Dr. Dana L. Cunningham was born and raised in Lansing, MI and she now resides in Maryland. Dr. Cunningham obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College and obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Following the completion of her internship at the University of Maryland Medical System/ Maryland Veterans Administration Consortium, Dr. Cunningham completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Cunningham is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and has provided mental health services to culturally diverse children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings including community mental health centers, inpatient hospitals, juvenile detention centers, schools, and her private practice. She is passionate about increasing access to mental health care and decreasing mental health stigma in the Black community.

 

Since 2006, Dr. Cunningham has served as the Program Director of the Prince George’s School Mental Health Initiative, through the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In her role as Program Director, Dr. Cunningham leads a school-based mental health program that provides counseling and support services to students in special education with intensive emotional and behavioral needs. Dr. Cunningham has extensive experience providing professional development and trainings to school staff, as well as technical assistance and support to support local and state agencies as they implemented mental health promotion, youth violence and substance abuse prevention programs. In addition, Dr. Cunningham serves as a Co-Facilitator for the National Practice Group on Cultural Responsiveness and Equity through the National Community of Practice on Collaborative School Behavioral Health. Lastly, Dr. Cunningham is a training consultant for Strategies for Youth, and in that capacity, she provides trainings on adolescent development, mental health, and trauma to police officers throughout the country. Her research and clinical interests include the development and application of evidence-based practices for youth of color, resilience, and trauma-informed practice.

 

Dr. Cunningham has contributed to several articles and presentations on topics related to supporting the mental health needs of children of color and is also the author of a children’s book, A Day I’ll Never Forget, which was developed to support children impacted by parental incarceration. In her spare time, Dr. Cunningham enjoys the challenge of an intense spinning class and discovering new recipes on Pinterest.

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