James J. Mazza

Dr. James J. Mazza is the co-author of the DBT STEPS-A social emotional learning curriculum for middle and high school students. He received his masters and Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is a professor at the University of Washington – Seattle where he has been teaching and conducting research over the past 33 years in the field of adolescent mental health. Jim is the past president of the American Association of Suicidology from 2005-2007 and is still actively involved in trying to help school psychologists play a major role in helping to prevent suicidal and self-harming behavior among students. His current research focuses on the implementation of DBT STEPS-A (Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents). Jim has also developed four college-level courses that focus on resilience and wellness. Jim continues to expand the use of DBT STEPS-A and is in the development of providing a new curriculum designed for elementary students.