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Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, 2025 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55414
My experience and expertise sits at the intersection of early childhood mental health research, practical applications, and policy implications. I specialize in social-emotional development in early and middle childhood, with particular emphasis on children experiencing behavioral concerns or who have experienced traumatic events. In the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, I co-direct the Early Childhood Mental Health Program. In addition to outpatient treatment and assessment, my body of work is centered on community-based collaboration with pediatric primary care clinics and early childcare programs.
I am also passionate about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I regularly conduct trainings that link together DEI and children’s mental health (e.g. talking with children about race and racism). Within the department, I am the Director of Inclusive Excellence and Well-Being (IEWB; formerly known as Deputy Vice Chair for the Impact & Wellbeing Sector). Together with my colleague, Dr. Danielle Vrieze, I founded and co-chaired our department’s first Diversity & Inclusion Committee in 2017. We have grown so much since then, and now integrate our DEI work into the IEWB Council. I also co-direct the DEI Thread within the Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum. From 2021 to 2023, I chaired the Medical School DEI Council through the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Prior to joining the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty, I worked as a Psychologist at a community-based non-profit agency in New York City, the New York Center for Child Development, where I provided mental health treatment and consultation, as well as training for providers located in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics, Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centers, Home-based Daycare programs, and mental health clinics. I served as the team lead for a group of mental health professionals who provided professional development training and consultation in ECE centers. During my time in New York, I held academic appointments at Columbia University Medical College, and Weill Cornell Medical College, and hospital appointments with the Family Health Center of Harlem and New York Presbyterian Hospital.
I completed my undergraduate and Masters degrees in Psychology at Stanford University and my doctoral work at the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Child Development, where I collaborated and published with internationally recognized experts on aggressive behavior, social competence, risk, and resilience in children and families. I completed my clinical psychology internship with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and my post-doctoral training with Brown University’s Alpert Medical School and Bradley Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
In my life outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my partner and our three “furry children”, running, exploring the trails of the Twin Cities, singing in a community choir, and volunteering with Girls on the Run Minnesota as a member of the Board of Directors.
(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
[email protected]
BA with Honors, Stanford University
Major: Psychology Health & Development
MA, Stanford University
Major: Psychology
MA/PhD, University of Minnesota - Institute of Child Development
Major: Developmental Psychopathology & Clinical Science Program
Lingras, K. A. (Lead Author), 2022. Mind the Gap(s): Reflective supervision/consultation as a Mechanism for Addressing Implicit Bias and Reducing Our Knowledge Gaps. Infant Mental Health Journal, 43 (4): 638-652.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21993
PubMed ID: 35759610
Barnes, A. J., Gower, A. L., Sajady, M., Lingras, K. A., 2021. Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Homeless Youth. Research Square, 21 (1): 164.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-02620-4
PubMed ID: 33827511
Lingras, K. A. (Lead Author), Mrozinski, K., Clavin, A., Handebidt, A., Moberg, L., Michaels, C., Mischke, M., Schreifels, T., Fallon, M., 2021. Social-Emotional Development in 0-3 Childcare During a World Pandemic: Balancing Physical Health and Safety with Emotional Well-Being. Perspectives in Infant Mental Health: The Voices of COVID-19, 28 (3): 41-50.
Lingras, K. A., 2021. Talking With Children About Race and Racism. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 47 (1): 9-16.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-021-00027-4
PubMed ID: 33521653
Berge, J. M., Mountain, S., Telke, S., Trofholz, A., Lingras, K. A., Dwivedi, R., Zak-Hunter, L., 2020. Stressful Life Events and Associations With Child and Family Emotional and Behavioral Well-Being in Diverse Immigrant and Refugee Populations. FAMILIES SYSTEMS & HEALTH, 38 (4): 380-395.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000524
PubMed ID: 32852999
Pethe, K., Maldonado-Soto, A. R., Saxena, J., Blanck, E. J., Lingras, K. A., Aratani, Y., 2020. The Relationship Between Linkages to Behavioral Health Services in Pediatric Primary Care and Reductions in Non-urgent Emergency Department Visits Among Vulnerable Children. The Journal of behavioral health services & Research, 47 (3): 377-387.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-019-09683-3
PubMed ID: 31875281
Barnes, A. J., Anthony, B. J., Karatekin, C., Lingras, K. A., Mercado, R., Thompson, L. A., 2020. Identifying adverse childhood experiences in pediatrics to prevent chronic health conditions. Pediatric Research, 87 (2): 362-370.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0613-3
PubMed ID: 31622974
Silver, R. B., Newland, R. P., Hartz, K., Jandasek, B., Godoy, L., Lingras, K. A., Low, C. M., Dickstein, S., Campagna, K., Berger, B., Seifer, R., 2017. Integrating early childhood screening in pediatrics: A longitudinal qualitative study of barriers and facilitators. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 5 (4): 426-440.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000214
Narayan, A. J., Sapienza, J. K., Monn, A. R., Lingras, K. A., Masten, A. S., 2015. Risk, Vulnerability, and Protective Processes of Parental Expressed Emotion for Children’s Peer Relationships in Contexts of Parental Violence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44 (4): 676-688.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.881292
PubMed ID: 24635645
Gower, A., Lingras, K. A., Mathieson, L., Kawabata, Y., Crick, N.R., 2014. The role of preschool relational and physical aggression in the transition to kindergarten: Links with social-psychological adjustment. Early Education and Development, 25 (5): 619-640.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2014.844058
PubMed ID: 26146468
Dr. Lingras is focused on bridging gaps between academic research and practice by providers who work directly with children. As such, her research is focused on social-emotional development and early childhood mental health, broadly, with specific attention to program evaluation and issues of implementation and sustainability.
Racial Justice Facilitator, YWCA
Child-Parent Psychology - dyadic trauma treatment for young child/caregiver
Training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Community of Scholars Fellowship and Institute Participant, University of Minnesota
Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Minnesota
Selected Junior Scholar, Workshop on Advancing Inter-American Collaboration in Human Development Research, Methodology, and Training
Eva O. Miller Fellowship (multiple), University of Minnesota
Institute of Child Development Departmental Small Grant, University of Minnesota
International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Young Scholar Award, ISSBD
Elizabeth M. Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship, American Psychological Foundation
Corcoran Graduate Fellowship, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota
Career Development Award, Center for Women in Science and Medicine (CWIMS), University of Minnesota
Outstanding Service Award, Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
Emerging Leadership, Zero to Three
Lingras, K. A. "Mind the Gaps: Approaches for Integrating Discussions on Bias into Reflective Supervision/Consultation", ZERO TO THREE’s LEARN Conference 2023. September 20, 2023.
Lingras, K. A. "Getting Back to Basics: Supporting Young Children’s Social-Emotional Development as we Emerge from the COVID-19 Pandemic", Early Childhood Leadership Institute, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. March 19, 2023.
"Gender Identity in Young Children: Questions, Answers, and Group Insights", Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health Infant and Early Childhood Conference. November 07, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Considerations", Interventional Psychiatry Retreat. October 06, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Little Brains: The impact of the pandemic on the social and emotional health of young children", Children's CME/Pediatric Update. September 15, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "The Building Blocks of Resilience: Protecting the Social and Emotional Health of Young Children During Dual Pandemics", Annual Meeting for Minnesota Department of Health Local Public Health. May 04, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Identifying Mental Health in Primary Care: A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Model", Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health Conference. April 25, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Identifying Mental Health in Primary Care: A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Model", Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health Conference. April 25, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Understanding Child and Family Identities: Implications for Clinical Practice and Professional Development", New York Zero to Three Network. April 01, 2022.
Lingras, K. A. "Sustaining a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee within an Academic Health Center Department", Duluth UMN Spring 2022 Seminar AHC Seminar Series.. January 19, 2022.
Cap and Gown Honor Society
Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society
Society for Research in Child Development
Society of Pediatric Psychology
Society of Clinical and Adolescent Psychology
Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
Association for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers
Minnesota Psychological Association
Dr. Lingras is a Licensed Psychologist in Minnesota and provides individual psychotherapy and psychological assessments in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic. She provides clinical services to children and their parents, and specializes in young children under 8. She also provides training and mental health consultation to providers in community-based organizations such as pediatric clinics and early education programs.
As a licensed child-clinical psychologist specializing in early childhood mental health, Dr. Lingras has shaped her training and career around improving care and access to care for young children through scientific inquiry, prevention/intervention efforts, and the translation of developmental research to applied settings. Her work spans from direct child/family clinical services (outpatient assessment/treatment) to community-based program support (training, consultation, program evaluation).