AMES Research Clinical Core

The purpose of the AMES Research Clinical Core is to provide clinically informed services for military, veterans, and first responder organizations. They contribute to the development and implementation of programming to improve behavioral and organizational health. They provide expertise on mental health concerns and interventions to address behavioral and organizational health concerns. Through their work, they advocate for culturally competent services that acknowledge military, veteran, and first responder culture. The AMES Research Clinical Core provides services including:  

• The development and delivery of evidence-based interventions, trainings, and psychoeducational programming, such as self-regulation and resilience training.  
• Teaching, supervision, and mentorship of clinical researchers-and-practitioners-in-training, including development of core competencies of social work.
• The enhancement of mental health screening processes.  
• Advocating for culturally relevant mental health supports and resources for service members, veterans, and first responders. 

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Research Clinical Core Personnel

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  Dr. Bianca Channer, LCSW, DSW

  Clinical Manager

  Bianca Channer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Human Services at Kennesaw State University teaching clinical social work practice classes. Dr. Channer has over ten years’ experience providing therapeutic services to at-risk youth and young adults in a variety of settings. Dr. Channer’s research interests include expanding educational opportunities, pedagogy, and teaching methods to support veterans, LGBTQ+, Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Higher Education; veteran and emergency medical service professionals; psychological resiliency; Examining discrimination and knowledge gaps within clinical social practice settings working with the above identified populations.

  • bchanner@kennesaw.edu
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  Katherine Moore, LMSW

  Clinical Case Manager 

  Katherine Moore is a licensed master social worker and the clinical case manager for AMES. Katherine has over 10 years of experience working with child welfare agencies, federal/state law enforcement agencies, and indigenous and military populations across the U.S. Katherine’s recent focus has been centered around providing best practice evidence-based therapeutic interventions such as psychoeducation, and psychological resiliency to the military, first responder community, and their families.

  • katherine.moore@kennesaw.edu
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  Phaina Dubuisson

  Research Associate

  Phaina Dubuisson has experience working with law enforcement and child welfare agencies across the state, providing therapeutic services to youth, providing crisis intervention to adults, and working as a family advocate. Phaina's recent focus involves supplying first responders with interventions that can assist them and their families.

  • rdubuiss@kennesaw.edu 

Recent, Ongoing, or Upcoming Work by the Research Clinical Core

Helping Firefighters Achieve a Good Night’s Sleep at the Station 
Getting good sleep is critically important for health and performance at work, but there are many challenges to getting a good nights’ sleep. This is especially true for firefighters. The AMES Research Clinical Core recently developed and delivered a training to City of South Fulton Fire & Rescue Department, which focused on optimizing sleep while at the fire station. This recent work exemplifies the important role of psychoeducational training in promoting health and wellness for first responders. The AMES Clinical Core stated that the development and delivery of this program was particularly exciting because it promotes awareness about behavioral health, destigmatizes the topic of behavioral and mental health, and recognizes the unique challenges that first responders face when promoting sleep health.  

Adding Psychological Hardiness to the AMES Research Clinical Core Toolkit 
The AMES Research Clinical Core recently completed a master training program in which they were trained in how to deliver a Psychological Hardiness Training. They learned how to implement a single-day training that teaches individuals to effectively manage and respond to stressful life events. Dr. Jason Judkins, an expert in military behavioral health, traveled to KSU to teach the AMES Research Clinical Core about the Psychological Hardiness training and to supervise them as they delivered the intervention to KSU students, veterans, and members of law enforcement. This event was important for the AMES Research Clinical Core because it demonstrates their commitment to continually building capacity to deliver evidence-based programs to improve health and well-being.  

In addition to resources and programming provided by AMES, service members, veterans, first responders, or community members may wish to consider these resources.

Resources include General Resources, Military and Veteran Resources, and First-Responder Resources.