The Institute on Fostering Resilience is a partnership between Pediatric Forensic Medicine (PFM) and the UK Center on Trauma and Children (UK CTAC).
Institute on Fostering Resilience
Purpose
The overall mission of the Institute on Fostering Resilience (IFR) is to provide a continuum of evidence-based programming to address the needs of children and families involved in out-of-home care, and to support the systems responsible for serving them. The institute takes an evidence-to-action approach, ensuring that the outcomes most relevant to those involved are privileged and achieved through its programming. To that end, translation research activities are embedded at each programming phase to determine efficacy, effectiveness, and utility and to allow for real-time adjustments consistent with the latest quality improvement standards.
Overview
Kentucky has experienced some of the highest rates of child maltreatment in the country for over a decade. As the flagship institution in the state, UK has been a leader in addressing this by serving children experiencing child abuse and trauma through identification, intervention, innovation, and research. The Kosair for Kids Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Families opened in March of 2024 and is the largest evaluation and treatment center for suspected child maltreatment in the state. The Center on Trauma and Children established in 1999 is the only program in the state to develop and disseminate knowledge, technologies and evidence-based practices that eliminate the need for out of home care; that is, reducing and ending violence against children, and the effects of trauma on children, families, systems and the workforce. The two programs work together on the spectrum of treating victims; however, children in out-of-home placement continue to have substantial challenges in the state.
Foundational Pillars
Principal Investigators
Ginny Sprang, Ph.D., is a tenured professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Kentucky, and executive director of the UK Center on Trauma and Children. She holds the Kay Seely Hoffman Research Professorship. Dr. Sprang is a principal investigator of a Centers for Disease Control funded randomized control trial to prevent child sex trafficking in middle schools. She is also the Principal Investigator of the SAMHSA funded Category II Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center. She serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, the official publication of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Her work involves the creation of translational tools, and the development, testing, and implementation of evidence-based treatments and practices to treat those exposed to direct and indirect traumatic experiences.
Christina Howard, MD developed and is Division Chief of the Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine that is the program responsible for evaluating and supporting suspected victims of child maltreatment. In addition to these activities, she also serves as faculty with the UK School of Public Health Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center (KIPRC) and is consultant for the Department of Public Health for Child Fatality Review and Pediatric Injury Prevention.
Pediatric Forensic Medicine Faculty and Staff
Kelsey Gregory, MD, FAAP is an assistant professor at the College of Medicine. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis tempor eleifend nunc, feugiat eleifend nisi vestibulum nec. Mauris condimentum pretium elit. Nullam lacinia urna vel nunc iaculis, eget cursus sem tempor. Aliquam varius justo sit amet condimentum tincidunt. Morbi ut auctor mauris.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis tempor eleifend nunc, feugiat eleifend nisi vestibulum nec. Mauris condimentum pretium elit. Nullam lacinia urna vel nunc iaculis, eget cursus sem tempor. Aliquam varius justo sit amet condimentum tincidunt. Morbi ut auctor mauris.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis tempor eleifend nunc, feugiat eleifend nisi vestibulum nec. Mauris condimentum pretium elit. Nullam lacinia urna vel nunc iaculis, eget cursus sem tempor. Aliquam varius justo sit amet condimentum tincidunt. Morbi ut auctor mauris.
Alyssa Briggs, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the College of Medicine. Clinical activities include assessment for neurodevelopmental disorders, including for the multidisciplinary Neuroresilience Clinic. Research projects include the implementation of suicide risk screening and assessment, characterization of risk factors associated with adolescent suicide attempts and deaths, and interventions for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Administrative and service activities include serving as an engagement liaison to the department, co-chairing the department’s wellness committee, and directing school behavioral health partnerships.
Tonya Jernigan, MSW, LCSW is a Social Worker Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis tempor eleifend nunc, feugiat eleifend nisi vestibulum nec. Mauris condimentum pretium elit. Nullam lacinia urna vel nunc iaculis, eget cursus sem tempor. Aliquam varius justo sit amet condimentum tincidunt. Morbi ut auctor mauris.
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Center on Trauma and Children Faculty and Staff
Adrienne Whitt, PhD, LCSW is an assistant professor in Psychiatry and the Associate Director of the Center on Trauma and Children. Over the past two decades, Dr. Whitt has served the children and families of Kentucky through clinical and research efforts focused on enhancing family relationships and understanding and mitigating the impact of trauma. Dr. Whitt has specifically worked to assist the child protection and Family Court systems statewide to prevent and treat child maltreatment through her work as program director of court-appointed evaluation and consultation services. Dr. Whitt's scholarly work has specifically addressed issues of trauma screening in child welfare systems, secondary traumatic stress, high risk and fatal child maltreatment, evidence based mental health practices, and trauma narrative research.
Jessica Eslinger, PhD, LCSW is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a clinician, trainer, and researcher at the Center on Trauma and Children. Dr. Eslinger has over 25 years of clinical experience working with children and their families affected by trauma in community mental health, inpatient, and private practice settings. Her work includes direct clinical services, training, and a broad scope of research related activities, including the development and monitoring of research protocols and the coordination and supervision of data collection. Dr. Eslinger’s scholarly work has focused on examining factors that influence evidence-based mental health treatment outcomes, treatment attrition, and secondary traumatic stress.
Stephanie Gusler, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Medical University of South Carolina where she implemented evidence-based interventions for trauma, including Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). She received her Doctorate in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2021. Dr. Gusler’s work includes providing trauma-informed interventions and training as well as supporting ongoing research such as that of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center (STS-ISC). Her academic work has focused on examining the effects of trauma on families, including psychopathology, difficulties with emotion regulation, and risk for intergenerational trauma.
Holly Huber Gifford, Ph.D. is a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children. She completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Florida Health Science Center where she implemented evidence-based interventions for trauma, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT). She received her Doctorate in Psychology from the Clinical Science program at Indiana University Bloomington in 2025 and received Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Communication from the University of Kentucky in 2019. Clinically, she enjoys working with children and caregivers who have faced adversity to improve family functioning and mental health outcomes. Her academic work has focused on the implementation of evidence-based practices into child and family serving public systems.
Josh Fisherkeller, MSW is the Education and Training Manager for the Center on Trauma and Children. He received his Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Kentucky in 2005, and has 25 years of experience working with children, families, and systems in Kentucky. As a clinician and therapeutic child support worker for the IMPACT Plus Program, he provided in-home and community based services to children at risk of being placed in a higher level of care. Mr. Fisherkeller has experience in advocacy, training, program development, and was previously the director of a Treatment Foster Care program.He has additional expertise in video production, audio production, web development, and the integration of technology solutions to enhance training delivery and organizational efficiency.