Barbara Ball, Ph.D., LPC-AT, Research Scientist

“I am passionate about developing and coordinating research and programs at the community level so that children and youth have the opportunity to develop positive relationships, succeed academically and live healthy lives.”

Barbara Ball, PhD, is a research scientist at the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing. As an art therapist, program developer, and evaluator she has focused on supporting children and youth who have experienced violence and abuse, trauma and adversity. Her passion is in bridging research and practice and in improving systems, including schools, foster care, and mental health to help children thrive. In her current role, she uses her experience with direct practice and community collaborations to design research in child welfare, sexual and behavioral health, homelessness, and violence prevention.

She is currently the Principal Investigator for the evaluation of THRIVE, a promising sexual health intervention that engages youth in congregate care settings and their caregivers. Other projects have included leadership of the Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative, a statewide learning community that built capacity across child welfare and adolescent health systems to promote optimal health for child welfare-involved youth. The Texas Youth Permanency Study followed youth aging out of the foster care system over a 3-year period and examined factors that increase relational permanency, social emotional wellbeing, and positive outcomes in emerging adulthood.  Most recently, she expanded on that work by conducting a community-participatory study on homelessness among youth with history in foster care in Austin/Travis County.

Prior to joining the Institute, she worked for 15 years at the SAFE Alliance in Austin as Director for Evaluation and Training of Expect Respect, a teen dating and sexual violence prevention program. She was the primary author of the Expect Respect program manual, provided training locally and nationally, and coordinated the program evaluation in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also chaired community coalitions and assisted school districts with development of policy, staff training, and parent workshops.

Dr. Ball earned a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and a Doctorate in Art Education at New York University.

barbara.ball@austin.utexas.edu