Research

Strong BRAIN Institute

Selected Research, Training, and Service Projects

Current Funded Projects

 

Educating and Expanding the Paid and Volunteer SUD Workforce

Funding Source: The TN Opioid Abatement Council
Dates: 7/1/2024 – 6/30/2027
PI: Andrea Clements, Ph.D.
Amount Funded: $905,244

Trauma Resilient Workforce Program

Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Strategic Initiative Public Health Workforce Development
Dates: 1/01/24 – 11/30/2027
PI: Wallace E. Dixon, Jr., Ph.D.
Amount Funded: $1,000,000

Trauma-Informed Workplaces (extension)

Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Injury Prevention
Dates: 8/1/2022 – 7/31/2027
PI: Wallace E. Dixon, Jr., Ph.D.
Amount Funded: $320,000

 

Previously Funded Projects

 

Creation of Substance Use Disorder Training Modules

Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Health
Dates: 9/2/2022 – 8/31/2023
PI: Kelly Moore, Ph.D.
Amount Awarded: $100,000

Creating a Culture of Resilience

Training Educators to Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences Project (extension)
Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Building Strong Brains Tennessee Innovation Grant 
Dates: 7/1/2022 – 6/30/2023
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Amount Awarded: $63,789

Creating a Culture of Resilience in the College of Pharmacy

Culture of Resilience in the College of Pharmacy
Funding Source: ETSU Research Development Committee Interdisciplinary Grant 
Dates: 5/2020-5/2021
PI: Diana Morelen, Ph.D.
Amount Awarded: $44,367

 

Creating a Culture of Resilience

Training Educators to Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences Project
Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Building Strong Brains Tennessee Innovation Grant 
Dates: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2022
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Amount Awarded: $63,789

Training for Resilience

Mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences in Higher Education
Funding Source: Research Development Committee, East Tennessee State University
Dates: 7/1/2020 - 6/30/2021
PI: Diana Morelen, Ph.D.; Co-I's: Julia Bernard, Ph.D.; Andrea D Clements, Ph.D.; Julia Dodd, Ph.D.; Judy G McCook, Ph.D.; Michele Moser, Ph.D.; Megan Quinn, DrPH; David Roane, Ph.D.
Amount Funded: $44,367

Trauma Informed Parenting Intervention

To Promote Maternal Mental Health and Reduce Child Risk
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Major Grant
Funding Amount: $9,950
PI: Diana Morelen, Ph.D.

Trauma Informed Parenting Intervention

To Promote Maternal Mental Health and Reduce Child Risk
Funding Source: Ballad Community Health Improvement Pilot Site
Funding Amount: $40,000
PI: Diana Morelen, Ph.D.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse Childhood Experiences at a HIV clinic in rural Appalachia: A Pilot Study to Assess HIV/AIDS Treatment Barriers
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Major Grant
Grant Number: 20-028M
Dates: 7/1/2019-6/30/2020
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $9,950

Building Capacity for a Trauma Informed System of Care

Building Capacity for a Trauma Informed System of Care in Munsieville, South Africa
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Small Grant
Dates: 10/2018-06/2019
Funding Amount: $1,500
Co-I: Megan Quinn, DrPH

Community-Wide Trauma Informed System of Care Toolkit

Funding Source: State of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Initiative 
Grant Number: RFS-35910-03117 
Dates: 7/1/2018-6/30/2019 
PI: Andrea D Clements, Ph.D.; Co-I: Becky Haas 
Funding Amount: $53,916 

Identifying adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Identifying adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resilience in college students: steps toward a trauma-informed campus
Funding Source: Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Building Strong Brains Tennessee
Grant Number: 18-213
Dates: 07/2018-06/2019
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $72,029

Quality of Life, Human Insecurity, and Distress

Quality of Life, Human Insecurity, and Distress among Palestinian Refugees in Jordan
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Major Grant
Grant Number: 18-007M
Dates: 07/2017-06/2018
Co-I: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $10,000

Building Strong Brains and Strong Families

Building Strong Brains and Strong Families: Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) at the Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County
Funding Source: State of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Initiative
Grant Number: #35910-02117
Dates: 7/1/2016-6/30/2017
PI: Andrea D Clements, Ph.D.; Co-I: Becky Haas
Amount Funded: $119,552

Model to Interrupt Social Determinants of Rural Health

Funding Source: BlueCross BlueShield Foundation of Tennessee Health Foundation 
Grant Number: 259651 
Dates: 10/2016-07/2017 
Co-I: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $25,000

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences and infectious disease risk: a pilot study in South Africa
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Major Grant
Grant Number: 17-020M
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Dates: 07/2016-06/2017
Funding Amount: $9,960

Adverse Childhood Experiences in South Africa

Adverse Childhood Experiences in South Africa: understanding childhood trauma in Munsieville
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Small Grant
Grant Number: 16-023sm
Dates: 03/2016-08/2016
PI: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $1,500

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences among Mothers and Daughters in South Central Appalachia
Funding Source: East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee, Small Grant
Grant Number: 16-014sm
Dates: 03/2016-08/2016
Co-I: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $1,500

Adult health outcomes

Adult health outcomes: Impact of childhood adversity and preventive care on inpatient health risks
Funding Sourc: ETSU Research Development Committee Major Grant
Grant Number: 14-012M
Dates: 07/2013-06/2014
Co-I: Megan Quinn, DrPH
Funding Amount: $9,988




Selected Publications

Under Review 2025 

Hedrick, M.J. & Clements, A.D. (2025). An Evaluation of Trauma-Informed Practice Implementation in K-12 Education. Discover Education (under review). https://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6323703/v1 

Hedrick, M.J. & Simpson, T.A. (2025). Weaving the Intersectional Identities of Appalachians: Implications for Psychologists. Journal of Appalachian Studies (under review). 

Simpson T.A. & Hedrick, M.J. (2025). What Makes an Appalachian? An intersectional psychological investigation of Appalachian Identity and protective factors. Journal of Appalachian Studies (under review). 

Hedrick, M.J. & Andrea C. Clements. (2025). Overcoming Distrust: Community Visits as a Method for Understanding Addiction and Faith-Based Resources in Rural Appalachian Communities. Journal of Appalachian Studies (under review). 

Masiello, A.D., Davis, C., Hedrick, M.J., & Clements, A.D. (2025). Modification of a religious commitment measure to include virtual religious gatherings in the US. Journal of Religion and Health (under review). 

Hedrick, M.J., Templeton, J., Sigunov, A., & Clements, A.D. (2025). Item Development and Preliminary Validation of the Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (VACE). https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5275892   

Hedrick, M.J., Sigunov, A., Clark, L.F., Clements, A.D., Quinn, M., Love, T.R., & Dixon, W.E. (2025). Translating the Science of Resilience and Trauma to Build a Better Workplace: Lessons Learned in a Community-Based Translational Project. Progress in Community Health Partnerships (under review). 

2024 

Hedrick, M.J., Bonnagio, T., Sellers, E.W., & Clements, A.D. (2024). The cognitive tasks and event-related potentials associated with early life adversity/trauma: A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0149763424000423 

2023 

Oliver, M.J., Barnet, J. & Clements, A.D. (2023). Further Validation of the Religious Surrender and Attendance Scale-3 (RSAS-3). Substance Abuse and Misuse. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2023.2231068  

Hedrick, M.J. & Clements, A.D. (2023). Loss of rural Appalachian recovery meetings from before to after COVID-19. Journal of Rural Mental Health. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Frmh0000235 

2022 

Clements, A. D., Brown, L., Steckel, S., Quinn, M., van Zyl, M. A., Morelen, D., & Dixon, W. E., Jr. (2022). Measuring trauma resilience in higher education settings in Trauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education (Thompson, P. & Carello, J., eds.). Palgrave McMillan, Cham. 

Clements, A. D., Brown, L., Steckel, S., Quinn, M., van Zyl, M. A., Morelen, D., & Dixon, Wallace E., Jr. (2022). Higher Education Trauma Resilience Assessment (HETRA) in Trauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education (Thompson, P. & Carello, J., eds.). Palgrave McMillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92705-9    

Clements, A. D., Unterrainer, H. F., Cook, C. C. H. (2022). Editorial: Human connection as a treatment for addiction. Frontiers in Psychology: Health Psychology, 13, Article 964671.  

2021 

Dolson, R. I., Morelen, D., Dodd, J., & Clements, A. D. (2021). Pocket ACE: Child sexual abuse survivors missed by the ACEs Study Questionnaire. Child Abuse & Neglect, 117. 

Stinson, J.D., Quinn, M.A., Menditto, A.A., & LeMay, C.C. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences and the onset of aggression and criminality in a forensic inpatient sample. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health.  

Haas, B., & Clements, A. D. (2021). Increasing Empathy Through Trauma Informed Policing. Police Chief, 88(10), 30-36. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/increasing-empathy-through-trauma-informed-policing/  

2020  

Kim, J. J., Kaplan, H. M., Oliver, M. J., & Whitmoyer, N. S. (2020). Comparing Compassionate Love and Empathy as Predictors of Transgression-General and Transgression-Specific Forgiveness. Journal of Psychology and Theology. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0091647120926482  

2018 

Morelen, D., Muzik, M., & Rosenblum, K. (2018). Childhood Maltreatment and Motherhood: Implications for Maternal Well-Being and Mothering. In M. Muzik & K.L. Rosenblum (eds.), Motherhood in the Face of Trauma: Pathways of Healing and Growth. NY: Springer. 

Selected Presentations

"Interpersonal Connection: Prevention and Treatment of Problematic Substance Use and Many of Its Related Health and Social Problems" at the 2025 Syndemic Summit.

"The Power of Being There: Practicing Collaboration and Mutuality to Foster Flourishing in Rural Appalachia." Interactive session presented at the Annual STRONG ACC Resilience Conference.

"Trauma-Informed Care 101: Applications to Foster Care & Child Development." Northeast Faith Leader Coalition for Tennessee Kids Belong

"When Disasters Strike Your Community." Panel Presentation at the 2025 National Child Traumatic Stress Network: All Network Conference.

"Foundational ACEs & Trauma-Informed Care." 4-hour training delivered to 30 nursing faculty, ETSU College of Nursing.

"Applying Resilience and Trauma Research to Improve the Workplace." Northeast Tennessee Regional Trauma-Informed Care Network, online.

"CARE-ing About Resilience: Skills Introduction to Building Positive Child-Adult Interactions." Workshop at Strengthening Tennessee Families: A Collaborative Prevention Conference.

"Substance Exposure in Kids and Teens: Hair Testing and Tools." Attorneys, Judges, and Family Court, Virginia Family Courts.

"Breaking the cycle of incarceration through trauma-informed employment practices." ETSU Strong Brain Institute Resilience Presentation Series.

"Creating Trauma-Informed Middle and High Schools." Resilient Series.

"Introduction to Trauma Responsive Practices." Open Training to ETSU Undergraduates

"Interpersonal Connection Leads You and Your Patients Toward Flourishing." Practice & Presence workshop, Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative at Duke Divinity School.

"Workplace toxic avengers unite! How to recognize toxicity in the workplace and what to do about it." UAB National Alumni Society.

"Trauma and Addiction." Christian Recovery Networking Day, Granton Baptist Church in Scotland.

"5-Hour Basics of Trauma, Resilience, ACEs, and Using a Trauma-Informed Approach Train the Trainer." Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA. Open free training to the public.

"Reflective Leadership." Evidence-Based Home Visitors.

"Caring for Patients with Trauma Histories." Invited talk at the 26th Annual Louis A. Cancellaro Primary Care Conference (March 23, 2023).

"Promoting Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in the Higher Education Classroom." Panel presentation at the American Psychological Association meeting, Washington, DC.

Student Theses and Other Projects

Altschuler, R., Caselman, G., Hinkle, M., & Dodd, J. (2019). Anxiety mediates the relationship between sexual trauma stigma and somatic health complaints. Oral presentation presented at the annual Appalachian Student Research Forum, Johnson City, TN.

Bishop, K. E., Clements, A. D., & Hoots, V. (2019). Trauma-Informed Care: Implementation Efforts in Northeast Tennessee. Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 483. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/483

Brady, E., Henderson, H., Hoots, V., Barnet, J., & Clements, A. D. (2019). Physical abuse in pregnant Appalachian mothers: Associations with religious values and forgiveness. Poster presented at the Appalachian Student Research Forum, Johnson City, TN.

Dolson, R. A., Morelen, D., Dodd, J., & Clements, A. (2019). Pocket ace: Neglect of child sexual abuse survivors in the ACE study questionnaire. Oral presentation presented at the annual Appalachian Student Research Forum, Johnson City, TN.

Heineken, K., Morelen, D., & Clingensmith, R. (2019). Mindfulness and Religiosity/Spirituality as Protecting Factors for Internalizing Symptoms Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Moderated Moderation Model. Paper presented at East Tennessee State University’s Boland Symposium, Johnson City, TN.

Najm, J., Morelen, D., (April, 2019). Adverse Childhood Experiences, Emotion Socialization, and Substance Use: A moderator model. Paper presentation at Appalachian Student Research Forum. Johnson City, TN

Kuku, O., Caselman, G., Dodd, J., Alu, S., Arnett, B., Barker, M., & Taylor, L. (2018). Association between depression and physical health among college adults:  The mediating roles of physical inactivity and diet. Poster presented at the annual Appalachian Student Research Forum, Johnson City, TN.

Unzueta, C. V., & Clements, A. D. (2017) The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Intrinsic Religiosity in Southern Appalachia, Undergraduate Honors Thesis. https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1420&context=honors