Julia Schäfer, PhD
Julia Schäfer, PhD, is a program manager for clinical and psychosocial interventions at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute. Dr. Schäfer earned her master’s degree in psychology and her doctorate in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Prior to joining the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Schäfer was a practicing clinical psychologist in Brazil, delivering care to adolescents and adults with training in evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). She also served as a lecturer in continuing education programs in clinical psychology. Her extensive experience includes coordinating community-based mental health research, such as the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort Study (BHRC) under the Brazilian National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-INPD), with a focus on developmental psychopathology and preventative interventions.
Dr. Schäfer joined the Child Mind Institute in 2021 as a research associate and later advanced to associate director before stepping into her current role. She has been instrumental in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) in Greece, contributing to the design, data collection, and analysis for the landscape analysis conducted in the country. Additionally, she partnered closely with the Greek team to collaboratively develop a mental health literacy curriculum aimed at equipping professionals working with schools. Her areas of expertise include the collaborative design and application of evidence-based programs, measurement-based care, and implementation science.
As program manager, Dr. Schäfer is dedicated to developing, implementing, and assessing psychosocial interventions that address mental health disparities in underserved populations. She supports intervention assessment components of the program in Greece and plays a pivotal role in leading initiatives designed and delivered in Brazil by the SNF Global Center, focusing on culturally adapted mental health interventions and capacity-building programs for professionals working with children and adolescents. Her work in Brazil emphasizes collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure sustainability and relevance, aligning with the Child Mind Institute’s mission of improving the lives of children and families affected by mental health challenges.
Experience
- Associate Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) in Greece, The Child Mind Institute
- Research Associate, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) in Greece, The Child Mind Institute
Education
- PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
- MA, Psychology and Human Cognition, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
- BA and BS in Psychology, Vale do Rio dos Sinos University (UNISINOS), Brazil
