Mark Rootenberg, MA

Highlights of Experience

• Clinical Psychology Master's (MA) from York University, a science-practitioner program — graduate-level research skills and clinical training in evidence-based therapy and assessment.
• Therapist committed to modern, evidence-based therapy. Current on the research about how to maximize benefits from mental health interventions — including Feedback-Informed Treatment, Deliberate Practice, and therapy common factors.
• EA and rationalist with deep familiarity with EA philosophy, causes, and organizations. Member of a small international group of therapists who collaborate specifically on the treatment of EAs; part of the EA Mental Health Navigator; one of Slate Star Codex's recommended therapists; received funding from Open Philanthropy.
• Experience with a wide variety of people — therapy at private practices and a university psychology clinic, crisis intervention through Toronto's suicide hotline, and assessing psychiatric patients across multiple Canadian hospitals.
• Research Coordinator at the Positive Psychology Lab in Canada's largest psychology department. Oversaw academic research on human wellbeing across every stage of the process.
• Well-versed in the psychological research literature with strong skills in assessing research quality — particular expertise in human wellbeing, psychometrics, clinical psychology, and mental health intervention.
• Created a mental health and wellbeing phone app as part of Master's thesis research, awarded highly competitive federal funding from the Government of Canada's SSHRC.
• Led a multi-site study across Canadian hospitals involving hundreds of patients and managed an eight-person interdisciplinary research team of doctors and nurses.
• Co-authored university policies and plans to improve student wellbeing as a selected member of York's Mental Health Steering Committee.
• Developed educational mental health content for the Ontario Psychological Association.
• Teaching experience at both elementary school and university level.

Education

Experience

1. Therapist

   EA Mental Health Navigator & Slate Star Codex 2022 – Present
   • Provide therapy to EAs and rationalists through the Mental Health Navigator and as one of SSC's recommended therapists
   • Member of a small international group of therapists who collaborate on the treatment of EAs
   • Received funding to provide therapy to EAs from Open Philanthropy

2. Therapist

   The Clinic on Dupont & Turning Point Psychology 2022 – Present
   • Provide therapy primarily using CBT and ACT modalities, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based treatments and interventions
   • Keen focus on the research about what improves therapy outcomes, including therapy common factors
   • Constantly refining clinical skills through a Feedback-Informed Treatment approach with Deliberate Practice — measuring outcomes and quickly adapting to client needs

3. Research Coordinator

   Positive Psychology Lab, York University 2017 – 2021
   • Built a mental health app to assess wellbeing in daily life, as part of a Government of Canada SSHRC-funded project
   • Designed, trialed, piloted, and refined the app based on user feedback
   • Launched and oversaw the app during data collection, ensuring the project went according to plan
   • Analyzed the data to determine factors that predict future improvement in wellbeing

4. Psychometrist

   JVS Toronto 2017 – 2018
   • Assessed and recommended interventions for community high school students

5. Therapist

   York University Psychology Clinic 2013 – 2015
   • Provided therapy under supervision at the university clinic
   • Collaborated closely with supervisor through a tight feedback loop to ensure high-quality care

6. Program Planning & Research Committee

   Ontario Psychological Association 2013 – 2015
   • Organized professional workshops for clinical graduate students
   • Co-facilitated events encouraging interaction and mentorship between senior and early-career professionals

7. Departmental Representative

   Psychology Graduate Student Association, York University 2013 – 2015
   • Voice of the graduate student body in department meetings and decisions

8. Teaching Assistant

   Department of Psychology, York University 2013 – 2015
   • Provided teaching and supplementary support to undergraduate students

9. Research Coordinator

   Canadian Positive Psychology Association 2013 – 2015
   • Organized elements of CPPA related to positive psychology research and researchers
   • Co-facilitated the 2013 Educating for Resilience Conference

10. Research Assistant

    Departments of Psychiatry & Palliative Care, Baycrest Health Sciences 2011 – 2013
    • Conducted research on the psychiatric and palliative care units to improve quality of care
    • Started as a volunteer in 2011; authored successful grant applications funding my own employed research positions at Baycrest and Sunnybrook
    • Awarded the maximum $25,000 from the Academic Health Science Centres AFP Innovation Fund, a highly competitive grant agency
    • Collaborated with Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute to successfully publish the first articles ever affiliated with Baycrest's palliative care unit — one in the world's #1 palliative medicine journal and another in a world-leading psychiatry journal
    • Composed Research Ethics Board applications and amendments
    • Conducted face-to-face data collection with patients and substitute decision-makers across psychiatry, palliative care, and complex continuing care

11. Research Associate

    Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 2012 – 2013
    • Collaborated with Psychiatry, Palliative Care, and Geriatrics departments across multiple hospitals to conduct research enhancing patient care
    • Managed an eight-person data-collection team of doctors and nurses
    • Simultaneously conducted multiple studies, ensuring each progressed appropriately to meet deadlines

12. Coach & Psychometrist

    Private Clinical Practice of Dr. Mark Rothman 2011 – 2013
    • Coached patients to help them address clinical problems outside of therapy
    • Familiarity with many common psychological assessments
    • Created reports consolidating client history, assessments, and family reports

13. Crisis Support Line Counsellor

    Toronto Distress Centre 2011 – 2012
    • Counselled people in high-risk and crisis situations through Toronto's crisis and suicide hotline
    • Handpicked to pilot a high-risk suicide reduction intervention providing direct support to people experiencing imminent suicidal risk on Toronto subway platforms
    • Developed proficiency in crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, and handling high-risk situations

14. Founder & Director

    Connect'd Mentorship Program 2009 – 2011
    • Identified the need for first-year students to receive peer mentoring and founded Connect'd to address it
    • Formulated the plan and objectives for the mentoring program
    • Pitched to private donors and secured thousands of dollars of funding
    • Collaborated with community organizations to integrate the program and make it accessible
    • Recruited mentors and first-year students and paired them on key variables to maximize benefit
    • Collected feedback regularly to ensure effectiveness and tailor the program to each student

Achievements

• Open Philanthropy funding to provide therapy for EAs 2022
• Mike Colle Eglinton Lawrence Volunteer Award, Baycrest Health Sciences 2015
• Government of Canada SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship — Master's 2014
• York University Graduate Scholarship 2013
• Graduated Cum Laude, Member of the Dean's Honour Roll 2011
• Golden Key International Honour Society (top 15% of students) 2010
• York University Undergraduate Scholarships (Science & Engineering; General Entrance) 2006

Peer-Reviewed Publications

1. Grossman, D., Grossman, Y., Nadler, E., Rootenberg, M., Karuza, J., & Berall, A. (2021). Integrating palliative care assessment tools to enhance understanding of illness trajectory in post-acute care and long-term care. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
2. Grossman, D., Rootenberg, M., Perri, G. A., Yogaparan, T., DeLeon, M., Calabrese, S., Grief, C. J., Moore, J., Gill, A., Stilos, K., Daines, P., & Mazzotta, P. (2014). Enhancing communication in end-of-life care: The creation of a clinical tool to translate the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(8), 1562–1567.
3. Grief, C. J., Grossman, D., Rootenberg, M., & Mah, L. (2013). Attitudes of terminally ill older adults towards complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Journal of Palliative Care, 29(4), 205–209.
4. Mah, L., Grossman, D., Grief, C. J., & Rootenberg, M. (2013). Association between patient dignity and anxiety in geriatric palliative care. Palliative Medicine, 27(5), 478–479.
5. Mah, L., Grief, C. J., Grossman, D., & Rootenberg, M. (2012). Assessment of patient dignity in geriatric palliative care. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60(11), 2178–2180.

Peer-Reviewed Presentations

1. Rootenberg, M. & Mongrain, M. (2015, August). Refining Self-Compassion Measurement: A Factor Analysis of the Self-Compassion Scale. Poster session presented at the 2015 American Psychological Association Convention, Toronto, Ontario.
2. Grief, C., Lowe, M., Rootenberg, M., & Campbell, S. (2014, June). Interprofessional Education as a Means for Enhancing Dignity on a Geriatric Palliative Care Unit. Poster session presented at All Together Better Health VII, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
3. Grief, C., Lowe, M., Rootenberg, M., & Campbell, S. (2014, June). Creating an Interprofessional Learning Environment on a Geriatric Palliative Care Unit. Poster session presented at All Together Better Health VII, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
4. Grossman, D., Berall, A., Burke, G., Feldman, K., Karuza, J., Oh, Y., Potashner, R., & Rootenberg, M. (2014, February). Building Capacity in Understanding Burden of Illness in Chronic Care and Long-Term Care. Poster session presented at the 2014 AMDA Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee.
5. Grossman, D., Rootenberg, M., Perri, G. A., Yogaparan, T., DeLeon, M., Calabrese, S., Grief, C. J., Moore, J., Gill, A., Stilos, K., Daines, P., & Mazzotta, P. (2013, May). Enhancing communication amongst health care professionals in end-of-life care: An evaluation of the correlation between the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Poster session presented at the Annual NICE Knowledge Exchange 2013, Toronto, Ontario. Awarded Best Undergraduate Poster
6. Mah, L., Grief, C. J., Grossman, D., & Rootenberg, M. (2012, October). Psychosocial Dimensions of Geriatric Palliative Care. Paper presented at the 41st Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG), Vancouver, British Columbia.
7. Grief, C. J., Mah, L., Grossman, D., Rootenberg, M., & Jin, S. (2012, October). Attitudes Towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine on an In-Patient Geriatric Palliative Care Unit. Paper presented at the 41st Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG), Vancouver, British Columbia.