitlin, W., Augsberger, A., Rao, T., Weisberg, D. & Toraif, N. (2020). Measuring Parenting Skills: Validating the Skills Assessment for Parents with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, DOI: 10.1080/26408066.2020.1830909.
Rao, T., Reiman, B., & Ausikaitis, A. (2019). Child welfare caseworkers and children with developmental disabilities: An exploratory study. Social Work, 64 (2), pp. 131-138.
Rao, T. (2013). Implementation of an Intensive, Home-Based Program for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 7:5, 691-706, DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2013.857628.
Bonuck K, Rao T, Xu L. Pediatric Sleep Disorders and Special Educational Need at 8 Years: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Pediatrics published online. September 3, 2012: DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0392.