PEP-C

The Program for Emotional Problems in Children (PEP-C) was developed with the assistance of the Jane Lawton Trust to identify and treat children and adolescents from Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) who may be at-risk for developing emotional problems. This program was established by the Department of Psychology and Psychological Services Center (PSC) as part of its community outreach mission, and represents a continuation and expansion of ongoing services provided by the PSC to children and families in our community.

Evidence-based assessment and intervention services at PEP-C are available in both English and Spanish. PEP-C provides services to families and children experiencing problems such as social adjustment, emotional distress due to intergenerational and acculturation issues, mild depression and anxiety, and behavioral difficulties. Clinical services to be provided to the MDCPS children include free screening for emotional problems, triaging to the appropriate treatment program, as well as providing direct clinical services, including individual therapy and school-based group therapy. PEP-C is dedicated to providing low-cost services to children from MDCPS. We also provide educational workshops in the community in order to better help teachers, counselors, and parents with the early identification of children with emotional problems, so these children may receive help sooner.

MDCPS School Counselors and Psychologists are a crucial asset to serving the emotional and psychological needs of students. It is our hope that PEP-C will reach those children who may need more individualized and comprehensive psychological care than the school has the availability to offer.

For further information, please contact us at (305) 284-4265 or you may email us at UM.PEPC@gmail.com. Calls and emails received after-hours or on weekends will not be returned until the next business day. Our Doctoral level Graduate Assistants can provide families with general information about our services and will complete brief phone screenings with parents of children and adolescents seeking services in the PEP-C program.

Graduate Assistants

Niza Tonarely, M.S.
Niza is a fifth-year graduate student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at the University of Miami. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Boston College and her MA in psychology from Boston University. After graduating she spent several years as a research coordinator in the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Section at the Joslin Diabetes Center. Her research interests include the development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for youth mood and anxiety disorders. Specifically, she is interested in exploring the developmental risk factors and protective processes that influence these disorders in order to inform effective treatment development.

Dylan Braun
Dylan is a third-year graduate student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at the University of Miami. He was born and raised California, and has lived in both Boston and New York before moving to Miami. Dylan attended Tufts University for undergrad, where he majored in Clinical Psychology and Child Development. His work focuses on the assessment and treatment of youth with anxiety, depression and related concerns. He also has experience administering psychoeducational evaluations with children. In his spare time, Dylan enjoys road trips and meals with friends.

Evan Burdette
Evan Burdette is a second-year graduate student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at the University of Miami. Before joining our program, Evan spent time in Philadelphia, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience from Temple University. Evan currently conducts treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders and evaluates children and teens for learning and attention disorders at the University of Miami's Psychological Services Center. In his spare time, Evan enjoys cooking, reading, and going to the beach.

The Program for Emotional Problems in Children (PEP-C) is located in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. The Department of Psychology is housed in the Flipse Building on the University's main Coral Gables campus. Services are either school-based (group therapy) or are provided at the University of Miami's PSC (individual therapy), which is on the Second Floor of the Flipse Building on 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33146-0751

A map of the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus with the Flipse Building circled may be found at: Contact Us. The PSC is accessible by Metrorail, with the Flipse Building located approximately two blocks south of the University Station. If arriving at the Flipse Building by car, please park in on the third through fifth floors of the Ponce de Leon garage, immediately adjacent to the Flipse Building (near Lennar). Once you enter the Psychological Services Center, please tell the receptionist or desk assistant the name of the PEP-C staff member you are meeting.