Who We Are
Elissa Brown, Ph.D., Founder & Executive Director
Professor of Psychology St. John’s University
Dr. Elissa Brown is the Founder and Executive Director of the Child HELP Partnership and Professor of Psychology at St. John’s University. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and PhD in Clinical Psychology from SUNY Albany. Her primary clinical and research interests include the prevention and treatment of child trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. She has participated in research on the assessment and treatment of sexual assault, child physical abuse, and bereavement related to traumatic circumstances, such as September 11th, 2001. Her work at Child HELP Partnership has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, New York State Office of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Justice, and private and corporate foundations. Dr. Brown is a co-developer of Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for family violence. She also co-developed one of the only effective prevention programs for sexual abuse, physical abuse, and bullying. She has published more than 70 papers and given over 100 presentations at national conferences.
Lois Beekman Oliviera, Board of Advisors Chair
Communications and Innovation Strategist, Family Violence Activist
Ms. Beekman is a communications and marketing specialist, media spokesperson, author and educator. She has developed projects for The American Bar Association, Verizon Wireless, Lifetime Television, Lord & Taylor, Hearst Publications, The United States Shoe Corporation, Sara Lee, Campbell Soup and others. She also is the co-author of PR/Publicity, a textbook about public relations and was an Adjunct Professor of Communications at SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology. A long time activist in the movements to end child abuse and domestic violence, Ms. Beekman has chaired boards of the National Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Darkness to Light, and The Michael Bolton Charities, and served as advisor to The New York Board of Rabbis. She was the co-director of The New York State Project to Implement Career Education. She also served on the boards of Barnard College, the 92nd St Y, The Tampa Performing Arts Center, Cornell Medical Center, and as a Trustee of the New York Board of CARE.
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