About Us

Staff

Patricia Cluss, PhD Director

Patricia Cluss, PhD
Director

Susan Nitzberg, MPH Associate Director, Outreach

Susan Nitzberg, MPH
Associate Director, Outreach

Barbara Penner, MS Associate Director, Employer Services

Barbara Penner, MS
Associate Director, Member Services

Director

Patricia Cluss, Ph.D., is the Director of STANDING FIRM: The Business Case to End Partner Violence. Dr. Cluss is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a licensed psychologist in private practice. Her clinical and research interests are in the area of women's health and mental health issues and in behavior change strategies for individuals and medical providers. She engages in research and program development related to intimate partner violence, smoking cessation for special populations, and pediatric obesity. In the area of intimate partner violence, she chairs the WPIC Intimate Partner Violence Task Force and serves as a board member of Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

Dr. Cluss has published a number of articles about domestic violence in academic journals; a selection of these articles includes:

  • Chang JC, Cluss PA, Ranieri L, Hawker L, Buranosky R, Dado D, McNeil M, Scholle S. Healthcare interventions for intimate partner violence: What women want. Women's Health Issues 2005;15(1):21-30.
  • Cluss PA, Chang J, Hawker L, Scholle S, Dado D, Buranosky R, Goldstrohm S. The process of change for victims of intimate partner violence: Support for a psychosocial readiness model. Womens Health Issues. 2006;16:262-274.
  • Chang JC, Dado D, Ashton S, Hawker L, Cluss PA, Buranosky R. Understanding behavior change for women experiencing intimate partner violence: Mapping the ups and downs using the stages of change. Patient Educ Couns. 2006;62:330-339.
  • Chang JC, Buranosky R, Dado D, Cluss P, Hawker L, Rothe E, McNeil M, Slagel L, Scholle SH. Helping women victims of intimate partner violence: Comparing the approaches of two health care settings. Violence Vict. 2009;24(2):198-208.
  • Chang JC, Dado D, Hawker L, Cluss PA, Buranosky R, Slagel L, McNeil M, Scholle SH. Understanding turning points in intimate partner violence: Factors and circumstances leading women victims toward change. J Womens Hlth. 2010:19(2):251-259.
  • Chang JC, Cluss PA, Burke JG, Hawker L, Dado D, Goldstrohm S, Scholle SH. Intimate partner violence prevalence and screening in mental health settings. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2011;33:58-65

Associate Director, Outreach

Susan Nitzberg, MPH, serves as Associate Director, Outreach for STANDING FIRM. She has extensive experience with community and non-profit organizations. She has held numerous leadership positions in organizations such as National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section, Family Hospice and Palliative Care, Union Aid Society, the Child Health Association of Sewickley and many more. Within NCJW, she spearheaded domestic violence programs and initiatives. Formerly, she served as Vice President, St. Clair Hospital. She is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh.

Associate Director, Member Services

Barbara Penner, MS, is the Associate Director, Member Services for STANDING FIRM. She brings extensive experience in structuring, managing, and evaluating projects for adults and children. Ms. Penner most recently coordinated the National Institutes of Health-funded HEALTH for Families study at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, she is an Employee Assistance Program professional who engages in training, program development and critical incident debriefing with companies throughout the Pittsburgh region.

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Thanks

Thanks to the following foundations for their interest in and support of this important community initiative:

Present Funders

FISA Foundation, whose mission is to build a culture of respect and improve the quality of life for women, girls, and people with disabilities in southwestern PA.

Heinz Endowments, whose vision is to help southwestern Pennsylvania prosper as a premier place to both live and work, and as a center of learning and educational excellence, and as a home to diversity and inclusion.

Jewish Women's Foundation

McAuley Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health services, emotional support and guidance to the most vulnerable members of the community.

Scaife Family Foundation, supports programs that strengthen families, address issues surrounding the health and welfare of women and children, promote animal welfare, and that demonstrate the beneficial interaction between humans and animals.

Past Funders

Eden Hall Foundation, an organization supporting regional improvements in the areas of social welfare, health, education and the arts.

Women and Girls Foundation, whose mission is to achieve equity for women and girls in the southwestern PA region through a combination of public advocacy, coalition building and grantmaking.

Another local foundation that chooses to remain anonymous