Omar Gudiño

Omar Gudiño
  • Associate Professor, Clinical Child Psychology

Contact Info

Dole Human Development Center, Room 2010
1000 Sunnyside Ave
Lawrence, KS 66045-7599

Biography —

Dr. Gudiño received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009. After completing an APA-approved predoctoral fellowship in child and adolescent psychology at the NYU Child Study Center/Bellevue Hospital, he served as a Senior Psychologist at Bellevue Hospital Center; a Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU; and a postdoctoral research fellow at the NYU school of Medicine. Dr. Gudiño was previously an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Child Psychology area at the University of Denver. He joined the Clinical Child Psychology Program at the University of Kansas in Fall 2018, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Applied Behavioral Science and Psychology. At KU Dr. Gudiño directs the Services for At-Risk Youth & Families (SAYF) Lab, which conducts research on patterns of risk and resilience in ethnic minority youth exposed to trauma; the development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for maltreated youth; and ethnic disparities in unmet need for mental health services. The ultimate goal of SAYF Lab is to develop and disseminate clinical practices and service delivery models that are grounded in the latest scientific research, can be feasibly delivered in challenging clinical settings, and are well aligned with the values and preferences of the youths and families who receive the services. Dr. Gudiño is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Latinx Psychology; President-Elect of the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology; and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. He served as the Langston Hughes Visiting Professor at KU in Fall 2015.

Research —

My program  of  research  addresses  two  central  questions:  (1)  Why  do  some  ethnic minority  children  fare  better  than  others  in  the  face  of  adversity? and  (2)  How  do  we  ensure  equitable  access  to  quality  services  for  children  in  need? Although ethnic minority youth are faced with disproportionate levels of adversity, there is great variability in individual responses to such adversity. Guided by a culturally-informed developmental psychopathology framework, I seek to understand how multiple levels of influence converge to promote or inhibit the adjustment of ethnic minority youth. Much of my research in this area focuses specifically on children from immigrant Latino families and considers individual, cultural, and community influences on youth adjustment. My work also examines  broader  service  use  and  service  system  questions  to  inform  effective  interventions  that  fit  within public  systems  of  care.  This work seeks to identify causes of racial/ethnic disparities in service access and quality and to identify more effective service delivery models. In this manner, my  program  of  research  approaches  the  study  of  mental  health  services  by  considering  both  the  needs  of  underserved  youth  and  families  and  the  realities  of  public  service  systems. In an effort to generate knowledge that can have the greatest public health impact, this research is conducted in close partnership with the community agencies and public service systems ultimately responsible for serving vulnerable youth and families.

Research interests:

  • Risk and resilience in ethnic minority youths exposed to violence
  • Racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service use and delivery
  • Evidence-based assessment and treatment with diverse populations
  • Dissemination of evidence-based practices in public sectors of care

Teaching —

Dr. Gudiño teaches courses and mentors students in the Clinical Child Psychology Program and the Departments of Applied Behavioral Science and Psychology at the University of Kansas. 

Teaching interests:

  • ABSC/PSYC 535: Developmental Psychopathology
  • ABSC/PSYC 803: Fundamentals of Psychological Assessment & Intervention with Children
  • ABSC/PSYC 888: Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology
  • ABSC/PSYC Practicum in Clinical Child Psychology

Selected Publications —

Schneider, A. & Gudiño, O.G. (2018). Predicting Avoidance Symptoms in U.S. Latino Youth Exposed to Community Violence: The Role of Cultural Values and Behavioral Inhibition. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31, 509-517. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22313

Stiles, A.A. & Gudiño, O.G. (2018) Examining Bidirectional Associations between School Engagement and Mental Health for Children in Contact with Child Welfare. School Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9248-5

Gudiño, O.G., Stiles, A.A., & Diaz, K.I. (2018). Violence Exposure and Psychopathology in Latino Youth: The Moderating Role of Active and Avoidant Coping. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 49(3), 468-479. doi: 10.1007/s10578-017-0767-3.

Rubens, S.L., Gudiño, O.G., Michel, J., Fite, P.J., Johnson-Motoyama, M. (2017). Neighborhood and Cultural Stressors Associated with Delinquency in Latino Adolescents. Journal of Community Psychology.

Gudiño, O.G., †Leonard, S., & Cloitre, M. (2016). STAIR for Girls: A Pilot Study of a Skills-Based Group for Traumatized Youth in an Urban School Setting. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 9(1), 67-79. doi: 10.1007/s40653-015-0061-0

Gudiño, O.G., Weis, J.R., Havens, J.F., Biggs, E.A., Diamond, U.N., Marr, M., Jackson, C.L., & Cloitre, M. (2015). Group Trauma-Informed Treatment for Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients: A Preliminary, Uncontrolled Trial. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27, 1-5. doi: 10.1002/jts.21928

Santiago, C.D., Gudiño, O.G., Baweja, S., & Nadeem, E. (2014). Academic achievement among immigrant and U.S.-born Latino adolescents: Associations with cultural, family, and acculturation factors. Journal of Community Psychology, 42(6), 735-747. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21649

Gudiño, O.G., & *Rindlaub, L.A. (2014). Psychometric Properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale in Latino Children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27, 27–34. doi: 10.1002/jts.21884

Chemtob, C.M., Gudiño, O.G., & Laraque, D. (2013). Maternal PTSD and Depression in Pediatric Primary Care: Association with Child Maltreatment and Frequency of Child Trauma Exposure. JAMA Pediatrics, 167(11), 1011-1018. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.2218

Gudiño, O.G. (2013). Behavioral Inhibition and Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Latino Children Exposed to Violence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41(6), 983-992.

Martinez, J.I., Gudiño, O.G., & Lau, A.S. (2013). Problem-specific Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pathways from Maltreatment Exposure to Specialty Mental Health Service Use for Youth in Child Welfare. Child Maltreatment, 18(2), 98-107.

Gudiño, O.G., Martinez, J.I., Lau, A.S. & (2012). Mental Health Service Use by Youths in Contact With Child Welfare: Racial Disparities by Problem Type. Psychiatric Services, 63(10), 1004-1010.

Awards & Honors —

  • 2020 Fellow, American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
  • 2020 Specialty Board Award, American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
  • 2019 American Board of Professional Psychology Early Career Psychologist Service Award
  • 2017 Public Good Faculty of the Year, University of Denver
  • 2016 Judy E. Hall PhD Early Career Psychologist Award, National Register of Health Service Psychologists

Memberships —

  • American Psychological Association (APA Divisions 12, 37, 45, and 53)
  • National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA)
  • Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)