Dr. Julie Poehlmann

Biography

Julie Poehlmann is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in the field of Human Development and Family Studies, particularly focusing on young children and their families affected by incarceration. As a child clinical psychologist, she aims to facilitate social justice for young children and families by understanding and promoting resilience processes to decrease the risk of trauma exposure. Her research emphasizes the health, social, emotional, and cognitive development of high-risk infants and young children, including those with incarcerated parents and those raised by grandparents. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, especially observational techniques, she works to design and evaluate interventions that benefit children and their parents. Poehlmann has served as an advisor for initiatives such as the Sesame Street Emmy-nominated program for children with incarcerated parents and has held a supervisory role at the Waisman Center’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. In her teaching, she integrates community-based courses in early childhood education and has collaborated with various organizations to evaluate mentoring programs and outreach efforts for families grappling with substance addiction. Her leadership roles include participation in the International Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents and the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health. Current studies include the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study, focusing on enhancing visits for children of incarcerated parents.

Research Interests