Dr. Marsha Richardson is a clinical psychologist by training and a professional program administrator. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Widener University’s School of Human Service Professions. She joined the faculty as a Seminar Leader in the School and Mental Health Counseling Program in 2009 and was promoted to full time Lecturer in 2011. Previously, she taught in the masters’ programs at Arcadia and Chestnut Hill Universities and LaSalle University’s doctoral program. She also served as the community representative of LaSalle’s Internal Review Board.

Her extensive professional experience as a practitioner includes providing clinical and managerial oversight of a school-based mental health program that specializes in the utilization of Nicholas Hobbs and the PEP model of care for behaviorally challenged children and adolescents. She was the clinical director of an acute level treatment facility for adolescent females with significant trauma utilizing dialectical behavioral therapy and the Sanctuary Model of Trauma-Informed Care. She served as the clinical supervisor and program director of Devereux’s treatment foster care, outpatient services, wrap-around services and family-based services, as well as clinical supervisor for their residential treatment facility. Her leadership roles within mental health agencies span several agencies within the Philadelphia and Chester counties. Her technical writing and program development efforts resulted in the development of programs such as a community-based residential program for former institutionalized men, a subacute diagnostic unit in West Philadelphia, and a counseling program in a women’s self-sufficiency program.

Research Interests and Current Projects

Dr. Richardson’s primary interest in professional development afforded her opportunities to assist in the development of a county-wide symposium on child resiliency in collaboration with Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities, the Department of Human Services, and the Philadelphia Alliance; serve as a provider representative in the Philadelphia Alliance and Pennsylvania Council on Child, Youth and Family Services. She also served on the Council of Advocates for the Philadelphia Compact. While at Devereux, she was an adjunct clinical supervisor and instructor for the foundation’s Institute for Clinical Training and Research and assisted in the development of their national Cultural Diversity Curriculum for post-doctoral interns. Through PCCYFS, Dr. Richardson also provides several trainings and lectures on child/adolescent development and diversity throughout the year for many direct-service paraprofessionals and government social service employees. In 2001, she participated in a USAID partnership between Ukrainian medical professionals and Philadelphian multidisciplinary team in Kiev, Ukraine, providing consultation and training to Ukrainian doctors and nurses in an effort to improve service delivery in a family medical polyclinic in Kiev.

She maintains a small private practice and provides consultative services in personal development, effective communication, and program development to independent providers.

Publications

Selected Publications

Richardson, M. Suicide risk factors: Identify and help. Workshop for girls of Philadelphia. In collaboration with School District of Philadelphia, 2011.

Richardson, M. Case management/clinical documentation. Workshop. In collaboration with School District of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Families. Philadelphia, PA 2010.

Richardson, M. Child and adolescent development. Workshop. In collaboration with School District of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Families. Philadelphia, PA 2010.

Richardson, M. Cultural competency in child welfare. Workshop, Pennsylvania Council for Children, Youth and Family Services, Philadelphia, PA. 2009.

Richardson, M. Cultural competency in fostercare. Presentation, It’s My Life National Conference, Casey Foundation, Las Angeles, CA, 2008.

Richardson, M. Becoming a culturally competent counselor. Workshop, Project Transition, Chestnut Hill, PA, 2008.

Richardson, M. Mental health services for children in Philadelphia, Corporate presentation, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health, Philadelphia, PA 2008.

Richardson, M. Cultural diversity series. Workshop and lectures, Institute for Clinical Training and Research, Devereux Foundation, Villanova, PA. 2006 - 2007.

Richardson, M. Coping with stress: Navigating law school and entry into the workforce. Workshop, Widener School of Law: Women of Widener Law Group, Wilmington, DE, 2003.

News & Media

Penn GSE News

‘Educators are focusing on the student’s behavior, as opposed to the underlying potential causes of the behavior’

Leading an EDTECH WEEK Masterclass, Marsha Richardson said educators need to take care of their own wellness needs, as well as those of their students.

June 8, 2020

As the school year starts, communication is key for parents

Penn GSE’s Marsha Richardson tells the Tampa Bay Times the most important thing parents can do to support their child is to know them.

July 31, 2018

In the Media

Projects for Progress, two years in

Colleagues from Penn GSE and the Netter Center were honored for being selected in the first cohort of the new Projects for Progress award.

Penn Today | October 18, 2022

Six tips to help explain the realities of war to children

Marsha Richardson discusses how to explain the realities of war to children. “When it comes to issues like this, sometimes we can find it hard to connect the dots between a child’s behavior and the events unfolding in the world around them,” she says. “This is about being in tune with and understanding, developmentally, the ways in which these stressful situations might manifest for children.”

Penn Today | February 25, 2022

Inaugural Projects for Progress recipients announced

Caroline Watts, Diane Waff, Zachary Herrmann, Marsha Richardson, and Regina Bynum were selected to implement their initiative “Bridging Gaps and Building Capacity: Student and Educator Supports for School Reopening in Learning Network 2.” The initative will provide evidence-based programming and professional development at one to two summer learning sites in West Philadelphia, followed by network-wide professional learning supports throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

Penn Today | May 18, 2021

Seven minutes of mindfulness a day can improve mental health, Wharton study finds

Marsha Richardson said students often find it easier to connect to students of their age. “Everyone is walking around like they have all their stuff together and they are confident, where in reality there are a large number of students that are very vulnerable and anxious,” Richardson said. “However, when they start to talk about this, they realize that they are not alone and not the only one suffering from these experiences.”

The Daily Pennsylvanian Online | November 4, 2019

Press Releases

Reopening schools alone will not solve student mental health issues, Penn GSE experts say

Caroline Watts and Marsha Richardson say re-opening schools and supporting the mental health of both students and school staff is not an either/or issue.

July 8, 2020

The Educator's Playbook

How parents can help adolescents struggling with anxiety

Marsha Richardson offers ways to help a teen struggling with anxiety

Easing back into the classroom

Parents can help their kids prepare to go back to school in person. Focus on sleep. Talk about fears. And maybe get a new outfit.

Explaining war to children: 6 tips from a Penn GSE expert

Penn GSE’s Dr. Marsha Richardson shares her insights.

Awards & Honors

Marsha Richardson, Senior Lecturer, was selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with Bloomsburg University's McDowell Institute, to become trained as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer. The organization is aiming to certify early career educators and pre-service students in YMHFA, in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s mandates to include trauma-informed pedagogy in training curricula.

Posted on April 15, 2020