Professor Dr. Christian Connell

Biography

Christian Connell examines the impact of child maltreatment and how public child-serving systems affect children’s safety, health, and well-being. His work tests policies and interventions designed to improve outcomes, leveraging large-scale data partnerships with public systems to drive real-world change. As the Director of the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network at Penn State, Connell leads projects aiming to improve the effectiveness of interventions for at-risk populations, focusing on both individual and systemic factors that influence mental health and well-being among maltreated youth. His recent research explores the crossover of child welfare and juvenile justice systems, as well as the effectiveness of trauma-informed interventions. With extensive experience in psychological research and a trauma-informed framework, Connell's work emphasizes the importance of analyzing individual, family, and contextual factors in child welfare outcomes. He is committed to enhancing community-based services and evaluating their impacts on behavioral health, advocating for the maintenance of service quality through collaboration with state partners. Connell also contributes to methodology in trauma screening and the implementation of evidence-based practices in public agencies, maintaining a focus on improving outcomes for children involved with these systems.

Research Interests

Experience