Dr. Terri Erbacher, Ph.D.

PCG Partner

Dr. Terri Erbacher's dedication to aiding children in crisis and educating schools and mental health professionals has earned her numerous awards for her contributions to the community. She has been honored by organizations such as the Survivors of Suicide, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Delaware County Intermediate Unit.

Terri’s remarkable service has earned her commendation from the Delaware County Council, and she has been recognized as Pennsylvania's School Psychologist of the Year in the past.

Since 1999, Terri has been a certified school psychologist and licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, focusing on:

Crisis management
Trauma and PTSD
School mental health
Threat assessment in schools
Suicide prevention and risk assessment
Complicated grief/loss

Her mission is to offer expert support to individuals and organizations in need of effective mental health solutions.

From 2007 to 2020, Terri served as a faculty member at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine before establishing her private practice in 2014 to better serve schools and communities across the nation and the world.

She has held several board roles, including former president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, former chair of the Delaware County Suicide Prevention Task Force, clinical advisor to Survivors of Suicide, Inc., and member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. She is currently the Crisis Committee Chairperson for the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania and serves on the National Board of Advisors for the Suicide Prevention Alliance.

Terri’s contributions have been instrumental in enacting Pennsylvania legislation such as Act 71 and Act 18. She is presently a subject matter expert on the Pennsylvania Commission for Crime and Delinquency's School Safety and Security Committee workgroups, where she is developing both Act 18's Trauma-Informed Care Model Approach Plan and Threat Assessment guidelines.

She is also an accomplished author, distinguished speaker, consultant, and a go-to subject matter expert source for media, including National Public Radio. Her book, Developing Comprehensive School Safety and Mental Health Programs, was published in 2021.

Read Terri's suicide risk assessment (SRA) course descriptions.

BOOK REVIEWS

"This book provides the exact kind of practical information school staff need to know, from how to tell a parent his or her child is contemplating a suicidal act to what the school staff member's responsibility is to the child, the parent, and to the community to address suicidal risk. When combined with the detailed case examples that really bring an extra dimension to the step-by-step guides, this book becomes a must-read for any professional working in a school environment."

— Thomas Joiner, PhD, & Robert O. Lawton,

Professor of Psychology at Florida State University and director of the Laboratory for the Study and Prevention of Suicide-Related Conditions and Behaviors

"This book is an incredible resource full of practical strategies for all school professionals engaged in school safety and mental health initiatives!...It is a one-of-a-kind book that emphasizes critical strategies needed to help establish a multi-disciplinary team approach, with an emphasis on engaging teachers and parents. A strong focus is placed on a comprehensive approach to school safety and mental health programming that includes: how to integrate new initiatives within existing intervention frameworks, culturally competent practices, trauma informed approaches, threat and suicide assessment, and crisis prevention through intervention and recovery. "

— Melissa A. Reeves, Ph.D., NCSP, LCMHC

Associate Professor, School Psychology Program & Psychology Department, Winthrop University; former President, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)