Southern Miss Newsmakers

Grames President of Mississippi Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy

Heath Grames, assistant professor and marriage and family therapy program director in The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Child and Family Studies, recently became president of the Mississippi Association for Marriage and Family Therapy at its annual convention, held in February at Hattiesburg's Lake Terrace Convention Center.

Grames assumes the position after serving for two years as president-elect of the association, and after his term will serve two years as past president. He was nominated by marriage and family therapists who are clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

At Southern Miss, Grames teaches psychopathology, marital therapy, family research, practicum in marriage and family therapy. His areas of research include family therapy in a primary care setting, medical and mental health collaboration, marital satisfaction, health, and illness, family therapy outcome and family therapy with Latinos.

Garrison Elected Chair of State Board Committee

Sarah Garrison, visiting instructor in The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Child and Family Studies, was elected chair of the marriage and family therapy committee of the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists in January.

Garrison was originally appointed to the board by then-Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant in 2011. The marriage and family therapy committee approves all candidates for licensure as marriage and family therapists, creates rules and regulations that govern the profession and investigates disciplinary complaints.