Meet the team

Sandra Gossart-Walker is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the Yale Child Study Center. As the project director for the Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project, Sandi integrates reflective practice and mentalization theory to support healthcare professionals in delivering sensitive care to bereaved families. Sandi has been working with families affected by HIV/AIDS since 1992, providing mental health and support services in home, community and office settings. In addition, she provides mental health services and supervision at the Child Study Center’s In-Home Service and Outpatient Clinic.

Dr. Nancy Borstelmann is a Clinical Instructor and Chief of Family Behavioral Health Services in Hematology/Oncology at the Yale Child Study Center. Prior to starting her position at Yale, Nancy was the Senior Director of Social Work at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Chief of the Division of Social Work in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care. She is a licensed clinical social worker whose career has been focused on serving patients and families coping with the impact of serious illness through direct clinical roles, program development, education, and leadership. Nancy specializes in family caregivers’ challenges, living with life-limiting illness as a family, and integrating the needs of children when a parent has cancer.

Dakota Becker, LMSW, is mental health clinician and a community clinical faculty at Yale Child Study Center. Dakota specializes in childhood bereavement; providing psychotherapy to grieving children and their families. As part of the Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project, she focuses on enhancing community partnerships and disseminating grief education in a culturally-sensitive and developmentally-informed way. Dakota is dedicated to supporting health and mental health care professionals in delivering grief-sensitive care, to ensure that no child or caregiver grieves alone.

Dr. Amanda Chiapa is an Associate Research Scientist and a licensed clinical psychologist at the Yale Child Study Center. She has a background in pediatric psychology and researching and providing evidence-based interventions to diverse populations. As a member of the Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project, she strives to understand the needs of providers and families to optimize quality of care in the healthcare setting.

Dr. Celeste Poe is a Clinical Assistant Professor and pediatric and perinatal psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Poe is the Director of the NICU Psychology program at Stanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and works primarily with pregnant and postpartum parents and young children. As an early childhood and perinatal mental health specialist working in the medical setting, she is passionate about supporting young children, parents, and healthcare workers in navigating circumstances of grief, trauma, and bereavement.

Kathy Armstrong is a Research Associate at the Yale Child Study Center. Kathy has many years of experience working directly with children and families, and is passionate about developing community relationships. As part of the Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project, Kathy leads dissemination  efforts by facilitating outreach to healthcare organizations and training programs throughout the country.