Mitch Abrams, Psyd Email & Phone Number

I have been working in the sport psychology field for over twenty five years. I am a national expert in Anger Management and Violence Prevention in sport. I am clinically trained so I can assist athletes with management of varying degrees of emotional problems (including formal mental illness) but also work with assisting athletes in removing the mental and emotional obstacles that interfere with peak performance in sport and in life.I have worked with individual athletes, teams, schools, universities, parents and coaches at various levels of competition. An area that I have focused a great deal of time on is Dating, Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention, Assessment and Treatment. I developed the Abrams Model of Sexual Assault Prevention in Sport which is at the intersection of sport and forensic psychology. Because the programs that have been in place for the past decades have demonstrated to not ameliorate the problem, I have developed programs, provided assessment for schools/teams and trained sport psychologists to make a bigger impact on this problem. As a result, I have presented extensively at national sport psychology conferences on these topics. Ultimately, the best model includes comprehensive prevention, risk assessment for alleged transgressors, and treatment to prevent recidivism.I have developed a unique program called Entourage Training which focuses on teaching the necessary skills for athletes to avoid transgressions by having a member of their inner circle educated in gang identification, conflict resolution, anger management and other skills necessary to keep their athletes available for sports participation. Related to sports psychology is performance psychology and this has led me to consult with organizations and executives to maximize productivity and removing the barriers to success.

I oversee all aspects of mental health services for seven of the state prisons in New Jersey, including those with inpatient psychiatric units and the state's sex offender specific institution. I also supervise all psychological testing, oversee domestic violence evaluations and train all of the mental heath clinicians on several topics including: Risk Assessment, Disciplinary Evaluations & Involuntary Medication Procedures. I coordinate the Forensic Track of Rutgers-UBHC Newark's Predoctoral Psychology Internship and am on the Training Committee.

Coordinate Forensic Track of Rutgers UBHC Predoctoral Psychology Internship, Prison Lecture Series, Evidence Based Mental Health lecture on Antisocial Personality Disorder. Lecturer to Forensic Psychiatry Fellows.

My private practice focuses on three basic areas: sports, forensic and clinical psychology. My sport psychology work is done under the auspices of Learned Excellence for Athletes - my consulting company and is covered below.As a forensic psychologist, I complete evaluations related to child custody, risk assessment (as well as needs assessment), criminal responsibility and competence evaluations, and assessment of psychological injury related to personal injury cases. I also provide court mandated therapy: Anger Management as well as Reunification Therapy geared towards assisting children reconnect with parents from whom they have been estranged or alienated putting the best interests of the children first. My extensive experience working in prison systems has allowed me to provide to attorneys perspective that many forensic psychologists do not have. In this vain, I have consulted with attorneys regarding strategy for examining and cross-examining expert witnesses.In the clinical sphere, my work has focused a great deal on anger disorders (including Oppositional Defiant & Conduct Disordered children & adolescents, as well as adults) and the treatment of trauma. I have provided treatment for survivors of and workers at the 9-11 WTC disaster, as well as for those who have long histories of emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse. This has included childhood abuse as well as abuse incurred in partner/domestic violence.My office also provides comprehensive ADHD evaluations that utilize continuous performance tests (TOVA) in conjunction with utilization of interviews, questionnaires and other psych testing.

As part of University Correctional HealthCare's (UCHC) Mental Health Leadership, I oversee Mental Health Services provided to inmates incarcerated in 5 state prisons in New Jersey. Previously, we were UMDNJ, but now we are part of Rutgers. Specifically, I have focused upon Inpatient Psychiatric Services inside the prison setting and management of severe behavioral disturbances. I train psychologists in our system on Risk Assessment and Disciplinary Evaluations, which are similar to competence and responsibility evaluation that are requested when inmate's receive a disciplinary infraction.I am also part of the Training Committee for Rutgers' Psychology Predoctoral Internship Program that is based in Newark, NJ and coordinate the Forensic Track of this internship with Dr. Rich Cevasco. I provide group supervision for the forensic interns, coordinate the Prison Lecture Series and lecture for the interns and residents on topics that include Anger Management, Treatment of PTSD & Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as the Functional Assessment of Inmate Behavior.I have presented nationally and internationally on the topic of Treating Mental Illness in State Prisons.I first started working in prison in 2000, when the services were privatized. I got to Northern State Prison (NSP) in December 2000, by August, 2001, I was overseeing the Inpatient Mental Health Units at NSP. When UMDNJ came on board to provide mental health treatment in the NJ prison system, I was eleveated to oversee mental health services in six of the state prisons. Since 2000, I have been responsible services in nine different state prisons in NJ. Overall, I have been working as a psychologist in Corrections for fifteen (15) years.

Provide individual, group and family therapy to adolescent, adult, and geriatric inpatients. Involved in all aspects of case management and treatment planning. Psychological evaluations. Supervise all aspects of externs’ and interns’ work on the Psychiatric Inpatient Program. This included psychological evaluations, completion of psychosocial databases and multidisciplinary treatment planning. Continuing Quality Improvement. Anti-Violence Committee: Participant in committee designed to assess, study, and develop interventions to address assaults and other forms of violence that occur in the Psychiatric Inpatient Program. Develop anger management groups for patients to learn skills necessary to reduce violent acting out behaviors. Train staff members to lead anger management groups.

Psy.D., Clinical Psychology

Psy.D., Clinical Psychology - Family Violence

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Psychology

Education record