Robert Foltz

Department Faculty Associate Professor

Campus: Chicago, IL
Department: Clinical Psychology
Institution: The Chicago School

Address: 325 N Wells Street Chicago, IL 60654

Biography

Dr. Foltz earned his doctorate in psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 2000. Throughout his undergraduate and graduate training, he worked in psychiatric inpatient units with adults and youth struggling with severe emotional and behavioral disturbances. Dr. Foltz has devoted considerable focus to the treatment of severely disturbed adults and adolescents in Inpatient, Residential Treatment, and Outpatient settings. Since early in his studies, Dr. Foltz has been interested in the psychological treatment of conditions such as schizophrenia. As his clinical experiences evolved, he became invested in exploring the interplay between psychotherapy and psychopharmacology in the treatment of severe conditions. Dr. Foltz has provided clinical services, as well as administrative services in Residential Treatment settings around the Chicago area for over 15 years. He has consulted with school districts in the assessment of troubled youth and has maintained an active private practice since 1999. Dr. Foltz has also served on the Advisory Board for the Association of Children's Residential and Community Services.

His professional and clinical interests include child / adolescent psychopathology, psychopharmacology, the psychological & neurological impact of trauma, and critical evaluation of evidence-based treatments. Recent research included the Adolescent Subjective Experience of Treatment study. This project involved assessing youth, currently placed in residential treatment, on what they perceive as the most effective (and ineffective) components of multidisciplinary care. Areas of inquiry included psychotropic medications, psychotherapy, and milieu treatments. The project also assessed levels of trauma, strength-based strategies, and measures of resiliency. Research results were used in several dissertations and publications. Results of this study have been presented at the American Psychological Association in 2011, 2012 and 2014, as well as conferences for Reclaiming Youth International and the American Association of Children's Residential and Community Services. Dr. Foltz received approvals to pursue an updated research project with youth placed in residential treatment in 2025.

Dr. Foltz also recently coordinated a project evaluating APA-accredited Clinical Psychology programs and their curriculum requirements related to psychopharmacology and trauma-related courses. This project resulted in two articles being published in APA journals. He also has a book scheduled for release from Bloomsbury Publishing in November 2025. It is entitled, No Method to the Madness: Making Sense of the Psychiatric Treatment of our Youth, focusing on our diagnostic and treatment models for troubled youth.

Dr. Foltz regularly presents on topics of psychotropic use in children/adolescents, trauma, evidence-based treatments, and diagnostic issues in youth. Dr. Foltz has also been involved in program development, training, and program outcome analysis with the Office of Refugee Resettlement. He has also assisted in the development of technology solutions to improve decision-making in child welfare systems toward improving outcomes for children and families.

Education History

Degree	Institution
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology	Illinois School of Professional Psychology
M.A. Clinical Psychology	Illinois School of Professional Psychology
B.S. Psychology & Philosophy	Western Michigan University

Professional Memberships

Role	Organization
Member	American Psychological Association
Member	Association of Children's Residential Centers

Presentations

Title	Location	Date
Beyond Medication: Reimagining Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents	virtual	9/2025
Using Psychiatric Medications with our Complex Youth	virtual	2/2021
Examining Outcomes from Agency to Individual - Thinking Critically about Making the Most of your Data: Asking Better Questions, Using Better Data, Driving Better Decisions	virtual	4/2020
Psychotropic Medications in Youth: Challenging the Assumptions that Guide this Practice	San Antonio, TX	1/2019
Psychotropic Medications in the Classroom: A Critical Overview	New Jersey	7/2018

Areas of Expertise

Area	Expertise
	Comorbid Disorders
Clinical Psychology / Mental Health	DSM/Diagnosis
	Psychopharmacology
	Trauma/PTSD

Licenses

Clinical Psychologist , Illinois, Michigan & Wisconsin

Publications

Chapter
Quisenberry, C. & Foltz, R. (2013) Resilient Youth in Residential Care,Residential Treatment For Children & Youth, 30:4, 280-293, DOI: 10.1080/0886571X.2013.852448
Foltz, R. and Huefner, J. (2013). The Subjective Experience of Being Medicated in Troubled Youth: A Sample from Residential Treatment.Journal of Child & Family Studies, published online: October, 2013.
Foltz, R., Dang, S., Daniels, B., Doyle, H., McFee, S., Quisenberry, C. (2013). When Diagnostic Labels Mask Trauma.Reclaiming Children and Youth, 22(2).
Foltz, R. (2012). Twenty Years of Medicating Youth: Are we better off?Reclaiming Children and Youth, 20(4).
Foltz, R. (2011). Re-ED Principles in Evidence-Based Standards. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 19(4). 28-32.
Foltz, R. (2010). Determining the Rulers of Evidence: Medicating our youth based on popular opinion versus reliable science. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 19(2). 10-15.
Foltz., R. (2008). Medicating Relational Trauma in Youth. Reclaiming Children and Youth, Vol. 17(3). 3-8.
Foltz, R. (2008). "The Experience of Being Medicated in Schizophrenia: A Subjective Inquiry and Implications for Psychotherapy" in Beyond Medications:
Therapeutic Engagement and the Recovery from Psychosis. Garfield, D. & Mackler, D. (Eds).
Foltz, R. (2008). "Behind the Veil of Conduct Disorder: Challenging Current Assumptions in Search of Strengths" Reclaiming Children and Youth, Vol. 16(4). 5 - 9.
Foltz, R. (2006). "The Mistreatment of Mood Disorders in Youth" Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 8(2). 147-155.
Foltz, R. (2006). "Balancing the Imbalance: Integrating a Strength-Based Approach with a Medical Model" Reclaiming Children and Youth, Vol. 15 (2). 92 - 94.
Foltz, R. (2004). "The Efficacy of Residential Treatment: Overview of the Evidence" Residential Treatment forChildren & Youth, Vol. 22(2).
Foltz, R. (2004). "Courage Building in Psychotic Youth" in Reclaiming Children and Youth, Vol. 12(4). 245 - 247.
Foltz, R., Brendtro, L., & Mitchell, M (2015). The Vital Balance. In Brendtro, L. & Mitchell, M. (Ed.) Deep Brain Learning: Evidence-based \ essentials in education, treatment, and youth development: Circle of Courage.
Foltz, R., Kupchan, J., and Pope, A. (2022). Psychopharmacology and the Treatment of ADHD: What Role Should Clinical Psychologists Play?. In Maisel, E., and Ruby, C. (Ed.) Deconstructing ADHD: Mental Disorder or Social Construct: Ethics International Press.
Journal
Krishnan, M., Bellonci, C., Foltz, R., and Lieberman, R (2016). Redefining Residential: Toward Rational Use of Psychotropic Medication. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 33 (1), 3-12.
Foltz, R., Kaeley, A., Kupchan, J., Mills, A., Murray, K., Pope, A., Rahman, H., & Rubright, C (2023). Trauma-Informed Care? Identifying training deficits in accredited doctoral programs.. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy., ,
Foltz, R., Fogel, K., Kaeley, A., Kupchan, J., Mills, A., Murray, K., Pope, A., Rahman, H., & Rubright, C. (2023). The Psychopharmacology Training Gap in Accredited Clinical Psychology Programs.. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, ,

Professional Skills

Psychopathology, Psychopharmacology, Psychotic Disorders, Trauma, Residential Treatment for Youth