Ben Saunders, Ph.D.

Dr. Ben Saunders is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. There he serves as Director of the Family and Child Program of the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. Dr. Saunders received his Ph.D. in clinical social work from Florida State University, and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker-Clinical Practice. His research, training, and clinical interests include the initial and long term impact of violence and abuse on children and adolescents; the epidemiology of trauma, violence, and abuse; treatment approaches for abused children and their families; and effective methods for disseminating evidence-based practices. His work has been funded by several federal agencies, including the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Justice, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the U.S. Department of the Navy. In 2001 Dr. Saunders was given the Research Career Achievement Award by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. In addition to his research and teaching activities, Dr. Saunders maintains a consulting practice, and often is called as an expert witness in legal cases.