Curriculum Vitae
115 Franklin St., Suite 1A, Bangor, ME 04401
(207) 942-3635/(207) 478-9278 (cell)
Fax: (207) 941-1933/[email protected]
http://www.dianetenniesphd.com/
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
1997
PhD, Psychology - University of Maine (APA-accredited program), Orono, ME
1984
B.A. (Magna Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa), Psychology and Human Services, State
University of New York, Buffalo, NY
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES/CREDENTIALS
1996
Alcohol and Drug Counselor, (License number LC1572)
1998
Psychologist (License number PS955)
1999
Court-Rostered, State of Maine Guardian ad Litem
2008
Completed certification program for Parenting Coordinator
2012
National Register Health Service Psychologist (#53561)
BOARD MEMBER
Maine Psychological Association, President 2014 – present; Chair of Legislative Committee, 2008 – 2013
Penquis Steering Committee for Penobscot County, 2009 – 2014; Governing Board 2012 – 2014; Finance
Committee 2010 - 2012
Maine Guardian ad Litem Institute Executive Committee, 2008 – present
Rape Response Services, Board Chair, 2006 – 2014
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
Adjunct Undergraduate Faculty - Criminal Justice, Husson University, Bangor, Maine, 2014 – 2015
• Forensic Psychology
Adjunct Graduate Faculty – Clinical Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 2008 - present
MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATIONS
American Psychological Association
Maine Psychological Association
American Psychology – Law Society, Division 41
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
FORENSIC EXPERIENCES
September 1998 - Present
In a private practice with specialty in psychological evaluations and forensic services including:
• Evaluation of criminal defendants, including the assessment of adjudicative competence,
criminal responsibility, and violence risk
• Qualified as expert witness in District, Superior, and Probate Courts in Maine as well as
Federal District Court for State of Maine
• Risk Assessments for violence and sexual offending in adolescents and adults
• Social security evaluations
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Curriculum Vitae
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Eligibility evaluations for Developmental Disability Services
Parental capacity evaluations
Child maltreatment risk assessments
September 1999 – Present
Guardian ad Litem, appointed by the court to represent the best interest of children in a divorce or
parental rights and responsibility case. Also provided co-parenting coaching and functioned as a
parenting coordinator until 2013.
September 2002 – Present
Presenter for ‘For Kids Sake’, which provides mandated co-parenting education to parents involved
in parental rights and responsibilities litigation in Penobscot county.
October, 2007 – Present
Forensic Evaluator for State Forensic Service, conducting court-ordered evaluations regarding
Competence to Stand Trial and Criminal Responsibility/Abnormal Condition of the Mind
January 2013 – Present
Evaluator for the Court Ordered Diagnostic Evaluation Project (CODE) providing forensic child
maltreatment evaluations in child protective matters.
October 2006 – November 2012
Certified as a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) to conduct Department of Transportation
(DOT) requested evaluations on individuals who have violated DOT’s drug and alcohol regulations.
May 2003 – December 2012
Evaluator and peer reviewer (2005- 2009) for Child Abuse and Neglect Evaluators Project
(CANEP) conducting forensic child maltreatment evaluations for courts in child protective matters.
June 2003 – October 2008
Evaluator for New Horizons for Young Women, a residential treatment program for young women.
CLINICAL/CONSULTING EXPERIENCES
July 2003 – Present
Employee assistance services provided to Families and Children Together (FACT).
August 2010 – Present
National Health Consultant for Job Corps, providing consultation on substance abuse policy
implementation and compliance to Job Corps’ Wellness Programs at centers in the Boston,
Philadelphia and San Francisco regions for the National Office of Job Corps through a subcontract
with Humanitas, Inc. in Silver Spring, MD.
April 2009 – July 2013
Consultant to Behavioral Health Center at Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor Maine.
April 1997 – July 2001
Psychologist and Dual Diagnosis Program Coordinator at Northeast Occupational Exchange, a
community mental health agency.
September 1994 – September 1995
Intern, Veteran's Administration Medical and Regional Office, Togus, ME.
August 1989 – September 1994
Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse (AODA) Coordinator, Penobscot Job Corps, Bangor, ME.
September 1987 – April 1991
Behavioral Medicine Consultant, Family Practice Residency, Eastern Maine Medical Center.
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Curriculum Vitae
May 1988 – April 1990
Case Manager and Consultant, Homestead Project, Inc., Ellsworth, ME.
SELECT PANELS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Guardian ad Litem’s: A Survey of New Challenges and Old Duties – A series of four presentations
sponsored by Maine Guardian ad Litem Institute presented in Rockland, Houlton, Waterville and Lewiston
Maine on 10/20-10/23/2014.
Improved Identification of Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment - 06/27/2014 at Maine
Child Welfare Conference in Orono, Maine.
Trauma Exposure Response: Management and Strategies – 06/13/2014 at Families and Children
Together (FACT) in Bangor, Maine.
It’s Complicated: Co-Occurring Disorders in Parents and how to Support Reunification –
04/04/2014 at Statewide Multi-stakeholder Child Protection Conference in Portland, Maine.
Reunification is the Goal: Now What? – 04/03/2014 at the Statewide Multi-stakeholder Child Protection
Conference in Portland, Maine.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment and Issues of Adult Mental Health – 03/05/2014 at
the CASA Guardian ad Litem training sponsored by Administrative Office of the Courts in Augusta, Maine.
It’s All about Motivation: Getting Clients to do What Needs to be Done - 10/25/2013 at the
Administrative Offices of the Courts Annual Court Improvement Grant Conference in Portland, Maine.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment and Issues of Adult Mental Health – 08/07/2013 at
the CASA Guardian ad Litem training sponsored by Administrative Office of the Courts in Augusta, Maine.
Collaborative Law and Divorce: A More Humane Process for Families: 05/14/2013 at the Tuesday
Forums for Women in Bangor, Maine.
It Starts with You: Dealing with Difficult People and Situations – 05/01/2013 at the annual Clerks of the
Courts conference in Freeport, Maine.
The Changing Terrain: Successfully Navigating the Divorce/Separation Process with Clients 04/09/2013 at Maine Counselor’s Association Annual Meeting in Rockland, Maine.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment and Issues of Adult Mental Health – 03/06/2013 at
the CASA Guardian ad Litem training sponsored by Administrative Office of the Courts in Augusta, Maine.
Traumatic Exposure Response: Your ABC’s – 02/14/2013 at the Administrative Office of the Courts for
Judicial Personnel.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment and Issues of Adult Mental Health – 11/09/2012 at
the CASA Guardian ad Litem training sponsored by Administrative Office of the Courts in Augusta, Maine.
Working with a Psychologist in PTSD and “Soft Tissue” Cases – 06/23/2012 at the Maine Bar
Association Summer Meeting in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Parental Alienation: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and How to Intervene – 05/11/2012 For Kids Sake
Conference in Bangor, Maine.
Parental Alienation: How to Intervene – 01/13/2012 at the Maine Bar Association Conference for
Guardian ad Litems in Freeport, Maine.
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Curriculum Vitae
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 10/21/2011 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Courts in Maine.
The New Designer Drugs - 08/29/2011 at the National Equal Opportunity Training Symposium in
Washington DC.
Effective Representation of Clients with Mental Illness – 06/02/2011 at Communication and Motivation:
Keys to Effective Representation of Parents in Child Protection Cases, a State-wide conference for Defense
Attorneys sponsored by the Maine Administrative Office of the Courts.
Not Your Mother’s Drugs: Synthetic Cannabinoids – 11/19/2010 at the National Health and Wellness
Conference for Job Corps in Orlando, Florida.
Vicarious Trauma of Judicial Personnel – 3/38/2010 at Risk and Reunification State-Wide Conference
for Judicial Personnel.
Impact of Mental Illness on Families – 3/29/2010 at Risk and Reunification State-Wide Conference for
Judicial Personnel.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 10/03/2009 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Court.
Vicarious Trauma as it relates to Teachers - 06/04/2009 – School Union 98 Administrators.
Borderline Personality Disorder and Its Implications for Vocational Rehabilitation - 05/07/2009 –
Vocational Rehabilitation Services of Maine.
Impact of Mental Illness on Parenting in Child Protective and Family Matters cases – 10/28/2008 The Brown Bag Lecture Series by For Kids’ Sake.
Highly Challenging Clients: Axis II and What Do You Do? – 10/03/2008 - Kids First Annual
Conference, Freeport, ME.
Vicarious Trauma, Plenary Presentation on Risk and Reunification Conference on April 3, 2008.
Risk and Reunification in Child Protective Matters. Breakout workshop for Risk and Reunification
Conference on April 3 and 4, 2008.
Impact of Mental Illness on Parenting – sponsored by Court Improvement Grant through Administrative
Offices of the Courts. Series of eleven workshops presented across the state from 11/2007 – 01/2008.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 11/02/2007 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Court.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 11/03/2006 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Court.
Vicarious Trauma Workshop – sponsored by Judicial Branch. Workshop for Judicial personnel 03/26/06.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 11/01/2005 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Court.
Risk Factors Associated with Child Maltreatment – 10/01/2004 at the Guardian ad Litem training
sponsored by Family Division and the Court Services Advisory Committee of District Court.
Parental Alienation - 01/27 & 02/24/2004 presentation - The Brown Bag Lecture Series sponsored by For
Kids’ Sake.
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Curriculum Vitae
Domestic Violence - 03/25/2003 presentation - The Brown Bag Lecture Series sponsored by For Kids’
Sake.
Psychiatric Problems &Parenting - 04/22 & 05/27/2003 - The Brown Bag Lecture Series by For Kids’
Sake.
High Conflict Families and Divorce: Understanding Personality Problems - 06/17 & 07/22/2003
presentation for The Brown Bag Lecture Series sponsored by For Kids’ Sake.
REFERENCES
Provided upon request 1
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Updated 05/01/2015
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