Ruth Paris

Ruth Paris is recognized for her expertise in trauma and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), including a particular focus on families struggling with substance and opioid use disorders (SUDs and OUDs). With support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), other federal funders and private foundations, she has developed and evaluated multiple attachment-based interventions targeted at vulnerable families with young children.

Paris’ work is driven by her desire to develop effective and accessible interventions that are feasible in community settings, culturally responsive, benefit families with young children and make substantive sense in the field. Recently, Paris evaluated a dyadic therapeutic parenting intervention, BRIGHT (Building Resilience Through Intervention: Growing Healthier Together), which is offered in substance use treatment programs. She also developed a curriculum guide in association with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which provides more in-depth social work education on infant and early childhood mental health.

She has served as a subject matter expert for SAMHSA/HHS and Mathematica Policy Research regarding interventions for parents with SUDs and their young children. Paris is also an invited member of the Council on Social Work Education steering committee to develop an IECMH curriculum guide for schools of social work.