Dr. Sheerin is an Assistant Professor on the Research Scholars Track at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a Research Scientist through the Bradley-Hasbro Children's Research Center at Rhode Island Hospital. She also serves as a consulting psychologist for the Rhode Island Family Court. She received her PhD in a Clinical Child Psychology in 2021 from the University of Missouri. She completed her APA-accredited predoctoral residency through Brown's Clinical Psychology Training Program and also completed an NIH T32 postdoctoral research fellowship at Brown.
Broadly, Dr. Sheerin's work focuses on improving the behavioral health of youth involved in the juvenile legal system. She is particularly interested in (a) developing, adapting, and evaluating intervention and assessment approaches for complex clinical concerns (e.g., substance use, delinquent and harmful behaviors, suicidal thoughts and behaviors) for youth involved in the system and (b) promoting equitable access to quality behavioral healthcare for these system-involved youth. She also has a secondary interest in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice-related issues in health service psychology training and has published in this area.
| Brown, Cynthia E., Kunz, Sylvia K., Mittelstadt, Katrina, Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Cho, Evelyn. "Experiences of informal psychological consultation by mental health graduate students: A descriptive study." Training and Education in Professional Psychology, vol. 20, no. 1, 2026, pp. 41-51. |
| Kemp, Kathleen A., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Nuñez, Miguel, Nichols, Lindsey M., Vieira-Brinker, Alyssa, Pederson, Casey. "Nonsuicidal self-injury among youth in a juvenile legal system diversion program." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 186, 2026, pp. 108992. |
| Piper, Kaitlin, Jahangir, Tasfia, Van Alstine, Elizabeth, Tyrone, Laura, Ravichander, Aanya, Sheerin, Kaitlin, Modrowski, Crosby, Kemp, Kathleen. "Profiles of behavioral health service utilization among youth involved in the juvenile legal system." Health & Justice, vol. 14, no. 1, 2026. |
| Reid, Caroline E., Salazar Vega, Eileen G., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Spirito, Anthony, Kemp, Kathleen A. "The association between parent, peer, and youth emotional and behavioral factors in substance use among youth with truancy petitions involved in the juvenile legal system." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 188, 2026, pp. 109115. |
| Piper, Kaitlin, Stielow, Sean, Hines-Wilson, Mackenzie, Van Alstine, Elizabeth, Sheerin, Kaitlin, Modrowski, Crosby, Kemp, Kathleen. "Barriers to Behavioral Health Treatment Among Youth and Caregivers Involved in the Juvenile Legal System." Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2025, pp. 1-16. |
| Sheerin KM, Brown CE, Park SJ, Schopen J. "Examining Practices for Youth Illegal Sexual Behaviors which May Warrant De-Implementation: Overview and Recommendations." Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, vol. 53, no. 5, 2025, pp. 761-770. |
| Emery, Lydia F., Hughes, Erin K., Sheerin, Kaitlin M. "How Incarceration Policy Affects Relationships." Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 13, no. 1, 2025, pp. 28-35. |
| Webb, Margaret A., Vieira, Alyssa, Suazo, Nazaret, Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Kemp, Kathleen. "Identifying gaps in mental health service and supports utilization among minoritized youth with mental health concerns in the juvenile legal system." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 171, 2025, pp. 108176. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Micalizzi, Lauren, Corvin, Caroline, Capolino, Alexandria, Suazo, Nazaret, Becker, Sara, Kemp, Kathleen A., Spirito, Anthony. "Is Parental Monitoring Associated With Behavioural Health Services Utilization for Juvenile Legal System‐Involved Youth?." Child & Family Social Work, vol. 31, no. 2, 2025, pp. 1029-1037. |
| Sheerin KM, Piper K, Modrowski C, Kemp KA. "Mental Health, Substance Use, Trauma Exposure, and Experiences of Discrimination Among Caregivers of Youth With Juvenile Legal System Involvement." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, vol. 51, no. 2, 2025, pp. e70023. |
| Kemp, Kathleen A., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Park, Suh Jung, Schopen, Jenna, Corvin, Caroline. "National Institutes of Health Funding 1990−2019: Research on Youth in the Juvenile Legal System." Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2025, pp. 1-15. |
| Velotta, Sydney K., Barnes, Sarah E., Torres Lopez, Andrea, Sanchez, Irene A., Corvin, Caroline C., Fletcher, Lauren M., Zullo, Lucas, Sheerin, Kaitlin M. "Psychosocial Interventions for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Scoping Review." Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, vol. 11, no. 2, 2025, pp. 204-218. |
| Johnides BD, Borduin CM, Sheerin KM, Kuppens S. "Secondary benefits of family member participation in treatments for childhood disorders: A multilevel meta-analytic review." Psychological Bulletin, vol. 151, no. 1, 2025, pp. 1-32. |
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Sheerin, Kaitlin, Fox, Kara A., Suazo, Nazaret, Spirito, Anthony, Kemp, Kathleen. "The association between thought disturbance and suicidal ideation within and across ethnoracial groups of juvenile legal system-involved youth." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 173, 2025, pp. 108283. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Vieira, Alyssa, Williamson-Butler, Shannon, Grant, Miyah, Nichols, Lindsey, Creamer, Andrew, Kemp, Kathleen A. "The landscape of randomized controlled trials for behavioral health-focused psychosocial interventions for youth in the juvenile legal system: A systematic review." Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, vol. 32, no. 4, 2025, pp. 329-346. |
| Kemp, Kathleen, Sheerin, Kaitlin, Pederson, Casey, Grant, Miyah, Modrowski, Crosby, Spirito, Anthony. "Youth with Behavioral Health Symptoms in the Juvenile Legal System: From Assessment of Needs to Interventions to Scalability." Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2025, pp. 327-352. |
| Brown CE, Borduin CM, Sheerin KM, Kanne SM. "Characteristics and correlates of aggressive behavior in autistic youths." Autism Research, vol. 17, no. 8, 2024, pp. 1586-1600. |
| Kemp, Kathleen A., Modrowski, Crosby A., Sheerin, Kaitlin, Grant, Miyah, Collibee, Charlene. "Does participation in a court-based trauma-focused evaluation program influence permanency outcomes for children involved in the child welfare system?." Child Protection and Practice, vol. 3, 2024, pp. 100071. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Brodell, Regina, Huey, Stanley J., Kemp, Kathleen A. "Applying ecological systems theory to juvenile legal system interventions outcomes research: a measurement framework." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 2023. |
| Modrowski, Crosby A., Sheerin, Kaitlin, Grant, Miyah, Collibee, Charlene, Kemp, Kathleen A. "Applying the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework to Trauma-Focused Screening in the Juvenile Legal System: Considerations and Recommendations for Future Research." Psychological Injury and Law, 2023. |
| Brown, Cynthia E., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Quetsch, Lauren B., Borduin, Charles M. "Family–Friendship Linkages in Youths With Autism Spectrum Disorder." Family Relations, 2023. |
| Wolff, Jennifer, Modrowski, Crosby A., Janssen, Tim, Frank, Hannah E., Velotta, Sydney, Sheerin, Kaitlin, Becker, Sara, Weinstock, Lauren M., Spirito, Anthony, Kemp, Kathleen A. "From court to the community: improving access to evidence-based treatment for underserved youth involved in the juvenile legal system at-risk for suicide." BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, 2023, pp. 320. |
| Vieira, Alyssa, Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Williamson-Butler, Shannon, Pederson, Casey A., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Soriano, Sheiry, Wolff, Jennifer C., Spirito, Anthony, Kemp, Kathleen. "Non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and mental health symptoms among sexual minority youth with juvenile justice system involvement." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 155, 2023, pp. 107196. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Williamson‐Butler, Shannon, Vieira, Alyssa, Grant, Miyah, Kemp, Kathleen A. "The association between caregiver psychiatric distress and perceived barriers to behavioral health treatment participation for youth in the juvenile legal system." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, vol. 50, no. 1, 2023, pp. 218-232. |
| Vieira, Alyssa, Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Modrowski, Crosby, Kemp, Kathleen. "The intersection of adverse childhood experiences and mental health concerns for youth involved in the child welfare system." Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 51, no. 5, 2023, pp. 2229-2245. |
| Kemp KA, Sheerin KM. "Addressing ACES in Early Childhood to Mitigate Future Police Contact." Pediatrics, vol. 150, no. 4, 2022. |
| Modrowski, Crosby A., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Owens, Timothy, Pine, Shannon M., Shea, Lynne-Marie, Frazier, Elisabeth, Lowenhaupt, Elizabeth. "Piloting an Evidence-Based Assessment Protocol for Incarcerated Adolescents." Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, vol. 8, no. 4, 2022, pp. 525-540. |
| Brown, Cynthia E., Boness, Cassandra L., Sheerin, Kaitlin M. "Supporting students in health service psychology training: A theory-driven approach to meeting the diverse needs of trainees." Training and Education in Professional Psychology, vol. 16, no. 1, 2022, pp. 78-86. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Modrowski, Crosby A., Williamson, Shannon, Kemp, Kathleen A. "The effect of sexual concerns on placement changes and school transfers for youth in the child welfare system." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 138, 2022, pp. 106520. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Tugendrajch, Siena K., Presser, Nan R., Bell, Debora J. "Implementing Skills for Psychological Recovery at a Psychology Training Clinic During COVID-19." Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, vol. 28, no. 4, 2021, pp. 507-518. |
| Tugendrajch, Siena K., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Andrews, Jack H., Reimers, Rachel, Marriott, Brigid R., Cho, Evelyn, Hawley, Kristin M. "What is the evidence for supervision best practices?." The Clinical Supervisor, vol. 40, no. 1, 2021, pp. 68-87. |
| Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Borduin, Charles M., Brown, Cynthia E., Letourneau, Elizabeth J. "An Evaluation of Mechanisms of Change in Multisystemic Therapy for Juvenile Justice‐Involved Youths A Decade Following Treatment." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, vol. 47, no. 1, 2020, pp. 208-219. |
| Brown, Cynthia E., Sheerin, Kaitlin M. "The role of graduate students as mentors in health service psychology programs." Training and Education in Professional Psychology, vol. 12, no. 1, 2018, pp. 22-28. |
| Shi, Zhenhao, Wang, An-Li, Emery, Lydia F., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Romer, Daniel. "The Importance of Relevant Emotional Arousal in the Efficacy of Pictorial Health Warnings for Cigarettes." Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2016, pp. ntw322. |
| Evans, Abigail T., Peters, Ellen, Strasser, Andrew A., Emery, Lydia F., Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Romer, Daniel. "Graphic Warning Labels Elicit Affective and Thoughtful Responses from Smokers: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial." PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 12, 2015, pp. e0142879. |
| Emery, L. F., Romer, D., Sheerin, K. M., Jamieson, K. H., Peters, E. "Affective and Cognitive Mediators of the Impact of Cigarette Warning Labels." Nicotine & Tobacco Research, vol. 16, no. 3, 2013, pp. 263-269. |
K23DA058014, NIDA (PI: Sheerin)
(03/01/2024-02/28/2029)
Project Title: Brief Family-Based Cannabis Use Intervention for Youth with Early Juvenile Justice Involvement
Major Goals: This study will provide important data on the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of a modular and personalizable family-based intervention for cannabis use and related consequences (e.g., delinquent behaviors, HIV/STI risk) among youth with early juvenile legal system involvement. The project also has implications for the effective development of substance use interventions which can be implemented as part of a continuum of care within the juvenile legal system.
Role: Principal Investigator
R01MH129770, NIMH (MPIs: Kemp K., and Wolff, J.)
Project Title: From the Court to the Community: Improving Evidence Based Treatment for Underserved Justice Involved Youth At-Risk for Suicide
Major Goals: This study evaluates a systems-level implementation strategy to improve treatment for suicide ideation and behaviors with justice-involved youth.
Role: Co-Investigator
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | MA | University of Missouri |
| 2021 | PhD | University of Missouri |
| 2012 | BA | Rutgers University |
| HIV T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship | Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University | 2021-2023 |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Grant, Miyah | Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Kemp, Kathleen | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Modrowski, Crosby | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Spirito, Anthony | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
Research Scientist, Rhode Island Hospital
Consulting Psychologist, Rhode Island Family Court
