Do we need specialised therapeutic programs for children under 10 who engage in Problematic andHarmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB)?

Dr Jane Silovsky

Professor of Pediatrics, OUHSC

Jane Silovsky, Ph.D., is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). She serves as the CMRI/Jean Gumerson Endowed Chair and Director of the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN). Starting in 1996, Dr. Silovsky directed CCAN’s Treatment Program for Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB). She is a licensed psychologist and an initial developer of the Preschool Treatment Program for Children with Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSB-CBT-P). Dr. Silovsky directs the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth, a training and technical assistance center.

Professor Dolores Bigfoot 

Presidential Professor of Pediatrics, OUHSC

Dolores Subia BigFoot, PhD. is an enrolled member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma with an acknowledgement to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe where her children are enrolled.  She is a Presidential Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and directs the Indian Country Child Trauma Center where she is recognized for her efforts to bring traditional American Indian practices and beliefs into the formal teaching and instruction of professionals working with Native populations.

Dr. BigFoot developed the Project Making Medicine clinical treatment training program with the focus toward culturally effective treatment for American Indian and Alaska Native children exposed to trauma, such as child maltreatment, violence, and other types of harm. She directs the cultural enhancement of evidence-based treatments for use with American Indian/Alaska Native children titled Honoring Children Series consisting of the four following EBT.

Dr. BigFoot trains mental health providers in the Honoring Children, Mending the Circle protocol, the cultural enhancement of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy Series which is considered the gold standard in cultural enhancements of EBT for Indian Country.  She also serves as faculty with the National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth which developed the Restoring the Sacred Circle, a resource for addressing problematic sexual behaviors for children and youth in Indian Country.  She also co-developed training of the cultural enhancement of Parent Child Interaction Therapy which supports parents in promoting positive parental interactions with their children in a structured protocol.

In 2020, she became director of the SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a $37M+ award to address suicide prevention efforts across the US and US territories. In addition, Dr. BigFoot was appointed to the national Commission on Native Children beginning in June, 2017, where she served until the 2024 publication of the Commission report titled, Cultural Forward. She has developed numerous culturally based curricula, author of peer reviewed articles and co-author of a recently published book, Spiritual Healing for Trauma and Addiction. Her next book under contract is on suicide prevention and loss.  She is a daughter, mother, and grandmother which are the roles that drive her work.