Director of Training, Maryland Center for Developmental DisabilitiesDr. Ofonedu is the Director of Training at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Prior to her current position, she was a Research Manager and Clinician and served as the Project Director of an NIH –funded Clinical Trial on Early Parenting Intervention Comparison (EPIC) research study at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Ofonedu joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2004. She received her master’s degree in Social Work, with a specialization in service to children, youth, and families, from the University of Maryland and her doctorate degree in Psychology from the Capella University. Dr. Ofonedu has a broad background in teaching, research, and clinical work. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Family Counseling Center, LLC. She currently holds an Associate Faculty position at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health and at the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School and an Adjunct Faculty position at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, where she teaches research, clinical and macro graduate-level courses. She is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Ofonedu served as Program Chair for the Society of Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37) of the American Psychological Association (APA). She serves on Division 37 executive board as Task Force and Diversity Activities Coordinator and division liaison to the APA Committee on International Relations in Psychology. She serves as Chair for the Diverse, Racial, Ethnic, and Multicultural Special Interest Group (DREAM SIG) of APA Division 37 and is a Master Trainer for the APA’s Act Raising Safe Kids Parenting Program. Her work is inspired by the core ideas of recognizing and building on the strengths and competencies that exist in individuals, families, and communities for the purpose of creating a more just and equitable society.
Dr. Ofonedu has many years of teaching, research and clinical experiences working with varied population. She continues to contribute to the field through her scholarship and clinical expertise at local, national, and international levels. She has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and serves on several boards and committees related to psychology, social work, and her clinical interests. Dr. Ofonedu’s interests include mental health awareness and treatment engagement and service delivery for underserved urban children, youth, and families, particularly those who have been exposed to traumatic events, cultural responsive practice, schools and community engagement, disability inclusion, parent and professional education, and service learning. She has a deep commitment to troubled youth and has conducted research on inner-city Black youth’s mental health and treatment engagement of underserved families of young children with behavior problems and has published her findings to inform policy and practice. She examines the psychosocial and cultural factors that influence marginalized youth and families’ help seeking behaviors and service utilization to inform policy and intervention programs. Dr. Ofonedu combines her macro, clinical and research knowledge in the training of professionals, parents, and students in evidence-supported and cultural responsive intervention programs and helps them realize the key role they can play as underserved children, youth, families, and communities’ champions.