Mark Hald
Mark Hald, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and partner with Options In Psychology, LLC in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He joined the practice in January of 1999. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley, CO; an Educational Specialist in School Psychology from the University of Nebraska–Kearney and a Master of Arts in Special Education in Emotional/Behavioral Disorders from the University of Nebraska– Kearney as well. Dr. Hald achieved his Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Conception Seminary College in Conception, MO.
Dr. Hald is also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and a Registered Play Therapist – Supervisor. Dr. Hald is a registered Circle of Security ® (COS) parenting educator and a COS Reflective Supervision Consultant. He has been a part of the recent movement in bring the Circle of Security Parent program to Nebraska. 110 new educators from across Nebraska were trained in September 2014 by the Circle of Security International. A special area for Dr. Hald is infant and young child mental health. He is an experienced Child Parent Psychotherapist. Since 2009 Dr. Hald trained and worked with Joy Osofsky, PhD. from Louisiana State University as part of a training cohort in Nebraska. He is now a CPP trainer along with 3 others to training clinicians in Nebraska who are interested in infant and young child mental health. Child Parent Psychotherapy is an evidenced trauma based treatment for children and parent birth to 6 years of age.
As a psychologist and educator Dr. Hald has an extensive background working with children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings over the last 32 years, including schools, community clinics, day schools, residential treatment facilities, and psychiatric hospitals. During his college years Dr. Hald discovered an interest in mental health service as a volunteer at the Missouri State Hospital in St. Joseph, MO and a Treatment Group Home for adolescent boys. After graduating from college he worked for two years at St. Joseph’s Children’s Home in Torrington, WY as a Family Living teacher and supervisor. When he left St. Joseph’s to attend graduate school, he had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in the Department of Special Education at the University of Nebraska–Kearney. During that time he also worked part-time at Richard H. Young Hospital as a program assistant and para-educator. Dr. Hald was part of the Educational Therapy staff at Richard Young Hospital involved in the start-up of the hospital in 1985.
After graduating with his master’s degree, Dr. Hald worked at Richard H. Young Hospital as an Educational Therapist. He was subsequently promoted to the position of Program Director for the Child And Adolescent Psychiatric Programs. Following his years at Richard Young Hospital Dr. Hald completed his training in school psychology in August 1991 and moved to Western Nebraska to assume the role as school psychologist at the Educational Service Unit No. 13. He resigned from ESU 13 in the spring of 1995 to pursue full-time doctoral studies at the University of Northern Colorado which he completed in May 2000. While at UNCO he emphasized his studies in neuropsychology, counselling, and early childhood.
In addition to his clinical background, Dr. Hald has experience as a school psychologist since 1990 in both rural itinerant and larger single school facilitator models. While working on his doctorate in Greeley, Colorado he worked as a school psychologist for the public schools and as a disability access specialist for students with disabilities at the University. Since 1986, Dr. Hald has also taught at the college and university level and has given numerous presentations and workshops locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. From 2000 to 2002 he was a consultant to the Seoul Foreign School in Seoul, Korea.
Dr. Hald provides psychological consultation to the Head Start programs, the Child Advocacy Center, The Panhandle Circle of Security program, several other community agencies, and area schools.
He is active in the local and state infant-toddler mental health group and he is currently the board president of the Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health (http://www.nebraskainfantmentalhealth.org). As a founding member of NAIMH Dr. Hald has been involved in many infant / early childhood mental health initiatives for Nebraska. Since May of 2008, Dr. Hald has been a faculty member with the Nebraska Court Improvement project Helping Babies from the Bench and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Child Abuse and Neglect Institute.
Dr. Hald’s current professional practice interests include assessment and intervention from infants/toddlers to pre-adolescent children, adolescents, and families; neuropsychology; and interventions for behaviors disorders, early childhood maltreatment and trauma, attachment, learning disorders, and brain injuries, depression and anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit / Impulse control Disorders, and other childhood disorders.
Mark enjoys time with his family including his wife Cindy and three children and their significant others. He has one grandson and another one on the way (way cool). Over the years he has been actively involved in the leadership of the local soccer program as well as coaching and referring. He is fond of gardening and being in the outdoors.
