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PhD Program in Social Welfare

The UW School of Social Work doctoral program stands out among advanced social welfare programs by offering an array of academic resources available at one of the nation’s premier research universities. Transdisciplinary opportunities and faculty mentorship enrich the learning experience and help to shape a viable career path in social justice teaching, research or public service. It’s one of the key reasons our graduates find work in highly regarded social work programs throughout the country.

Is a doctoral education in your future? Find answers to some of your questions at FAQ About the PhD Program .

For more information about the application process, refer to Apply to PhD .

About the PhD Program

About the program

PhD Degree Requirements

Doctoral Students Travel and Reimbursement

Travel funds for iu school of socialwork doctoral students #.

• Apply online
• Up to $1,000 reimbursed to full-time students who are the first author on a conference presentation (oral or poster)
• Two deadlines per year (fall & spring)
• Up to $500 available once per academic year per student
• Can be used for attending or presenting at a professional conference or training
• Up to $1,000 to be reimbursed for travel to professional conferences once per year per student
• Preference given to students who are presenting
• Online application
• For assistance with pre-paying expenses and/or reimbursement, contact Marina Sutrisno at [email protected]
• Round-trip airfare plus $1,000
• Up to $2,000 for overseas training
• Students on a fellowship (University Fellowship, Diversity Fellowship) have access to an additional $1,000 for travel to professional conferences during their first two years in the program. Please seek guidance on the use of these funds through the Graduate Office.
• Second through 4th year minority PhD students may have their travel expenses covered to attend the SREB Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in October. For details, contact Dr. Tabitha Hardy in the Graduate Office

Travel Reimbursement Processes #

Notify us #.

When your application for a Travel Fellowship fund is granted, you will receive a notification via email or letter. Please forward this approval/acceptance letter to Susan Thie ([email protected]) and Marina Sutrisno ([email protected]) to ensure efficient processing of your funds.

Chrome River Trip Authorization #

To get to Chrome River, navigate to One.IU and type “Chrome River” in the search bar to get this tile:

For travel that is out of state or international, you will first need to submit a Trip Authorization. Trip Authorization (TA) is a report submitted in Chrome River to request permission to spend IU funds on business travel. The TA report provides an estimate of anticipated travel costs. Your TA report should be submitted and fully approved before making travel reservations or requesting travel reimbursements. Your reimbursement could be denied if proper trip authorization is not obtained.

If your travel is In-State, you can skip this step.

For additional information on how to do Trip Authorization, visit Submitting a Trip Authorization page on the Travel website .

Conference Registration #

For major conferences, you will typically need to pay a registration fee. If you would like to use the school’s PCard for this fee, please submit a Procard Purchase request form , located in the IU School of Social Work Internal Portal.

Please keep in mind that if you use the school’s PCard to pay for your registration, you will need to put that into consideration when you calculate your expenses in the Trip Authorization since you will not get that amount to be reimbursed to you. (e.g., If you request $1000 for travel and you use the PCard to pay for $500 registration fee, your total reimbursement request in the Chrome River should be $500).

Flights and Hotel Accommodation #

For booking flights and/or hotel accommodation, we recommend you use Egencia. You can also book out of pocket and receive reimbursement for any reason. To get started with Egencia, please visit Egencia Online Air and Hotel Reservations page on the Travel website .

To book using Egencia, please use the following information:

Company requested Information: IN-Indianapolis

Chart Org/Campus Department: SOCW

Account Number: This will be given to you through email.

For major conference travel, such as CSWE, please note that Egencia may not offer conference rates. If you prefer to access the conference rate, book through the conference website and pay out of pocket initially. You can request reimbursement later.

If you choose a hotel that is not a designated conference hotel but is nearby, it will typically be more cost-effective.

If you prefer not to use Egencia, you also have the option to pay for expenses out of pocket and request reimbursement through your Chrome River account.

Reconciliation of Pre-paid Travel Expenses #

If you use Egencia, your expenses are pre-paid and will have to be reconciled in Chrome River. Please visit the Reconciling Pre-Paid Travel Expenses in Chrome River page on the Travel website for more information.

Your Egencia charges will appear in your eWallet in Chrome River under “Credit Card Items”:

These charges will appear in your eWallet within a week of your booking and must be reconciled within 30 days. You can reconcile them individually or together with other out-of-pocket travel expenses such as mileage, parking, and per diem. Please remember to check these items when you access your Chrome River account

Submitting Travel Reimbursement #

You have to submit a Travel Expense Report in Chrome River to reconcile any Egencia bookings as well as out-of-pocket expenses. Remember, if your travel is international or out-of-state, you must import your approved Trip Authorization to this expense report. Receipts for meals are not required— per diem is calculated and paid out through Chrome River. Please visit the Reimbursing Travel Expenses page on the Travel website for step-by-step guides on how to submit a Travel Expense Report in Chrome River.

If you use Egencia to book your flight and/or hotel room, please follow the instructions on the Reconciling Pre-Paid Travel Expenses in Chrome River page on the Travel website for a step-by-step guide.

If you pay out of pocket to book your flight and/or lodging accommodation, you will need to create a Travel Expense Report in Chrome River to get them reimbursed. Visit the Reimbursing Travel Expenses page on the Travel website for more information. This is also where you submit the reimbursement for other travel expenses such as mileage, per diem, and parking.

Mileage Reimbursement #

To submit for a mileage travel reimbursement, please follow these steps:

Go to Chrome River, create travel expense report, click on add expense, choose Ground Transportation, then Mileage:

In the mileage page, under Miles, click on “Calculate Mileage”

Put in your starting point and your destination, then click on Return to start for a return trip.

For more information about mileage reimbursement, visit Reimbursing Travel Expenses, Mileage Section on the Travel website . Visit the Traveling by Car page on the Travel website to learn more about using a personal car for IU business.

Follow the steps in Reimbursing Travel Expenses, Per Diem to request per diem in Chrome River. Please remember that if any meal is provided for you (e.g., hotel breakfast), you will have to include this by putting a check mark in the Deductibles.

Sharing Expenses #

The person who incurred the expense will be reimbursed.

If you choose to share a hotel room with another student, ensure that everyone has a receipt with their name on it, as we can only reimburse the person whose name is on the receipt.

If you receive funds from the IUSSW PhD Program Travel Fellowship and decide to share expenses with other students, we can typically divide the expense among each person. When submitting your Expense Report in Chrome River, please include the names of the people you are sharing expenses with.

If you rent a car, one person has to rent the car, pay for the gas and parking. Again, we can divide the expense.

Keep track of your receipts for the hotel, airfare, baggage fees, registration, and ground transportation. You do not need to submit receipts for meals as the University provides a per diem allowance.

Time Limit for Reimbursement #

We request that you submit the reimbursement within 30 days after your travel date. Reimbursements submitted after 60 days will be taxable and require written justification with the expense report. After 120 days from the return date of the trip, there will be no reimbursement.

Travel Reimbursement Direct Deposit #

Please make sure that you have set up a direct deposit for your travel reimbursement. You can check this by going to one.iu.edu and searching for Travel Reimbursement Direct Deposit.

If this is set up, your travel reimbursement will be deposited directly into your account once the process is done (not dependent on your paycheck). If you do not have this set up, they will issue your reimbursement in a check instead and send it to your mailbox.

Reimbursement Contact #

• Faculty & Research

PhD Program

Join the next generation of social work leaders and scholars..

Welcome to admissions for the PhD in Social Work program in Social Work at Boston University! Building upon BU School of Social Work’s robust commitment to social justice  and empowerment of historically marginalized populations, our doctoral program provides training in the theory, research methods, and values of the social work profession necessary to solve urgent human and societal problems.

Our students’ work  reflects the interdisciplinary nature of our program and individualized course of study. Interested in learning more? Explore our curriculum  and funding package . Ready to apply? Read about the admissions process , familiarize yourself with the deadline , then start your online application !

The application period for Fall 2025 entry to the PhD in Social Work program is open now!

START YOUR APPLICATION

For further information about the PhD program, request information below or contact Lyndsey Browning, Program Coordinator of the PhD Program in Social Work, at [email protected] .

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Ph.D. Program

For more than two decades, our doctoral program has prepared students to become independent researchers and to train the next generation of social work practitioners.

Through rigorous training in different methodologies, our students acquire a range of research skills and develop the capacity for original scholarship. After two years of coursework, students pursue their own interests as they complete their dissertations.

The program is open only to full-time students.

Message from the Ph.D. Director

Program Requirements

Plan of study.

Students complete a total of 56 graduate credits. Eleven core courses in social work provide students with competency in:

• Advanced research methods
• Social science theories
• Social welfare history
• Policy analysis
• Theories of teaching and learning

Students also complete two electives and 15 credits of dissertation research.

A sequence of required courses is illustrated below. The sequence will vary depending on your year of enrollment. Students complete 20 credits in their first year and 18 credits during the second year, including 6 credits of electives. Students will also take one course in the Fall semester of their third year.

Following completion of coursework and defense of the dissertation proposal, students must complete a minimum of 15 credits of dissertation research as they engage in their independent dissertation research.

View course descriptions in the Graduate Course Catalog.

• SSW 6410: Research I: Research Design and Knowledge Generation – 3 credits
• SSW 6412: Research III: Multivariate Statistics I – 4 credits
• SSW 6425: Social Welfare Policy Seminar - 3 credits
• Professional Seminar
• SSW 6413: Research IV: Multivariate Statistics II – 4 credits
• SSW 6415: Topics in Advanced Social Work Research - 3 credits
• SSW 6445: Social and Behavioral Science: The Knowledge Base for Practice with Large Target Systems (Macro Practice) – 3 credits
• SSW 6411: Research II: Survey Research Methods – 3 credits
• SSW 6420: Critical Analysis of Historical and Philosophical Themes of the Profession – 3 credits
• Elective – 3 credits
• SSW 6414: Research V: Qualitative Research Methods – 3 credits
• SSW 6435: Social and Behavioral Science: The Knowledge Base for Micro Social Work Practice with Smaller Target Systems (Individuals, Families, Groups) – 3 credits
• Elective - 3 credits
• SSW 6460: Teaching and Learning in Social Work Education: Roles and Contexts - 3 credits

Program Requirements and Timeline

During the second year of study:

• Indication by student of preferred Major Advisor

By the end of the second year of study:

• Formation of Advisory Committee

Before completing no more than 12 credits of coursework toward your degree:

• Submission of Plan of Study

No later than four years after beginning doctoral study and at least eight months prior to completion of all degree requirements:

• Passing of General Examination

At least six months prior to degree completion:

• Submission of Dissertation Proposal to Advisory Committee

No later than eight years after beginning doctoral study:

• Passing of Dissertation Defense

School of Social Work

Meet our ph.d. candidates, the next generation of social work research scholars, educators and leaders..

The VCU School of Social Work is proud to present our four Ph.D. candidates who are on the job market this year, seeking positions after May 2025 and/or for the 2025-26 academic year.

Nicole Campbell, M.S.W., QMHP-C

I hope to expand the field of social work’s understanding of how to support and serve immigrants with multiple intersecting marginalized identities, so that mental health disparities can be disrupted within a population that is exposed to significant levels of acculturative stress.” 

Learn more about Nicole Campbell.  

Jenée Lee, M.S.W., LSW

I am a community researcher passionate about housing as a human right, with a particular focus on how quality housing is essential for overall well-being. My work aims to highlight the critical role that safe, affordable and high-quality housing plays in promoting physical, mental and social health.” 

Learn more about Jenée Lee.  

Matthew Morgan, M.S.W.

My research focuses on addressing disparities in access to high quality and culturally sensitive end-of-life care among historically marginalized populations.” 

Learn more about Matthew Morgan.

Paola Roldán, M.S.

I am committed to conducting research on the employment experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals to promote more inclusive, supportive and equitable hiring and work environments for LGBTQ+ people."

Learn more about Paola Roldán. 

Muna Saleh, M.S.W.

Achieving good health involves more than just making good choices and relying on luck. I am devoted to leveraging research to advocate for health policies that focus on structural interventions to improve migrant health. My research incorporates multisector collaboration to identify social risk and protective factors that affect care management to help ameliorate health disparities in refugee communities.”

Learn more about Muna Saleh.

Dissertation 

Picturing Identity-based discrimination: Immigrant women of African descent’s experiences in social service agencies and mental health outcomes

Research interests

• Immigrant Youth 
• Mental Health and Trauma 
• Community-Based Participatory Research 
• Intersectionality 
• Discrimination

Teaching interests

• Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups
• Foundations of Social Work Research

My current line of research  centers on the experiences of immigrant women of African descent within social/human service agencies. I hope to expand the field of social work’s understanding of how to support and serve immigrants with multiple intersecting marginalized identities, so that mental health disparities can be disrupted within a population that is exposed to significant levels of acculturative stress.

Highlighted publications

• Im, H., Swan, L. E., & George, N. (2023). Unraveling Trouble Socializing: The Impact on the Intersection of Trauma, Substance Use, and Mental Disorders in Somali Refugee Youth . International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction , 1-16.
• Im, H., George, N. , & Swan, L. E. (2023). Gendered Health Outcome Among Somali Refugee Youth in Displacement: A Role of Social Support and Religious Belief. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health , 1-10.
• Im, H., George, N ., Swan, L. (2022). Born in displacement: Psychosocial and mental health impacts of country of birth among urban Somali refugee youth . Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies .
• Im, H., & George, N. (2021) Impacts of COVID-19 on Refugee Service Provision and Community Support: A Rapid Assessment during the Pandemic . Social Work in Public Health .
• Im, H., & George, N. (2021) “It hurts so much to live for nothing”: Trauma and substance misuse among refugee youth in displacement . International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction .

Selected honors & awards

• Ph.D. graduate research assistantship, VCU School of Social Work, 2020- 2024
• M.S.W. research assistantship, VCU School of Social Work, 2019
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, VCU, 2019
• Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work, VCU, 2019
• David P. Beverly Memorial Scholarship recipient, VCU, 2019
• Child Welfare Stipend Scholarship recipient, VCU, 2018
• Mel C. Whipple Scholarship Recipient, VCU, 2018
• Johnathan Levin Prize in Education Recipient, Trinity College, 2018

→ Learn more about Nicole Campbell: Full profile | CV | Contact: [email protected]

Housing quality for whom? Housing quality as a form of housing insecurity and housing inequality for Black women renters

• Social work in Public Service 
• Healing Centered Engagement and Intervention
• Housing Policy, Insecurity and Quality
• Civil and Housing Rights 
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Environment and Well-being
• Strategic Organization
• Research Methods and Analysis
• Housing Policy and Practice 
• Social Work Ethics 
• Macro Practice and Change Work
• Social Work and Policy

I am deeply committed to social work and using my social work skills to empower, build, listen and advocate for community. With a background in social science, I have always been fascinated by social interactions and how to support people in collaborating toward a common goal. Working for the Columbus (Ohio) City Attorney’s office, my passion for social work and social justice grew as I was able to integrate social work values into a public service space and collaborate on projects that improved safety for residents in my community. 

My dissertation explores how intersectionality affects housing quality and the experiences of Black women renters, drawing insights from renters, service providers and public servants. In the future, I plan to continue exploring housing advocacy, security and inequality through research that bridges the gap between community needs and policy. 

I use my work and research experiences to spark critical thinking about social justice issues in the classroom. My hope for my students is that their learning experiences are not confined to the classroom but that they find ways to integrate what they learn into their practice and their own advocacy efforts as a member of society.

• Flaherty-Fischette, Patricia; Lee, Jenée ; D'Uva-Howard, Yvonne; Cramer, Elizabeth P.; Krivit, Karen; and Meehan, Sarah (2023) "Parents’ Perceptions of the Philly Goat Project’s All Abilities RAMble: A Qualitative Study of Animal-Assisted Intervention for Intellectual and Developmental Disorders," Developmental Disabilities Network Journal : Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 11. 
• Lee, J. , & Wagaman, A. M. (2022-2023). “Nowhere to Go”: Housing Stability among System-Involved Youth and Young Adults in Virginia. Advocates for Richmond Youth. A Youth Participatory Action Research Group. Funded by the Virginia Commonwealth University Community Engaged Health Equity Grant. Unpublished report, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth.

Highlighted presentations

• Lee, J. (2022). A Fair Housing Conversation: The Effects of Substandard Housing. 2022 Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference, Arlington, VA.
• Wagaman, A. M. & Lee, J. (2023). Bridging micro-macro practice skills in community-based research: Application of healing-centered engagement. Oral Paper Presentation at Council of Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• Lee, J. , Hernandez, R., Oliver, A., & Johnson, J. (2023). Meaningful Community-Centered Participatory Engagement. Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference 2023, Hampton, VA.
• Robin M. McKinney Dissertation Honor Fund – 2024 | Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work
• Black History in the Making Award – 2024 | Virginia Commonwealth University  
• School of Social Work Service & Leadership Award – 2024 | Virginia Commonwealth University 
• Elaine Z. Rothenberg Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2024
• Dean's Award, Southern Adventist University, 2017
• Coombs Motivation Award, Southern Adventist University, 2016

Community projects

Owner Occupied Initiative (Jan 2019- Present): Developed and coordinated a court diversion program aimed at supporting older adults in addressing housing code violations. Within this program, I also coordinate partnerships and program training for court personnel and social workers.

Community Immersion Program (June 2020- June 2021): Collaborated with a team to develop a community engagement experience for police recruits to support community knowledge and relationship building between residents and police officers. The program involves both classroom learning about neighborhoods and resident populations as well as a poverty simulation, community roundtables and interactive community service with various social service agencies and nonprofits in the city. 

Project Taillight (June 2020- August 2021): Researched and proposed a program to assist individuals with car repairs that would cause drivers to be pulled over for unsafe vehicles. I partnered with local organizations to provide car repairs to eligible individuals, coordinated client eligibility and led evaluation efforts of the program to develop information for future funding. This program has now expanded to include car repair services up to $3,200 for eligible residents in the city for repairs that are central to vehicle and road safety.

→ Learn more about Jenée Lee: Full profile | CV | Contact: [email protected]

Exploring community health workers’ readiness to provide end-of-life care

• Gerontology
• End-of-Life Care
• Health Disparities
• Research Methods
• Social Justice
• Social Work in Healthcare
• End-of-Life/Death & Dying

My research agenda centers on addressing health disparities in end-of-life (EOL) care, particularly the unequal access faced by historically marginalized populations. My dissertation investigates the potential for public health interventions in end-of-life (EOL) care, particularly focusing on the role of community health workers (CHWs).

While the importance of CHWs in addressing EOL disparities has gained recent attention, there's limited research on their specific knowledge, attitudes, and practices in this area. My mixed-methods study addresses this gap by examining Virginia CHWs' perspectives on EOL care through an online survey and focus groups. This research is a first step in informing the development of effective public health interventions to reduce EOL disparities.

• Kim, S., Cho, S., Morgan, M.R. (2023). Neighborhood and depressive symptoms in older adults living in rural and urban regions in South Korea . Healthcare , 11(4), 476. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040476
• Perrin, P.B., Morgan, M.R ., Aretouli, E., Snipes, D.J., Ramirez Hoyos, G., Arabia Buraye, J., Arango-Lasprilla, J.C. (2014). Connecting health-related quality of life and mental health in dementia caregivers from Colombia, South America . Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , 39(3), 499-509. 
• Hubbard, R.R., Snipes, D., Morgan, M.R. , De Jesus, A., Bhattacharyya, S., Perrin, P.B. (2013). Themes in heterosexuals’ responses when challenging LGBT prejudice . Sexuality Research and Social Policy , 10(4), 269-278.
• Bob Green Research Fund, VCU School of Social Work, 2024
• Office of Research (OOR) Pilot Funds, VCU School of Social Work, 2024
• Dr. Marilyn A. Biggerstaff Fund for Doctoral Student Research, VCU School of Social Work, 2024
• Service and Leadership Award, VCU School of Social Work, 2023                                                               
• Jessie Hibbs/Marion Waller Scholarship, VCU, 2023
• AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellowship, Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, 2022

→ Learn more about Matthew Morgan:   Full profile | CV | Contact: [email protected]

A qualitative exploration of the employment experiences and coping strategies among transgender women in Colombia.

• Gender Identities
• Employment Experiences
• Emotional Well-being
• Workplace Well-being
• Sexual Orientation
• Women’s Employment
• Advanced Statistics

My research investigates LGBTQ+ people’s employment experiences, focusing on affirming and non-affirming encounters in job-seeking and workplace environments. I explore the diverse coping strategies LGBTQ+ individuals employ to navigate these situations and examine how these experiences and coping mechanisms influence their workplace well-being.

Looking ahead, I aim to translate this knowledge into practical applications. My goal is to inform the development of interventions and policies designed to foster affirmative behaviors and attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals in hiring and employment settings. Through this work, I hope to contribute to reducing  non-affirming workplace experiences while increasing positive, affirming encounters for LGBTQ+ people.

• Roldán, P. , Matijczak, A., & Goffnett, J. (2024, February). Negative Associations between Minority Stressors and Self-Reported Health Status among Sexual Minority Adults Living in Colombia. In Healthcare (Vol. 12, No. 4, p. 429). MDPI.
• Roldán, P.M. , & Gattis, M.N. Homophobic Incidents and Active Bystander Behavior: Heterosexual’s Intentions to Intervene in Colombia.[Manuscript submitted for publication]. School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University. 
• Roldán, P. , Goffnett, J., Clary, K., & Matijczak, A “I retired and I transitioned”: Employment experiences of transgender and gender diverse Texans. [Manuscript submitted for publication].School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Hans S. Falck Scholarship, VCU School of Social Work, 2024
• Diversity Scholarship award to participate in the 2023 ICPSR Summer Program In Quantitative Methods. Ann Arbor. MI, United States, 2023

→ Learn more about Paola Roldán: Full profile | CV | Contact: [email protected]

Health after resettlement: Multilevel drivers of health status among Somali refugees with chronic conditions

• Health Services Research
• Chronic Conditions
• Refugee Health
• Resettlement Stress
• Health Policy
• Research in Social Work Practice
• Social Work Practice in Refugee and Immigrant Communities

Teaching experience 

Instructor of Record

• Foundations of Research in Social Work Practice (online), M.S.W. Program, VCU, Fall 2024
• Foundations of Research in Social Work Practice (online), M.S.W. Program, VCU, Summer 2024
• Foundations of Research in Social Work Practice (online), M.S.W. Program, VCU, Spring, 2024

Teaching Assistant

• Person in Society (online), B.S.W. Program, VCU, Fall 2023

Muna leverages research to advocate for policies that ensure equitable health care access for migrants experiencing chronic health problems. Her current work centers on addressing health disparities among refugees with chronic conditions by identifying the various multilevel factors that influence health status and service utilization. 

For her dissertation, Muna is conducting a structured survey of Somali migrants in the U.S., examining the relationships among policy, community context and individual factors in overall health status and service use. She aims to continue this research in the future, with the goal of developing intervention models to improve chronic condition management for refugee communities.

• Im, H., Saleh, M. , & Khetarpal, R. M. (2024). Embodiment of structural vulnerability: illness experiences among Somali refugee women in urban displacement. Ethnicity & Health , 1-24.
• Cage, J., Saleh, M. O., Strolin-Goltzman, J., & Shockley McCarthy, K. (2023). From student engagement to school engagement of students: toward providing the luxury of engagement to youth involved with the child welfare system. Journal of Public Child Welfare , 1-14.
• Cage, J., Kemmerer, A., Shockley Mccarthy, K., Pitts, B. E., Strolin-Goltzman, J., & Saleh, M. (2023). Measuring school engagement for youth involved with the child welfare system: a structured review of the literature. Journal of Public Child Welfare , 17(4), 818-844.
• Saleh, M. , Amona, E., Kuttikat, M., Sahoo, I., Chan, D., Murphy, J., & Kim, K. (In Press). Mental Health and Associated Risk Factors Among Adolescent Camp Refugees in India. PLOS ONE .
• Sahoo, I., Kuttikat, M., Chan, D., Murphy, J., Saleh, M. , & Lund, M. (In press). Transmigration Stressors, Parent Mental Health, Resource Utilization and Family Functioning Among Sri Lankan Camp Refugees in India. Migration and Development .
• Saleh, M. Im, H. (Book Chapter; in press). Marginalization as Traumatization: Developmentally Based Trauma Framework for Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Somali Refugees. In L. Kromjak, & A. Karamehic-Muratovic (Eds.), Intergenerational Trauma in Refugee Communities. Routledge . 
• Saleh, M. & Im, Hyojin. (under review). Cross-generational transmission of distress in the context of chronic marginalization and culture loss: A qualitative Study of Somali refugee families  resettled in the U.S. 
• Im, H., & Saleh, M. (under review). Exposure to Natural Disaster and Polytrauma among Somali Refugees in Urban Displacement.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Health Policy Research Scholar, 2022-present
• CSWE-GADE-SSWR Doctoral Policy Fellow, 2022-23
• School of Social Work Service & Leadership Award, 2024
• Social Work Interprofessional Training Collaborative for Health (SWITCH) Fellowship, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2020

→ Learn more about Muna Saleh: Full profile | CV | Contact: [email protected]

Meet Our Students

Jump to:   Alif Ahmed |  Layla Al Neyadi |  Brianna Amos | Sehyun Baek |  Moiyattu Banya  | Jackie Cosse  | Dget Downey |  Natalie Green | Ning He |  Khadija Israel  | Danielle Jonas | Xixi Kang  |  Seonyeong Kim | Madison Kitchen |  Fatima Mabrouk  | Aanchal Modani |  Laura I. Esquivel Martinez |  Krushika Uday Patankar |  Luisa (Lucy) Prout |  Aaron H. Rodwin  | Brittany Singletary |  Ortal Wasser  |  Whitney Wortham  | Shicheng Xu |  Nari Yoo  | Fan Zhang | Ruohan Zhu

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: My research interests broadly explore how policies and programs related to immigration impact the health and mental health of unauthorized immigrants and their families, including refugees and asylees in international settings.

Education: 

• MS in Social Work with a focus on health, mental health and disabilities, Columbia University
• BS in Applied Psychology, New York University 

Currently, I work for Global TIES for Children, where I use evidence-based data to evaluate educational programs that promote early childhood education in emergency and conflict zones.

My programmatic work involves utilization of task sharing models to address mental health disparities among marginalized communities in New York City with specific focus on participatory action research and capacity sharing framework. One of my active projects focus on gender inequity and domestic violence prevention in the South Asian American Muslim community.

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Layla Al Neyadi

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Exploring how sociocultural factors influence mental health; women’s mental health; depression; anxiety; cross-cultural research; mental health policy; qualitative and mixed methods.

• NYU School of Global Public Health, MPH in Public Health Policy & Management
• Columbia University, MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College
• NYU Abu Dhabi, BA in Psychology

Layla’s research interests focus on the exploration of sociocultural factors that influence mental health in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically, she is interested in assessing how some sociocultural practices and beliefs may increase the risk of mental illness, while others serve as a protective factor, particularly among women with experiences of depression and anxiety. This research would allow for a culturally informed approach towards tailoring interventions that are attuned to the specific context. Layla is also interested in assessing how mental health policies may be strengthened in order to improve mental health provisions, and to foster equitable access to mental health services in the UAE.

Brianna Amos

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Cultural stigma; mental health services and interventions; treatment engagement; mental health disparities; health equity

• Rutgers University, School of Social Work (MSW)
• Rutgers University - Newark & Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, School of Health Professions (BS in Psychology and Psychiatric Rehabilitation)

Brianna Amos is a licensed social worker in the state of New Jersey and a doctoral student at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Brianna’s research interests are rooted in understanding mental health disparities in Black communities. She is specifically interested in the cultural stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities and how these beliefs and attitudes can influence engagement with mental health services and mental health outcomes. She is also interested in community-based research to develop interventions that address mental health disparities by improving treatment access and retention.

Sehyun Baek

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: The relationship between caregiving and the housing environment and the intersection of aging and disabilities as a healthy disparity.

• MSW, Washington University in St. Louis
• BA and MA in Social Welfare, Soongsil University

Sehyun Baek earned a BA and MA in social welfare at Soongsil University and an MSW at Washington University in St. Louis. He initiated his research interest as a social worker at a community rehabilitation center in South Korea, responsible for the personal assistance service for people with disabilities. Through his experience, his research interest has focused on the relationship between caregiving and the housing environment and the intersection of aging and disabilities as a healthy disparity.

Moiyattu Banya

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Adolescent girls and young women, refugee/immigrants, global mental health interventions and policy, mental health outcomes, life course perspectives, social determinants of health, mixed methods and community based participatory research.

• Columbia University, MSW in Social Enterprise Administration; Minor in Law 
• Rutgers University, BS in Public Health

Moiyattu has 15 years of clinical experience and leadership with community-based organizations working with women and girls across Africa and the U.S. She Co-Founded the nonprofit organization Girls Empowerment Sierra Leone. Her research interests include using community-based participatory research to support communities with histories of trauma and gender based violence in developing strategies that work to improve outcomes. Her long-term goal is to use mixed methods to develop and test community-level culturally relevant interventions that foster mental health and wellbeing for adolescent girls and young women in Africa. Her secondary research interests include improving the mental health of refugee and first-generation immigrant African adolescents and youth in the U.S.. As a doctoral student, Moiyattu works with the Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Group at Silver on a variety of projects. In recognition for her work in Sierra Leone, Moiyattu was named one of the 'Top 100' African women making an impact in the lives of women and girls by Okay Africa. Moiyattu was also selected as part of the NYU Urban Doctoral Fellowship, a highly competitive fellowship that fosters collaboration and scholarly discourse among a diverse group of faculty and students engaged in urban research. She was also selected to be part of the renowned Program for Research on Black Americans at University of Michigan. Before arriving at NYU, Moiyattu was an adjunct professor at Temple University Gender Studies department and Columbia University School of Social Work.

Jackie Cosse

they/she [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Mandatory Arrest Policy; Intimate Partner and Gender Based Violence; Criminalization and Policing; Abolition Feminism; Conflations of Gender/Sex in Research; LGBTQ Communities of Color; Mixed Methods Research

• Smith College School for Social Work (MSW)
• Amherst College (BA in Asian Languages and Civilizations; Japanese Concentration)

Jacqueline (Jackie) Cosse, LMSW, is a PhD candidate and psychodynamically-trained social worker. Their research, pedagogy, and practice is grounded in abolition feminist scholarship and intersectional analysis that works to dismantle systems upheld by white supremacy and racial capitalism, cisheterosexism and ableism, and more.

At NYU Silver, Jackie’s research examines the criminalization of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) under mandatory arrest law, focusing on the experiences of women, queer, and transgender / gender expansive survivors of color. Their dissertation aims to employ both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate how white hegemony, cisheterosexism, and classism interplay in determining which survival methods are afforded “legitimacy” in the eyes of those who enforce law. This includes but is not limited to considering: of IPV survivors, who is believed? Whose anger is coded as valid, and whose is coded as criminal, deviant, “crazy,” unnecessary? In what ways are these categorizations rooted in the policing of Blackness, Latinidad, sex, gender, poverty, and more? Through this work, Jackie is dedicated to amplifying the voices and experiences of survivors relegated to the margins, with the hope of driving meaningful change in both academic discourse and societal attitudes towards intimate partner violence.

Dget Downey

they/he [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Health/mental health inequity, Evidence-based interventions, Identity pride in LGBTQ+ populations, Stigma/marginalization, Data science/machine learning

• Columbia University, MSW in Advanced Generalist Practice & Programming
• Lafayette College, BA in Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology

Dget Lynn Downey (they/he) is a PhD student at NYU Silver School of Social Work. Specifically, their research centers 1) data justice and QuantCrit (i.e., the application of critical epistemologies and theory in quantitative inquiry) principles; 2) evidence- and community-based practices on social and health inequities for LGBTQ+ populations; 3) developing and evaluating culturally-tailored interventions to decrease stigma and increase resilience and identity pride. They hope to utilize machine learning methods to predict and intervene in discriminatory policies or behaviors that reproduce adverse mental health impacts (e.g., exclusionary policies in schools).

Natalie Green

she/her [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Health Equity, Cognitive Health, Productive Aging, Social Stress

• NYU Silver School of Social Work (MSW)
• Claremont McKenna College (BA in Economics)

Natalie Green is a NYU PhD student and a licensed clinical social worker. Her experience in psychiatric social work, healthcare consulting, and economic research have led to her present research interests examining productive aging, mental health, health disparities, and the relationship between social factors and biomarkers. In particular, she is focused on investigating how structural oppression and subsequent social stress contribute to cognitive health outcomes through an interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective. Using an anti-oppressive and critical lens, her work is aimed at understanding the role of individual-minority stressors (i.e., discrimination) and structural factors that contribute to health inequities across the lifespan to inform interventions and policy. Natalie has training in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and now works as a research assistant at the Center for Health and Aging Innovation. She is currently working on several projects that examine the role of discrimination within cognitive health outcomes and inflammatory pathways.

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Immigrant health, women living with HIV, social determinants of health, adolescent development, parenting, and child welfare

• Peking University, Department of Sociology (Master of Social Work)
• Liaoning University, School of Philosophy and Public Administration (Bachelor of Social Welfare)

Ning He, MSW, is a PhD candidate at the New York University Silver School of Social Work. Her research focuses on the social determinants of health (SDoH) within underrepresented populations, especially foreign-born individuals and families, and persons living with HIV (PLWH). The perspectives of her research projects mainly focus on immigration, racism, and health disparities. Ning's dissertation compares HIV mechanisms in U.S.-born and foreign-born women, with a specific emphasis on the role of racism.

Ning He actively contributes to various research and intervention projects, such as a pilot study on Inflammatory Biomarkers of Depressive Symptoms in Type II Diabetes in women with and without HIV, the examination of community resilience among Chinese elder immigrants in New York City, the Heart to Heart intervention for improved HIV treatment outcomes, and the Clinics Optimizing Methadone Take-homes for opioid use disorder (COMET) project—a stepped-wedge randomized trial designed to facilitate clinic-level transformations. Her research draws from established theories including family stress theory, social action theory, and immigration adaptation theories, employing a mixed-methods approach and expertise in biosocial statistics and survey methodologies.

Substance Use Research Education and Training (SARET) Program, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

New Writers Fellowship, Family Process Institute

Publications

He, N., Cleland, C., Gwadz, M., Sherpa, D., Ritchie, A., Martinez, B., Collins, L. (2021) Understanding medical mistrust among African American/Black and Latino persons living with HIV who experience serious barriers to HIV care and HIV medication use: A machine learning approach. SAGE Open, 11 (4). DOI: 10.1177/21582440211061314

Zhang, Y., He, N., & Xu, Y. (2023). Parenting and Adolescents’ Subjective Psychological Well-Being: Does Immigration Background Matter? Child Indicators Research, 1-24 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-023-10033-1

Khadija Israel

She/Her [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Substance use, behavioral health systems, and the advancement of harm reduction strategies within acute care settings

Khadija Israel, LMSW, is a social worker and doctoral candidate at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University, where she earned her Master of Social Work with a focus on Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice. Her research is dedicated to substance use, behavioral health systems, and the advancement of harm reduction strategies within acute care settings. Her dissertation specifically aims to understand the patterns of harm reduction services recommended to persons with opioid use disorder while they are in the hospital and the uptake of such services by analyzing clinical notes within the electronic health record using a data science approach called natural language processing.

In her professional capacity, Khadija is a project assistant at the Center for Opioid Epidemiology & Policy. Her responsibilities include conducting in-depth research and analysis to better understand the epidemiological trends and policy impacts surrounding opioid use. She has also made contributions as a Research Associate at the Intervention Innovations Team Lab and as an Assistant Research Scientist at SAMSHA/CSAP and the Center for Drug Use and HIV|HCV Research, further enhancing her expertise in this population and their intersection with public health crises. These roles complement her doctoral pursuits at NYU, focusing on developing harm reduction-informed, evidence-based, non-pharmacologic treatment interventions for high-risk patients with substance use disorders (SUD) in inpatient settings and providing the perfect platform for understanding the landscape of opioid treatment, including regulatory and policy challenges that shape the field.

Danielle Jonas

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Siblings, Pediatric Palliative Care, Palliative Care Social Work, Children with Serious Illness, Children with Severe Neurologic Impairment, Medical Social Work

• Interdisciplinary Pediatric Palliative Care Social Work Fellowship at Harvard School of Medicine/Boston's Children's Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute
• Indiana University, Masters in Social Work
• Indiana University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in History

she/her [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Child well-being; Poverty and inequality; Economic and health outcomes related to policy interventions; Policy analysis; Intergenerational interventions

• Washington University in St. Louis, Brown School of Social Work (Master of Social Policy) 
• Renmin University of China (Master of Social Work) 
• China University of Labor Relations (Bachelor of Social Work)

Xixi Kang’s research interests are deeply rooted in understanding the systemic barriers that impede economic development and social mobility. She is particularly interested in understanding how structural forces prevent children from reaching their full potential later in life and how such forces impact health, mental health, housing, and future financial wellbeing.

Xixi utilizes interdisciplinary approaches and collaborates with multiple stakeholders. Previously, she worked at UNICEF China and the Chinese Academy of Financial Inclusion, collaborating with government departments and agencies on the reform of social assistance programs and financial system, advocating for building a child-sensitive social protection system and an inclusive financial system for marginalized populations. This practice experience directly informs Xixi’s research, which she hopes to generate meaningful evidence to advocate for policy programs targeting structural changes.

In her current work, Xixi dedicates herself to identifying when, how and why systems are failing to support children’s wellbeing and to translating her research findings into actionable policies and interventions to reduce child poverty and inequality.

Seonyeong Kim

she/her/hers [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Youth dually involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems (dual-systems youth); foster care youth; youth involved in the juvenile justice system; developmental transition from adolescence to adulthood; adolescent mental health; social determinants of health

• Seoul National University (MA in Social Welfare)
• Sungkyunkwan University (BA in Psychology and Child Psychology & Education)

Madison Kitchen

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Suicide Prevention and Related Interventions; Help-seeking Behaviors; Suicidality on Social Media; Depictions of Suicide in Media; Mental Health and Wellbeing of Military-connected Youth and Families; Program Evaluation

• EdM, Special Education, MSW, Macro Social Work, Behavioral Health Specialization, Boston University
• BFA, Theatre, New York University

Madison (she/her/hers) is a macro-social worker, E-RYT 200, RYT 500 yoga instructor, and PhD student at the NYU Silver School of Social Work who is passionate about mental health advocacy and research. She graduated from NYU Tisch in 2019 with a BFA in theatre, and earned Master's degrees in special education and social work from Boston University in 2024. Madison's work focuses on suicide prevention interventions and understanding help-seeking behaviors during suicidal crises.

Fatima Mabrouk

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Systemic Racism, Racial Microaggressions, Employment Discrimination, Employment Outcomes, Black/African American Women Mental Health

• NYU Silver School of Social Work (Master of Social Work)
• CUNY York College (BS in Social Work)

Fatima is a social work doctoral student enrolled at NYU's Silver School of Social Work and a recipient of NYU's Urban Doctoral Fellowship, her work broadly focuses on employment discrimination, such as racial microaggressions, and the mental health outcomes of Black women professionals in the workplace.

Laura I. Esquivel Martinez

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Laura is passionate about chronic health disparities, substance use and mental disorders, intervention research, and immigration policy. Her overall research purpose is to conduct research with Latinos to reduce Latino Health Disparities in diabetes, depression, and substance use while improving measurement quality and work to produce integrated systematic efforts for reliable and valid measurements of Latino ethnic subgroups.

• New York University Silver School of Social Work (In Progress), PhD in Social Work Dissertation: "Exploring Access to Healthcare for Latino Subgroups with Co-occurring Depression and Diabetes"
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, MS in Social Work
• The University of Texas at Brownsville, BA in Psychology

Laura is a bicultural bilingual Mexican American PhD candidate at NYU Silver School of Social Work. She is working on her dissertation, exploring healthcare access for Latino subgroups with co-occurring depression and diabetes. Laura is also a full-time Care Management Social Worker, assisting medically high-risk individuals in improving mental and physical health well-being by partnering in improving unmet health needs. Additionally, she actively participates in Social Work Anti-Racism and Inclusion Initiative (SWARI) at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Laura has presented her work at national conferences and is working toward first- and co-authored publications, including two co-authored papers from the CTI study under review. She has also served in a one-year leadership capacity as President of the Doctoral Student Association at NYU Silver. In recognition of Laura's hard work and accomplishments, she was awarded and participated in the 2019 Science Alliance Leadership Training at The New York Academy of Sciences. Laura's teaching experience includes independently teaching Social Welfare Programs & Policies I. She has been a teaching assistant for Social Work Research 1 for two semesters for the Seminar on Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Health and Human Behavior in the Social Environment.

Aanchal Modani

she/her [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Domestic violence/intimate partner violence (DV/IPV) with special focus in Global South; helping-seeking behavior; barriers and facilitators in access; rehabilitation; reintegration; trauma informed care for GBV; feminist methodology; qualitative research; gender studies.

• Teachers College, Columbia University (MA in Clinical Psychology)
• Gargi College, University of Delhi (BA in Applied Psychology)

Aanchal Modani, a doctoral candidate at NYU Silver School of Social Work, is conducting qualitative research to understand pathways of care and safety of domestic violence survivors in North India for her dissertation. Additionally, she serves as a qualitative research consultant at The George Institute for Global Health, contributing to the GRACE project funded by Co-Impact. This project investigates the impact of CEDAW reviews on laws addressing women's discrimination in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Kenya.

Previously, Aanchal worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, where she worked on an NIMH grant studying neuropsychological and biological markers of suicide and depression. She also participated in a mental health needs-assessment study for rural female sex workers in India, which deepened her commitment to addressing violence and discrimination affecting women's mental health.

Krushika Uday Patankar

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Domestic violence/intimate partner violence (DV/IPV); child welfare system (CWS); immigration; dual systems involvement and services access and use with families; intervention and implementation in restorative justice approaches to DV/IPV; cross-cultural research with South Asian populations; lived experiences of systems impacted families; qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods

• NYU Silver School of Social Work, MSW
• NYU Abu Dhabi, BA in Theater and Psychology

Krushika’s research lies at the intersection of women's im/migration, child welfare and domestic violence, alongside understanding family separation and divorce experiences. Her particular focus includes studying intervention development and implementation of restorative justice based approaches to domestic violence; she centers the exploration and understanding of lived experiences of families surviving multiple systems involvement and uncovers the impacts of differing notions of justice in service delivery. Krushika has served as a longstanding communal support and educator for children with developmental disorders in her hometown of Muscat, Oman, and pioneered a peer support program for communal mental health treatment at NYU Abu Dhabi in 2014.

Luisa (Lucy) Prout

she/her [email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Intimate Partner Violence; Restorative Justice/Restorative Practice-based Interventions for IPV; Transformative Justice; Critical Race Theory; Critical Participatory Action Research; Mixed Methods Research

• University of Colorado-Denver, MCJ in Criminal Justice with a certificate in Gender-Based Violence 
• Georgetown University, BA in Justice and Peace Studies, Women and Gender Studies minor

Luisa (Lucy) Prout is a PhD Student at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. Pursuing research questions addressing healing and justice beyond the criminal legal system concerning intimate partner violence (IPV), Lucy is particularly interested in the role of structural oppression in both maintaining IPV and as shaping intervention. With an interest in anti-racist, community-driven research methods, Lucy's focus includes investigating responses to IPV through non-carceral avenues with particular attention to restorative justice tools and how this can grow through transformative justice. Previously, Lucy facilitated restorative justice processes in Colorado through the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Boulder County Probation Department, and Boulder County Sheriff's Department. She also collaborated with a team of facilitators to create a community-based intervention grounded in restorative practices for individuals directly impacted by IPV. At NYU, Lucy is a graduate research assistant at the Center on Violence and Recovery.

Aaron H. Rodwin

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Mental health services and interventions; Serious mental illness; Traumatic stress; Music-based interventions; Health equity; Young adults; Treatment engagement; Stigma

• New York University, Silver School of Social Work (PhD Anticipated 2024)
• New York University, Silver School of Social Work (MSW)
• Hofstra University, BA in Sociology and Psychology

Aaron Rodwin is a PhD student at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. Aaron’s research interests focus on mental health services and interventions for marginalized young adults experiencing serious mental illnesses (SMI). More specifically, Aaron is committed to developing services and interventions that use culturally and developmentally responsive modalities to maximize engagement, involvement, and ultimately enhance personal recovery. A significant focus of Aaron’s research investigates how music and expressive strategies can be integrated and embedded into mental health services as a novel youth-oriented medium to improve engagement and recovery (i.e., personal and clinical).

Brittney Singletary

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Early Childhood Adverse Experiences/Trauma; African American, child and adolescent, depression, anxiety and suicidality concerns; African American adolescent risk and resilience factors; Evaluation of the efficacy and effectiveness of empirically supported child and adolescent psychotherapies for African American youth; Intervention Development

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker 2020
• University of Pittsburgh, MSW 2016

Brittney D. Singletary is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who attended the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work Program and received her MSW, with a concentration in Mental Health and Integrated Health. Throughout her seven years of experience Brittney has provided care to youth ranging from early childhood to late adolescents and their families in a variety of settings. Brittney has worked with children and families in school, community, and outpatient settings. Brittney is trained in Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Incredible Years (IY)- Small Group Dina, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Her research portfolio consists of working as the clinical supervisor of the Services for Teens at Risk (STAR) Research Department, which focuses on conducting federally and foundationally funded studies to better support youth who may be experiencing depression or suicidality, as well as, conducting secondary analysis on depression risk and mental health concerns in youth.

Brittney’s clinical and research emphasis is on understanding sociocultural influences on complex trauma and adverse experiences in African American youth, and how sociocultural influences impact mental health outcomes, with a supplemental focus on suicidal youth and the evaluation of empirically supported intervention’s efficacy, effectiveness, and development.

Ortal Wasser

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice; Abortion Policies; Access to Abortion Care and Healthcare Services; Mixed-Methods Research; Policy Analysis

• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, MSW
• Tel-Hai College, BA in Social Work

Ortal is a PhD Candidate at NYU Silver School of Social Work. She holds an MSW from the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her clinical experience includes counseling on pregnancy, parenting, sexual health, and related mental health issues. Her research interests encompass reproductive health, rights, and justice, abortion policies, access to abortion and healthcare services, mixed-methods research, and policy analysis. Ortal's doctoral dissertation focuses on the emotional and financial challenges of accessing abortion care in the U.S., earning her the Emerging Scholar in Family Planning Grant. She also teaches research methods at the MSW Program and has recently initiated and developed a new Advanced Social Policy course for MSW students on Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice.

Whitney Wortham

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Mental Health Services Research, Implementation Science, studying Evidence Based Practices through a Critical Health Equity lens and studying root causes of inequity in development, adaptation, and implementation of EBPs

• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (MPH)
• Fordham University (MSW)
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville (BA in Psychology)

Whitney Wortham's research interests include mental health services research, implementation science, and evidence-based practice with youth and families. A core question in her current work centers on front-line practices that facilitate linkages to services within the context of the child welfare system. Whitney served as the Family Grants Project Director where she worked as a team member on both an early childhood System of Care grant with the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health and a five year SAMHSA-funded project on early access to integrated behavioral health and trauma-specific interventions for children, adolescents, and their families in Washington, DC. Whitney additionally has clinical experience utilizing evidence-based practices to support children and families in community settings. Whitney’s aspiration as a future social work researcher is to lead improvements in access and quality of mental health services for young children, youth, and families impacted by poor social determinants of health through policy, advocacy, and to partner with providers and community-based organizations on the ground. Whitney holds her MSW from Fordham University, her MPH from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and her BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

Shicheng Xu

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Productive aging, intergenerational relationships, dementia care, and family communication

• MPhil in gerontology, The University of Hong Kong

Hi, this is Shicheng! Currently, I'm completing my MPhil degree in gerontology at The University of Hong Kong, Department of Social Work and Social Administration. Before that, I worked as a research assistant at Sau Po Centre on Ageing and closely worked with older people and elderly centers in Hong Kong. I'm specifically interested in productive aging, intergenerational relationships, dementia care, and family communication.

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Immigrants/Refugees; Minority Mental Health; Mental Health Services; Health Disparities; Culturally and linguistically appropriate services; and Data Science for Social Work Research

• Ewha Womans University (MA in Social Welfare) 2020
• Ewha Womans University (BA in Sociology & Social Welfare) 2018

Nari's research is motivated by the desire to promote social justice and improve the mental health, behavioral health, and well-being of racial/ethnic minorities and immigrants in both the United States and Asian contexts. Her questions are organized around 1) systems-level, 2) community-level, and 3) technology-related factors in predicting behavioral health outcomes, service utilization, and access to care. Her long-term goal is to develop technology-assisted and/or community-based interventions to foster culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Her methodological interests encompass applying structural equation modeling and leveraging computational social science approaches to social work research, including using text-as-data and big data sources. At NYU, Nari was appointed an inaugural predoctoral fellow at the Constance and Martin Silver Center on Data Science and Social Equity. Nari organized the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS)-NYU Silver with the theme of data science for social good. She has published first-authored papers in high-impact journals such as Psychiatric Services, Social Science and Medicine, and Digital Health. Nari's research has been awarded and funded by Grand Challengesthe for Social Work, NYU Migration Network, Migration Research and Training Centre, and Ministry of Education in South Korea.

More information: https://nariyoo.com/

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Children and adolescents mental health, family-based interventions, parenting and fatherhood, trauma-informed care, health equity, evidence-based practice, and implementation science.

• MSW, NYU Silver School of Social Work
• Post-graduate training, Trauma-Informed Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Program, National Institute for the Psychotherapies

Fan Zhang, MSW, LCSW (he/him/his), is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. For the past five years, he has provided individual and family psychotherapy services to immigrant children, adolescents, and their families at the NYU Langone Health Family Health Centers in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. In addition to his clinical work, Fan is dedicated to advancing health equity through research focused on the psychosocial needs of Chinese American cancer survivors and their families.

Fan’s primary research interest is in improving and implementing family-based interventions to address the physical and mental health well-being of underserved racial and ethnic minority communities. He aspires to leverage his direct practice experiences to develop culturally sensitive and evidence-based interventions, ultimately bringing them back to the marginalized communities he serves.

Born and raised in China, Fan obtained his Master of Social Work from NYU Silver School of Social Work in 2019. He completed his postgraduate training in the Trauma-Informed Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Program at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies in 2021.

[email protected]

Areas of Research/Interests: Poverty and Economic Empowerment; Child Protection Services Systems; Gender, Parenting, and Family; Policy and Program Evaluation

• MSW, Peking University
• BSW, Capital Normal University

Ruohan Zhu’s research interests blend two streams of issues: 1) how family factors influence child multidimensional poverty, in light of institutional changes in the past decade; 2) how systematic protection and parenting services mitigate the risks and impacts of child poverty and gender inequality. She particularly focuses on the group of children lacking parental care and immigrant female workers, dedicated to enhancing their well-being.

Before entering the Silver School, Ruohan served as a research assistant at the Peking University Department of Sociology and Peking University-Hong Kong Polytechnic University China Social Work Research Center, collaborating with UNICEF China, government sectors, charitable foundations, and social work agencies to evaluate child multidimensional poverty and parenting risks, improve children’s financial capability in rural areas, and promote national and local child protection service systems.

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Spartan Alert

Social work, ph.d..

Grounded in two richly historic universities, one a Historically Black College and/or University (NC A&T) and the other the historical women’s college of the University of North Carolina system (UNC Greensboro), the Joint Ph.D. (J.Ph.D.) program is built on the cornerstones of diversity, multicultural responsiveness, and community engagement. Students in the program will receive the benefits and privileges of being enrolled on both campuses and the degree will include the seals and official signatures from both universities.

The J.Ph.D. curriculum encourages students to explore several aspects of research including quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged approaches. Additionally, students are encouraged to use electives to explore other areas of specialization in a particular area. Using the teacher/scholar model, the J.Ph.D. program encourages students to prepare for careers in academia and as leaders in the community.

This program is not currently enrolling students through UNCG, but expects to reopen to new applicants soon. Students may still apply through NC A&T University, our partner in the joint degree program.

Program Distinctions

• NC A&T played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement. In the turbulence of 1960, four freshmen sat down at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro. Their actions inspired a national sit-in movement. Our history has influenced a program culture that supports the social work profession’s commitment to ethical practice and social justice. 
• The program is part of a unique collaboration between a minority serving institution (UNC Greensboro) and a Historically Black College and/or University, NC A&T, which is the first of its kind in the United States. 
• In the last five years, the Departments have received over $5 million in external funding, which has been used to support students by alleviating debt, as well as meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in and around our surrounding communities.
• UNCG, jointly with NC A&T, is ranked #77 nationally and #3 in North Carolina for Best Schools for Social Work by the U.S. News & World Report.

The Student Experience

• Suggested Course of Study for Full-time students
• Suggested Course of Study for Part-time students
• In the fall and spring semesters, both full-time and part-time students will be in two classes together to promote a collaborative and cohesive cohort.
• Following the completion of coursework, students must pass written and oral comprehensive exams and write and defend the dissertation proposal. At that point, the student is considered All But Dissertation (ABD) and will write and defend the dissertation while being enrolled in dissertation hours, which is part of the requirement to complete the degree.

After Graduation

Students are well-prepared to pursue academic careers in social work as well as careers in research and leadership areas related to social work, including social and environmental justice.

Program Details

Degree Type: Doctoral

College/School: School of Health and Human Sciences

Program Type: Majors & Concentrations

Class Type: In Person

Learn More About

Similar Degree Offerings

• Social Work, M.S.W.
• Social Work, B.S.W.

Jay Poole PhD Graduate Program Director [email protected]

The Joint Programs in Social Work Social Work at UNCG

Quick Links

• Joint Master of Social Work
• Master's Licensure in School Social Work
• Gerontology, Accelerated M.S.
• Gerontology Programs

The Ohio State University

PhD Program

We have what you need to discover your extraordinary potential at Ohio State

• Translational Research Curriculum
• Internationally Known Faculty and Supportive Doctoral Student Community
• Competitive Funding Support
• Vibrant City with a Reasonable Cost of Living

Doctoral faculty are studying:

• Child maltreatment and child well-being
• Children of immigrant families and social adjustment
• Community food security and community-based research
• Culturally competent policy, practice, and research
• Educational disparities
• Environmental Justice
• Geographic Information Systems
• Health Disparities
• Human trafficking
• Immigrant and refugee well-being and inclusion
• Implementation research in child welfare and evidence-based practices
• Integrated primary care and behavioral health services
• Integrative body-mind spirit practices
• Intimate partner violence among women and college students
• Information and communication technologies used in social work practice
• Intergenerational strategies on individual and community development
• LGBTQ+populations
• Mental health disparities and inequities among diverse populations
• Older adults and community-based interventions and services
• Grandparents raising grandchildren
• Policy research and advocacy
• Positive youth development and youth sport
• Poverty and anti-poverty policies and programs
• School mental health, school social work, school-family-community partnerships
• Social determinants of health and health equity
• Strengths-based integrative family and systems treatment for at-risk children and adolescents
• Substance abuse prevention, service access, and mutual-aid based interventions
• Trauma-informed care

For questions about the PhD Curriculum, please contact Dr. Mo Yee Lee, PhD Program Director, [email protected] .

For questions about the PhD and MSW+PhD applications or general questions, please contact Jennifer Nakayama, PhD Coordinator, at [email protected] or 614-292-6188 .

Social Work on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Look Back, A Look Ahead (Part Three)

Sep 18, 2024

—Mary M. Velasquez, PhD, Director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work. NASW and the NASW Foundation partnered with HBRT in the $3.3 million CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Grant, Engaging Social Workers in Boosting COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.

—Kirk von Sternberg, PhD, Associate Director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work. HBRT partnered with NASW and the NASW Foundation in the $3.3 million CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Grant, Engaging Social Workers in Boosting COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.

—Brenda Rosen, MSW, CSW, Executive Director, NASW Kentucky Chapter . Brenda implemented NASW Chapter communications and outreach in Kentucky on behalf of the Connect to End COVID-19 Campaign and hosted a MI-SBIRT Training (2022) in collaboration with the UT Austin HBRT team.

—Debra Riggs, CAE, Executive Director, NASW Metro DC Chapter and NASW Virginia Chapter . Debra and her team implemented NASW Chapter communications and outreach in Virginia and Metro DC on behalf of the Connect to End COVID-19 Campaign and hosted a MI-SBIRT Training (2023) in collaboration with the UT Austin HBRT team.

—Marc Herstad, MSW, CISW, Executive Director, NASW Wisconsin Chapter . Marc and his team implemented NASW Chapter communications and outreach in Wisconsin on behalf of the Connect to End COVID-19 Campaign and hosted a MI-SBIRT Training (2023) in collaboration with the UT Austin HBRT team.

______________________________________________________________

A Look Back, A Look Ahead: Part One and Part Two Excerpts

Excerpt Part One—on the importance of social workers at the table during the pandemic: I think social workers being ‘at the table’ is important and should be included in crisis planning during any pandemic. Social workers bring a plethora of skills to navigate working with systems quickly, and they are trained to identify services and impact policies and decision-making. The fact that social workers are employed everywhere in all sectors of society working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations makes individuals in the social work profession unique.

This uniqueness can help to address access to resources and educate communities when working with Special Populations. Social workers are considered the trusted professionals working directly with people. During the past three (3) years of the vaccine confidence grant, Special Populations of people have been reached across many communities in the different states where vaccine confidence was low. The importance of social workers in this vaccine confidence grant cannot be underestimated as it completes the “menu” of services that can be available to special groups of people and the essential deliverables for the grant.

To read Part One, follow this link.

Excerpt Part Two—on lessons learned: I agree with Gwen and would only add, again, the importance of ongoing communication, relationship-building, and networking before, during, and after disasters such as pandemics. I had a colleague in New York who ran an agency that provided critical support services to those affected by the attacks on 9/11 who used to say “we were there on 9/11 because we were there on 9/10.” That phrase has always stuck with me. Crisis prevention and amelioration starts before a crisis ever occurs, with strong, pre-existing, trusting relationships that can be rapidly mobilized in times of crisis. I think that is a key lesson from this pandemic, and that it is up to social workers to make sure that lesson isn’t lost.

To read Part Two, follow this link.

The Connect to End COVID-19 initiative is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3.3 million with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Visit Connect to End COVID-19 on the NASW W ebsite to learn more about the initiative.

Haitians in Springfield: The Tragedy of Race-Based Hatred against Black Migrants

Sep 20, 2024

Mistreatment of Haitian Migrants has long history

The Need for Bilingual Social Workers Grows as U.S. Becomes More Diverse

Sep 19, 2024

By Raju Chebium Maria Rangel earned her MSW in May from Loyola University Chicago and already has a job. The 50-year-old native of Mexico, who is fluent in Spanish and English, was offered a full-time job by the community service agency where she did one of two...

All NASW Press eBooks on Sale: 15% Off

Sep 16, 2024

Going beyond clichéd self-help advice, Self-Care in Social Work, 2nd Edition applies a cognitive coping framework to social work activities to support practitioners in preventing or reducing burnout, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma. This framework is woven into...

Office of the Vice President for Research

Ui announces new center for social science innovation.

Last week, the Iowa Board of Regents approved a new name and scope for the University of Iowa’s prominent hub for social science research. The Public Policy Center, and its subsidiary unit the Iowa Social Science Research Center, are being replaced by a new Center for Social Science Innovation . The reimagined center will serve as a central hub where social scientists including faculty, staff, and PhD students, can find a community of research support and resources.

Mark Berg , director of the unit since January 2023, will continue to lead the center’s operations. Berg is a professor and collegiate scholar in the Department of Sociology and Criminology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“The social sciences have long been an important and highly regarded pillar of the teaching, research, and community outreach missions at the University of Iowa,” said Kristy Nabhan-Warren, associate vice president for research. “Under Professor Berg’s leadership, the refocused Center for Social Science Innovation will provide the research infrastructure needed to support social scientists as they explore 21 st century issues affecting human welfare.”  

The center’s restructuring was guided by an independent internal review committee and a transition team staffed by four faculty, including two associate deans for research.

“The reviewers identified several opportunities to reduce redundancies with other campus units and provide end-to-end resources for scholars to address longstanding and emerging societal challenges,” said Berg. “This new structure allows us to focus our energy, and deploy strategic resources to advance, support, and celebrate interdisciplinary social science research across our campus.” 

As part of its mission to function as a dynamic community for social scientists, the center will implement a faculty affiliate program to create a diverse network of social science scholars on campus. 

Four new core priority areas support the center’s mission: research incubation, survey and multimethodology research services, grant development, and dissemination. 

Research Incubation

The center will host several major fellowships, consortium groups, workshops, and residency programs to catalyze research ideas. The programs are open to faculty, scientific staff, and graduate students. 

A Researcher-in-Residence Program provides dedicated time and support for faculty and scientific staff to research topics of significant public interest. Participants in each cohort meet regularly to share updates, discuss roadblocks and resources, and give and receive feedback. 

Megan Gilster, associate professor in the School of Social Work, participated in the program in summer 2024. “I think external accountability is always super helpful for faculty, and the structure that’s been created here in the program is fabulous for really making sure that we get the work done that we’re trying to do.”  

Through a new Dissertation Completion Program , the center provides space and structure for doctoral students to complete their dissertation projects among a   community of scholars. A Grant Writing Residency Program helps scholars advance their research projects through dedicated time to apply for and secure external funding.  A new Summer Fellowship for Qualitative Research provides support to faculty and scientific staff developing qualitative research projects, including ethnography, historical and archival research, content analysis, case studies, action research, and mixed-method designs. 

The center will also host research incubation workshops on topics such as the process of developing research questions, manuscript writing, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Survey Data Collection, Methodology, and Grant Services

As a part of its mission to serve the needs of campus, the center will continue to provide a full suite of research services . This includes survey and multimethodology research services and free workshops, grant development support , and for the first time, an in-house IRB liaison to help researchers navigate the complex regulatory environment.

“Our team is excited support clients on campus and beyond with a variety of high-quality services that include survey data collection and focus group moderation,” said Cassidy Branch, interim manager of research services. “We’re particularly looking forward to rolling out new data collection initiatives, one of which will offer faculty, research staff, and students access to a nationally representative survey panel on a recurring basis.”

A team led by Kristopher Ackerson, grant development manager, is available to review and edit grant proposals, provide budget management, host grant writing groups, and coordinate the submission of proposals with other institutional offices such as the Division of Sponsored Programs.

A fourth priority of CSSI is to communicate and disseminate the practical knowledge of social science research to the wider community which will be accomplished through a variety of mechanisms, including research symposiums, regular newsletters, collaborative connections to peer universities and outreach events.  “These resources are strategically designed to cultivate a vibrant community for social scientists at the University of Iowa,” said Berg.

For more information about the Center for Social Science Innovation’s programs, visit their new website, cssi.research.uiowa.edu and sign up for their newsletter . The center reports to the Office of the Vice President for Research.

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Social work student earns top CSU award, says ‘education radically transformed’ his life

Juan Carlos Arredondo (B.A.. ’24) returns to SFSU, pursues graduate degree to advance career in supporting migrant communities

Juan Carlos Arredondo faced challenges that profoundly disrupted his life. His father passed away when Arredondo was young, he had to navigate the United States education system as a child with very little guidance and he dropped in and out of college while pursuing an associate’s degree. 

Despite these challenges, Arredondo persevered and turned his life around. Last spring he earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from San Francisco State University, graduating with a 4.0 grade-point average. He returned to San Francisco State this fall to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work. On top of that, he recently earned one of the most prestigious student accolades. 

The California State University (CSU) has awarded Arredondo the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement , the highest recognition of student achievement granted by the CSU. Each award provides a donor-funded scholarship to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and inspirational goals for the future. The awardees have demonstrated a deep commitment to making a positive impact on their generation, as well as those who come after them. 

“Mr. Arredondo is an extraordinary person as well as a promising future professional who deserves the support provided by this award,” SF State President Lynn Mahoney said. “He possesses qualities of character, determination and personal excellence that’ll help him reach his goals and better our communities." 

Arredondo was born in the U.S., relocated to Mexico due to his father’s death and eventually moved back to the U.S. When he returned, he spent all of his time outside of school helping with food preparation for his mother’s food truck that catered to agricultural workers. While this experience shaped his strong worth ethic, it also took away his focus on school at times and prevented him from joining extracurricular activities. 

After a decade of financially insecure and high-pressure work, Arredondo committed to pursuing an undergraduate degree. At that time, he had learned about an agency at the U.S./Mexico border that provides counseling to migrants who are incarcerated and separated from their families. That’s when his dream of becoming a social worker came into focus. “I want to be a role model and catalyst for change and embody the representation and services that were not available during my youth,” he said. 

While at SFSU, Arredondo worked hard toward his dream. He led a qualitative study that highlighted the voices of the unhoused population in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and presented the findings at the 2024 Social Work Social Development Joint World Conference. 

Arredondo also won the highly competitive Willie L. Brown , Jr. Fellowship , which landed him an internship with San Francisco’s Human Services Agency. There he helped connect emancipated foster youth to a guaranteed-income pilot program, shadowed social workers in the family maintenance and family reunification department and assisted with biopsychosocial assessments.  

“Education radically transformed my life,” Arredondo said. “It has not only given me meaning and hope for the future, but it is also healing old wounds. It has made me aware that I have always been capable.” 

Arredondo is also involved in helping the communities he deeply cares for. For example, he interns at Manzanita SEED Elementary School, where he provides bilingual behavioral therapy in Spanish and English. 

“It is with tremendous joy and great pride that I celebrate the outstanding achievements and extraordinary perseverance of this year’s Trustees’ Scholars,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Through the visionary generosity of our donors, the CSU is able to uplift and support these diverse students and truly outstanding scholars who have overcome educational and personal hardships in pursuit of a college degree that will not only transform their lives, but will also elevate their families and strengthen their communities.” 

Are you passionate about social work and supporting marginalized communities? Learn more about how SF State’s School of Social Work can help you make a difference .

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Job Announcement: Dean of Graduate Education

On behalf of Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael S. Levine, members of the advisory committee invite inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Dean of Graduate Education at UCLA.

The Dean of Graduate Education is the senior academic official responsible for the advancement and administration of graduate education at UCLA. In carrying out these responsibilities, the dean collaborates closely with deans, department chairs, the Academic Senate and other academic and administrative leadership across campus and the University of California (UC) system to allocate and oversee graduate funding; implement policy; and ensure that standards of excellence, fairness and equity are maintained across all graduate programs. Reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost, the dean advises the executive vice chancellor and provost and the chancellor on a wide range of issues related to graduate education and postdoctoral administration. The dean serves on UCLA’s council of deans and the UC council of graduate deans, as an ex officio member of the Graduate Council of UCLA’s Academic Senate, and is often asked to participate in other ad hoc campus and systemwide committees.

The Dean of Graduate Education also provides strategic vision for, and operational leadership of, the UCLA Graduate Division, which serves as the campus’s administrative core for the overall quality and progress of graduate education at UCLA. The responsibilities of the Graduate Division, exercised through a variety of internal offices overseen by the dean, currently include graduate recruitment and admissions; allocation and regulatory oversight of graduate student support and fellowship management; implementation of graduate education policies established by the Graduate Council; support, conflict resolution and problem-solving for faculty, students and administrators; review of policy exception requests; appointment and management of postdoctoral and visiting scholars; contract bargaining for relevant employee groups; participation in the program review processes led by the Academic Senate; institutional research; support for graduate student diversity, equity and inclusion; and coordination of graduate student events and ceremonies. See the Graduate Education website for more details.

The Division of Graduate Education requires dynamic and innovative leadership. Candidates must demonstrate experience with and a strong commitment to graduate education, as well as to research, teaching and public service more generally; to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and to staff development. The ideal candidate will be an accomplished scholar at the rank of full professor with strong administrative or management experience; demonstrated leadership in the area of graduate education with creative, pragmatic ideas for serving UCLA’s graduate students and postdoctoral scholars; familiarity with the wide range of disciplines, interests and constituencies at UCLA; and experience in — or aptitude for — external relations and development. Experience in, and/or significant knowledge of, UCLA is strongly preferred.

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To be ensured full consideration, email a letter of interest — including a diversity statement — and curriculum vitae to [email protected] by Monday, October 28, 2024 . Address inquiries to Traci Considine, manager of executive recruitment in the Office of the Chancellor (310-206-8003).

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $325,000 – $410,000, commensurate with related experience and qualifications.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy .

University of South Florida

College of Behavioral and Community Sciences

Main navigation, kin-tech™ kinship navigator program earns high rating by prevention services clearinghouse.

Kerry Littlewood and Larry Cooper work together on the implementation of the Kinship Navigator program.

• September 23, 2024
• College News , School of Social Work

The KIN-TECH™ Kinship Navigator program , which is implemented by the Children's Home Network and School of Social Work faculty Kerry Littlewood, PhD, MSW , and Larry Cooper, MSW, LCSW, has been rated as a research supported program by the federal Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse . This rating means that states and jurisdictions that replicate this model can be reimbursed up to 50% by federal money, even if they don't have a Family First Prevention Services Act plan. 

"Receiving this rating in two evidence-based clearinghouses (California and federal) speaks volumes about the community practice and research/evaluation partnership that Dr. Littlewood and Larry Cooper have cultivated over two decades," said Chris Simmons, PhD , interim director of the School of Social Work.

According to the program's website , the KIN-TECH™  Kinship Navigator program offers "centralized intake and referral services, intensive in-home case management and navigation services, support groups as well as leading community collaborative meetings, and local partnerships to support relative and non-relative caregivers."

The Prevention Services Clearinghouse reviews research on programs and services that support children and families and prevent foster care placements. The organization rates programs and services as well-supported, supported, promising, or does not currently meet criteria.

"This is a really big deal for practice, for our state, and for us to have such innovative partners in the Children's Home Network and even having Larry teaching our students," said Chis Groeber, MSW , an associate in research of social work. "This is a really important step nationally to thrust Kinship care into the spotlight and begin to make changes that are a long time coming."

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About College of Behavioral & Community Sciences News

The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

A truly inclusive multilateralism must embrace diversity and place solidarity at the heart of international cooperation, the ILO’s Director-General has emphasized.

24 September 2024

NEW YORK (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Director-General has welcomed the outcome of the United Nations Summit of the Future , which emphasized the pivotal role of social justice and decent work in tackling global challenges and shaping a sustainable future.

The Summit, held under the theme of Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow , closed with the adoption of a comprehensive Pact for the Future . The Pact includes 56 concrete actions to address pressing global issues and revitalize multilateralism.

ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, praised the Summit's focus on social justice. “Social justice through decent work must be the cornerstone of a modernized multilateral system,” he said. “The Summit's outcomes provide a robust foundation for a fair and inclusive global governance structure that aligns economic, social and environmental objectives.”

The Pact for the Future aims to reinvigorate multilateralism and transform global governance to make them fit to meet current and future challenges. It commits to accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, strengthening climate action, reforming the UN Security Council, advancing disarmament efforts, promoting responsible use of new technologies, empowering youth and reforming the international financial architecture.

At the Summit, held at the United Nations Headquarters, September 22-23, leaders also adopted a landmark Declaration on Future Generations , pledging to prioritize the well-being of future generations by advancing sustainable development, peace, and equity. The Summit further endorsed a Global Digital Compact , outlining a bold vision for an “inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, and secure digital future that benefits all.”

“The Global Digital Compact presents a unique opportunity to harness science and technology as drivers of social justice and decent work,” Houngbo said. “Workers' and employers' organizations will play a crucial role in shaping sound global governance for digital technologies.”

The ILO's recent statement on the Summit of the Future emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between multilateral institutions, to address global trends affecting the world of work. It also stressed the importance of mobilizing resources to meet key challenges, particularly the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The ILO's Global Coalition for Social Justice exemplifies this renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation. With nearly 300 partners, from governments, international organizations, development banks, academia, workers’ and employers’ organizations, this innovative Coalition brings together a broad range of stakeholders to address global labour issues and advance the sustainable development goals.

ILO takes its social justice message to UN General Assembly

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