Smith’s longstanding affiliation in the department as associate professor and graduate program director led to him being the impeccable choice as the next leader of the Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences department.
The Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences (CFAS) department recently welcomed longtime faculty member Doug Smith, Ph.D., LMFT as its next chair. Before this appointment, Smith served as an associate professor in the department and as the Couple, Marriage, and Family Therapy graduate program director for a number of years. As the graduate program director, Smith oversaw the creation of the master's program in marriage and family therapy and led the charge to have the program accredited.
Smith has a robust academic background, holding a Bachelor of Sciences in Human Development as well as a Master of Science in Human Development and Marriage & Family Therapy Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in Human Sciences & Family Studies and Marriage & Family Therapy from Kansas State University. Before joining Texas Tech, Smith spent time at the University of Oregon and Antioch University in their marriage and family therapy programs as a visiting professor. Smith's extensive training and background in these areas led him to a faculty position at Texas Tech University and ultimately to the chair position of the Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences department.
When asked about how he felt about moving into this leadership role, Smith pointed to the great group of faculty he has worked alongside for the past several years.
“The faculty and staff of the CFAS department are a dedicated, creative, and hard-working group,” Smith said. “I am humbled and honored to have been selected for the chair position and grateful to work in a department filled with incredible scholars dedicated to improving the lives of others.”
Throughout his career, Smith has focused his research pursuits on the systemic treatment of intimate partner violence and the systemic understanding and treatment of PTSD. These research interests have resulted in numerous studies and publications led by Smith over intimate partner violence, clinical intervention with intimate partner violence, and neurological patterns associated with intimate partner violence. Smith's hope in this new leadership role is to increase external research funding for CFAS faculty and the vital research they perform.
As the department chair, Smith has a vision for the department, its faculty, and its students to continue making an impact in the Lubbock community and the West Texas region. One such initiative that several CFAS faculty are involved in is the Children's Behavioral Health Clinic (CBHC). This unique collaboration between the Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences department and University Medical Center (UMC) Children's Hospital has been making strides in closing the gap between receiving much-needed mental healthcare for West Texas families by simply not having access to treatment. The clinic provides innovative, accessible, and affordable mental health services via in-person and virtual care to families.
Smith also sees a tremendous potential to continue to grow the CFAS department's undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
“A degree in Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences gives students the tools to help others with the practical and professional skills necessary to succeed in today's human services job market,” Smith said. “Students have opportunities to collaborate with faculty members in research, to experience different aspects of programs through internships, classroom apprenticeships, and independent studies.”