Our experts

Area of Expertise

• Assessment and intervention for young people experiencing problems with substance misuse
• Substance use in those with PTSD
• At-risk young people where there is risk of harm to self/to others and from others:
  • harmful sexual behavior, self-harm, fire setting, interpersonal violence, child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation

 

Background

Dr Kelly Jo Charge is a Clinical Psychologist for the N&S CAMHS Adolescent At-risk & Forensic Service. This service assesses and treats young people who are engaged in, or present significant risk of, serious violence, fire-setting and/or sexually inappropriate behavior and/or who are at risk of harm or exploitation from others. Dr Charge has a particular interest in working with young people experiencing problems with substance misuse.

Dr Charge is a practitioner psychologist registered with the Health Care Professions Council. She provides teaching on the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology Course (DClinPsy) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London. She is a personal support tutor for the DClinPsy course and also supervises DClinPsy research projects.

Prior to qualifying, Dr Charge worked as a Substance Misuse Specialist within both community and inpatient addictions services. Her role included providing assessment and intervention to adults experiencing difficulties with drugs and alcohol.

 

Education and Training

• BSc in psychology (Royal Holloway, University of London)
• Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Mental Health Practice (Middlesex University)
• Doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, including adaptations for substance misuse (British Isles DBT)
• AIM 2 and 3 Assessment and Intervention for young people with harmful sexual behavior (AIM Project)

 

Publications

Charge K.J., Gilchrist G. & Meynen T. (in prep.). Functions of substance use in controlling PTSD symptomatology: A qualitative study.

Kouimtsidis C, Charge KJ, Moch J, Stahl D. 2017. Abstinence Preparation Group Intervention for dependent alcohol users. How does it work? Results of a process study. Journal of Substance Use, 22(2): 149-155. DOI: 10.3109/14659891.2016.1153164.

Kouimtsidis C, Sharma E, Smith A, Charge KJ. 2015. Structured intervention to prepare dependent drinkers to achieve abstinence; results from a cohort evaluation for six months post detoxification. Journal of Substance Use, DOI:10.3109/14659891.2015.1029020.

Anand I, Smith A, Charge KJ, Kouimtsidis C. (2015). Are we doing enough to enhance attendance to aftercare? Service Users’ Evaluation of a group Relapse Prevention programme for alcohol dependence. Drugs and Alcohol Today.