A Lifelong Journey of Social Justice Brings Pediatric Psychologist to CPP

Pediatric psychologist Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall believes that people don’t live in a vacuum. “Each of us is a conglomeration of all of our experiences—our family, our support system, the community we live in,” she asserts. This is why Whitney believes so strongly in the Chicago Parent Program (CPP). “CPP does one of the best jobs of considering the whole person,” explains Whitney. “CPP doesn’t limit change to parenting but includes their entire life.”

Whitney became acquainted with CPP as a fellow at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. At the time, the hospital was just beginning to roll out CPP. Whitney’s job was to support organizations and group leaders implementing the ground-breaking program. As she puts it, her job was to aid organizations breathe life into the program for the Ohio community.

Whitney was immediately drawn to CPP. “I liked being part of a program that looks at both the individual and the big picture,” she says. Following her fellowship, Whitney landed at Nationwide Children's Hospital’s Linden Primary Care Center, where 73% of patients are Black and 12% are Latino. Her passion for CPP spilled over into this new position and she saw an opportunity to bring CPP into Nationwide’s fold of programs. “My clinical work serves a lot of urban families of color,” she says. “I wanted an evidence-based parent program that was tested with that population. It is important for my families to see people who look like them and experiencing real life situations, like a child’s meltdown in the laundry mat. CPP products do exactly that.”

With two parents as educators, social justice was already in Whitney’s blood. “I think social justice appealed to me because as I was growing up, it often seemed like there was little help for issues faced by many families in my community. As a CPP group leader, I can validate the feelings and concerns families have. I also have the opportunity to actually be helpful and connect people.”

Whitney finds some of her proudest career moments in the accomplishments of CPP parents. “I find great joy in knowing that there has been a positive change in a person’s life,” she remarks. “With CPP, I worked with parents who were able to improve their relationship with their children. Tell me something more satisfying?”

Whitney notes that as a CPP group leader, she may not be able to change everything but by just listening to the parent, validating them and honoring their struggles, she can immensely impact their lives.  “As a pediatric psychologist, sometimes the best gift you can give someone is just being a witness to their story. Don’t underestimate the value of your presence in helping someone.”