National Crime Victims Center > About Us > Faculty > MUSC/NCVC faculty - Connie L. Best, Ph.D.					Print This Page

Connie L. Best, Ph.D.    
[NCVC rotation]

Dr. Best is a Professor with Tenure in the Department of Psychiatry. As a senior faculty member at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC), Dr. Best has served as the Director of Adult Services since 1985. Dr. Best has been the Principal Investigator on 10 grants and Co-Investigator on 16 others from funding sources such as NIMH, NIDA, HRSA, DOJ, DOD, and SAMHSA. She has an extensive list of scientific publications and invited presentations before national audiences. She has served on numerous National Advisory Committees (e.g., the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine; the Joint NIMH/DOD/DOJ Mental Health and Mass Violence Consensus Committee; the Secretary of Defense Advisory Committee on Women; the International Association of Chiefs of Police). The focus of her research and clinical work is in the areas of the effects of criminal victimization, psychological trauma, and the effects of natural disasters. Even prior to September 2001, Dr. Best was actively involved in the effects of terrorism and has served as an investigator on a HRSA-funded bio-terrorism and a NIMH disaster and terrorism grant. Dr. Best also has a University level appointment as the Director of the Office of Gender Equity for MUSC.  She also retired from the Navy Reserve, serving more that 20 years.

Research Interests:  the diagnosis and treatment of crime-related trauma; physically injured crime victims; psychological effects of large scale disasters; sexual harassment, individual and community effects of terrorist events; effective training of mental health professionals in disaster response; sepcial interest in military-related PTSD.

Subject Matter Expert: (partial listing)
U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, for sexual assault investigations; the 2003 U. S. Army Sexual Assault Task Force; 2002 U. S. Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention Program, the 2004 Department of Defense Joint Task Force on Sexual Assault; the 2000 NIMH, DOD, DOJ, DVA, and the American Red Cross Committee on Mass Violence and Early Intervention

Honors/Awards:

Visiting Professorships:

• Distinguished Visiting Professor; the United States Air Force Departments of Psychology & Psychiatry
• Distinguished Visiting Professor, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas
• Visiting Professor, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky

Select Publications:

• Best, C. L., Smith, D. W., Raymond, J. R., Greenberg, R. S., & Crouch, R. K. (2010). Preventing and responding to complaints of sexual harassment in an academic health center: A 10-year review from the Medical University of South Carolina. Academic Medicine, 85, 721-727.
• Best, C.L., (Director) Smith, D.W.(Co-Director), Saunders, B.E., Kilpatrick, D.G., & Macdonald, A.C. (2010). CPTWeb:  A Web-based Learning Course for Using Cognitive Processing Therapy with PTSD.  Charleston, SC:  National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina.  (http://cpt.musc.edu)
• Yoder, M., Best, C,L., Shealy, R.M., Garr, D.G., & Schmidt, M.G. (2009).  When disaster strikes:  Bridging the hospital preparedness gap.  Journal of Emergency Management. 7, 46-50.
• Shealy, RM, Simpson, WM, Lee, FW, Best, CL, Kennedy, E, Carson, DS, Garr, DR.  (2006). The gaping hole:  Physicians are missing from the front line of disaster preparedness training.  The Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, 102, No.1, p.11-13.
• Galea S, Nandi A, Stuber J, Gold J, Acierno R, Best C, Bucuvalas M, Rudenstine S, Boscarino J, Resnick H. (2005). Participant reactions to survey research conducted in the general population after terrorist attacks. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 18, 461-465
• Lewis, S.F., Resnick, H.S., Ruggiero, K.J., Smith, D.W., Kilpatrick, D.G., Best, C.L., & Saunders, B.E.  (2005). Assault, psychiatric diagnoses, and sociodemographic variables in relation to help-seeking behavior in a national sample of women.  Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 97-105.
• Ruggiero, K. J., Smith, D. W., Hanson, R. F., Saunders, B. E., Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., & Best, C. L. (2004). Is disclosure of childhood rape associated with mental health outcome? Results from the National Women's Study. Child Maltreatment. , 9, 62-77.
• Kilpatrick, DG, Ruggiero, KJ, Acierno, R, Saunders, BE, Resnick, HS, and Best, CL. (2003).  Violence and risk of PTSD, major depression, substance abuse/dependence, and comorbidity: Results from the national survey of adolescents.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71 (4), pp. 692-700.
• Smith, D.W., Kilpatrick, D.G., Falsetti, S.A., & Best, C.L.  (2002). Post-terrorism services for victims and surviving family members: Lessons from Pan Am 103.  Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.  9, pp. 280-285.
• Kilpatrick, D.G., Smith, D.W., Best, C.L., & Falsetti, S.A.  (2002). Evaluation of victim satisfaction and victim assistance in the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie bombing case.  Final Report to the Office for Victims of Crime, Grant No. 2000-RF-GX-0001.

Select Presentations:

• Best, C.L.  (2010, Apr.).  Psychological First Aid for disaster response.  Presentation to the Psychology Internship Consortium, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
• Best, C.L. (2010, Mar.).  Taking care of the health care providers and disaster workers after the disaster.  Presentation at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) meeting for Returning Relief Workers from the Haiti Earthquake, Charleston, S.C.
• Best, C.L.  (2010, Apr.).  Learn to treat PTSD over the internet:  The implications for using web-based learning tools for mental health professional collaborations.  Featured speaker for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences’ Conference on Mental Health Professionals Collaborations, Charleston, S.C. 
• Best, C. L. (2010, Mar.).  Psychological First Aid in disasters.  In G. Smith (Moderator), Promoting Psychological Resiliency in Disaster.  Symposium presented at the 4^th Annual Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit, Washington, D.C.
• Best, C.L. (2010, Feb.).  Learn to treat PTSD over the internet, sort of!  Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
• Kelley, M. L., Ruggiero, K. J., & Best, C. L. (2009). Children’s adjustment and resiliency post-disaster: Risk and protective factors. Paper presented at the meeting for the Center for Excellence for National Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management, Washington, DC.
• Best, C.L. (2009, Mar.).  Personal resiliency:  How to handle your stress in the professional environment.  Presentation to the 4^th Year Medical Students, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
• Best, C. L. (2008, Sept.).  Professional development: How to manage your stress.  Presentation to the 1^st Year College of Medicine Students, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
• Kilpatrick, D.G. and Best, C.L. (2008, Sept.)  Rape in America: 15 years later.  Invited presentation to the Sexual Assault Intervention Program Training, Charleston A.F.B., S.C.
• Best, C.L. (2008, Aug.).  Sexual harassment prevention and dealing with other difficult situations.  Invited presentation to the faculty, staff, and residence life staff at the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Math, Hartsville, S.C.

Curriculum Vitae  (2010) (Requires Adobe® Reader to view)

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