Trish Cox, Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work, joined the NH-ME LEND faculty in 2016 as a mentor to the program’s social work trainees. Trish holds master’s degrees in Special Education and Social Work. She is a certified Child Life Specialist with expertise in developmentally appropriate interventions that reduce fear, anxiety, and pain for children. She also worked as an Out-of-District Transition Special Education Coordinator for the Portsmouth School Department. Trish has held leadership positions within the Child Life Council, the board of Richie McFarland Children’s Center, and the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NH-NASW). She was recently appointed to the NASW National Board.
Trish is most enthusiastic about her work on the Collective Vision for Early Childhood Education (2017-2019) at UNH. Holding several summits over two years, the Promotion of Early Childhood Coalition (PECC) initiative convened educators, civic organizations, elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists committed to helping all children of New Hampshire to succeed and lay a foundation for addressing the diverse challenges facing our children. The PECC laid the foundation for UNH to secure a $26.8 million Preschool Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in December 2019.
Trish reflects, “My past work on the board of Richie McFarland Children’s Center, my focus on early childhood education during my master’s education at Banks Street College, and my experience as a LEND trainee while achieving my MSW at UNH, all came together in these meetings. We were able to highlight how complex the systems are that families need to navigate in order to coordinate care for their children.”
To learn more about the Preschool Development Grant visit www.education.nh.gov/pdg/index.htm
