Suzanne Decker

Suzanne Decker is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine and the Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at the MIRECC (Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center). She is also affiliated with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and the PRIME (Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education) Center. Her research focuses on suicide prevention, emotion dysregulation, and the implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for high-risk populations, particularly veterans.

• Education: PhD (2011) and MA (2007) in Clinical Psychology from Western Michigan University.
• Leadership Roles: Developed the VA Connecticut DBT Skills Group program and leads national training initiatives. She mentors trainees through the MIRECC fellowship program.

Her work emphasizes translating research into clinical practice, with a focus on reducing suicide risk and improving mental health care accessibility for veterans. Dr. Decker collaborates widely and has led multisite trials and implementation studies to adapt evidence-based treatments for diverse populations.

Key contributions include formative evaluations of suicide prevention programs and ethical considerations in clinical documentation. She is a frequent collaborator on studies addressing veterans’ mental health challenges, including military sexual trauma and substance use disorders.