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Clinical Assistant Professor Danielle Dufresne is the associate center director at 911����'s Center for Community Mental Health (CCMH). A member of 911����’s Psychology Department since 2019, Dufresne is responsible for training new clinicians and overseeing every psychological/behavioral/cognitive assessment at the Fairfax-based center.  

Colleagues have applauded Dufresne’s leadership, integrity, and commitment to supporting her trainees. She has made notable contributions that have improved the capabilities of the center and furthered the university’s dedication to innovation and supporting its students. For these reasons, Dufresene has been named April Employee of the Month. 

In her nomination, CCMH director Robyn Mehlenbeck mentioned Dufresne’s accomplishments, including creating, in collaboration with the director of the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a therapy-friendly approach to ADHD testing. “Dr. Dufresne is truly committed to helping each individual grow professionally, and her impact has been significant,” said Mehlenbeck. “She helps oversee our internship program and helps with procedures and policies necessary for a nonprofit community mental health center. We have a small but mighty staff, and I have personally been impressed by Dr. Dufresne’s consistent mentoring of our staff, as well as our trainees.” 

Leah Adams, CCMH’s associate director of clinical training, said Dufresne has elevated the training experiences of all who train at the center. “Conducting high-quality comprehensive assessments is a time-intensive endeavor, and Danielle is with our trainees at each step of the way, providing close, supportive mentorship, and going above and beyond to meet them at their individual levels of need.” 

Psychology professor Jerome Short, one of the CCMH faculty supervisors, spoke highly of Dufresne’s mentoring of doctoral students. “She has generously provided template models of psychological assessment reports, demonstrated administration of neuropsychological and achievement tests, and consulted with me as an instructor and supervisor to doctoral students about how to best assess their first clients in their first psychological assessment courses. This has allowed more people in the community with limited economic resources to receive reduced fee services and gain accommodations in their community colleges, universities, and workplaces.” 

“Dr. Dufresne exemplifies the highest standards of ethical integrity, mentorship, and student- centered learning,” said doctoral student Sasha Hickham. “Her commitment to student success is unparalleled: Her unique approach emphasizes quality over quantity, a culture of collaboration across all academic levels, and forward-thinking innovation to meet the evolving mental health needs of our local community.” 

How did you come to Mason: 

After being in private practice for several years, having previously worked with another psychologist and mentor or in large group and community practices, I found myself missing the collaboration and exchanges that come with working directly with colleagues. So, having already had an interest in moving to the area, but not quite ready to leave my practice and family, I began looking for a position in psychological assessment—my area of focus, that would allow me to collaborate with others more regularly. That lead me to 911���� and CCMH (Center for Psychological Services when I started). I met with Robyn Mehlenbeck and other faculty and knew quickly that this was my next step and was excited when the position was offered. I juggled traveling weekly and wearing multiple hats and have found so much growth and community here.  

Best day on the job: 

I had to think about this one because the ongoing opportunity for growth also means frequently challenging yourself, so while there have been many great days, there have been many hard ones as well. Great days include those where you see a trainee feel successful and when you hear the feedback from students around their positive training experiences or have an opportunity to meaningfully support a trainee in their next steps or through a challenging experience. Engaging with colleagues around intentional and strategic growth has also been exciting because of the engagement of so many creative and dedicated people. I would say, however, one of the best days was actually during COVID closures. I had the opportunity—along with other key people including Robyn Mehlenbeck—to meet with [College of Humanities and Social Sciences] dean [Ann] Ardis to re-start psychological assessment services through a hybrid testing model ... Meeting with such important people, presenting on my ideas and speaking on my area of expertise, felt… like a benchmark in the culmination of my work and dedication to training.  

What do you like best about working at Mason: 

The most valuable part about being part of 911���� and CCMH has been the community. The support, ability to collaborate and consult, and the opportunities not only for your own growth, but the ability to support others in their own, has been the most satisfying part of this time. Not every week is easy, but every week offers the chance to challenge yourself.  

What do you like to do when you’re not working: 

I spend time with my loved ones. That may be a standing Sunday movie date—something about going to a theater is still so fun, going out for a bite to eat and catch up on the week, or we feed our competitive energy in video games. I don’t usually win, but we laugh a lot.