phd social work linkedin

Associate Professor of Social Work, Director of Graduate Studies Office Phone: 630-844-5793 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Clinical social work, adult mental health, LGBT+ community needs Education: MSW, Aurora University BA, Northern Illinois University Favorite thing about AU: "The student-centered atmosphere. On all campuses, in all departments, we are dedicated to creating the best student centered experiences."

Dean of the College of Education and Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8933 Email: [email protected] Education: DSW, Aurora University MSW, Aurora University BA, North Central College AA, Rock Valley College CADC, Waubonsee Community College Favorite thing about AU: "I value the diversity of our learners, environments, opinions, experiences, faculty, and expressions." View LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8924 Email: [email protected] Education: DSW, Aurora University MSW, Loyola University Chicago BA, University of Massachusetts Boston

Associate Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8934 Email: [email protected] Education: PhD, Social Work, Loyola University Chicago MSW, Aurora University BA, Psychology, Benedictine University Favorite thing about AU: "Hearing back from students post-graduation that they have not only met but have exceeded their own expectations." View LinkedIn Profile

Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8915 Email: [email protected] Education: PhD, Social Work, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago MSW, Social Work, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago BA, Biology, Kenyon College Favorite thing about AU: "The sense of community here and the clear commitment of all members of the community to work together to advance student learning."

MSW Graduate Advisor and Registration Coordinator Office Phone: 630-947-8931 Email: [email protected] Education: BA, Lewis University Favorite thing about AU: "The tremendous support from the staff and faculty to students and to each other."

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Coordinator of Addictions and Forensics Track Office Phone: 630-947-8943 Email: [email protected] Education: MSW, George Williams College, Aurora University BSW, George Williams College, Aurora University Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) Clinically Certified Juvenile Treatment Specialist (CCJTS) Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Professional Board Registration (CODP I) Favorite thing about AU: "Transforming the lives of those who will, in turn, transform others' lives." View LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Coordinator of MSW Health Care and Gerontology Track Office Phone: 630-947-8932 Email: [email protected] Education: DSW, Aurora University Type 73 SSW certification, Aurora University MSW, Aurora University BS, Family Services and Child Development, NIU Favorite thing about AU: "The commitment to excellence, dedication to students, and outreach to the community." View LinkedIn Profile

MSW Field Coordinator Office Phone: 630-844-6847 Email: [email protected] Education: MSW, Aurora University BSW, Aurora University Favorite thing about AU: "The friendly environment and the beautiful campus!"

Assistant Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8946 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Generalist practice social work, social policy, social work with communities and organizations, social work with groups, and research methods designed to address social injustices Education: PhD, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago MSW, Generalist Practice, Aurora University BEEd, Philosophy minor, AA, Philosophy, Waubonsee Community College Favorite thing about AU: "A student-centered and student-driven learning environment where a diverse group of pupils can share their experiences, passions, and expertise for the benefit of all."

Assistant Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8902 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Human services organizations and management, youth homelessness, child welfare, social policy, research methods Education: PhD, University of Chicago MSW, University of Pittsburgh BA, University of Michigan Favorite thing about AU: "It's an honor to be a part of a program that serves so many social workers that are shaping our field, here in our region and beyond!"

School Social Work Coordinator and Licensure Officer Office Phone: 630-947-8935 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: School social work, medical social work Education: MSW, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville MAEL, Governors State University BSW, Western Illinois University Favorite thing about AU: "I enjoy the collaborative teamwork that faculty and staff commit to helping students succeed in their studies! I also enjoy connecting with students individually to hear about their experiences and guide them toward graduation!"

Lecturer of Social Work Office Phone: 331-465-9679 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Clinical social work, school social work Education: DSW, Aurora University MSW, Aurora University BFA, Illinois Wesleyan University Favorite thing about AU: "As a student, it was the excellent and caring staff who provided the training I needed to excel as a social worker, reinforced my values, and gave me the courage to speak my truth. As a teacher, it's the chance to do the same for my students."

Assistant Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-844-5613 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Perinatal and maternal mental health, women's mental health, trauma-informed mental health, health equity and community-led social justice initiatives Education: PhD, Jackson State University MSW, Jackson State University MS, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee BA, Alcorn State University LCSW PMH-C Favorite thing about AU: "The AU student-centered environment is the perfect place for exploration, growth, and development."

Assistant Professor of Social Work Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Healthcare management/program development, trauma responsive care, harm reduction and anti-oppressive social work practice Education: MA, University of Chicago BA, North Central College Favorite thing about AU: "I love being in a position where I can share my passion for social work with other students. I also love the beautiful campus and overall sense of community at AU."

Assistant Field Director for School of Social Work Office Phone: 630-844-6147 Email: [email protected] Education: MSW, Aurora University BA, Communication and Spanish, University of Minnesota Duluth Favorite thing about AU: "I love the energy and passion at AU. There is a commitment to excellence and innovation that fosters a love for lifelong learning not only for students, but for faculty and staff as well."

Assistant Professor of Social Work Office Phone: 630-844-4231 Email: [email protected] Areas of expertise: Clinical social work, child and adolescent development, behavioral interventions, social-emotional learning, medical social work, grief and loss Education: MSW, Loyola University Chicago BSW, Loyola University Chicago Favorite thing about AU: "My favorite thing about AU is the interaction I have with my students and knowing that the knowledge and experience they gain in our classrooms will have an impact on the individuals and communities they will work with following graduation. I love the atmosphere of AU and the commitment to inclusivity and the dedication to student success at all levels."

Field Director Office Phone: 630-844-5262 Email: [email protected] Education: MSW, Aurora University BSW, Aurora University Favorite thing about AU: "The culture of mutual respect and appreciation that creates a place where one can thrive."

Senior Lecturer of Social Work Office Phone: 630-947-8900 Email: [email protected] Education: Type 73 School Social Work Certification, Aurora University MSW (Specialization - Children and Families), University of Illinois BS, Social Work, Sociology minor, Illinois State University Favorite thing about AU: "AU offers so many opportunities for lifelong learning and growth for students and faculty. The opportunities to learn something new every day are endless at AU. That is one of many things I love about AU!"

School of Social Work College of Social Science

About the phd program.

PhD Program

The PhD program in Social Work is designed to prepare social workers for leadership positions in the profession as:

• Social work educators
• Researchers of social problems and social work intervention methods
• Planners, administrators, and evaluators of social service programs
• Policy makers and analysts

It emphasizes the development, analysis, and application of social work knowledge related to professional practice and research in selected settings and to social work education at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the Social Work profession and the field of social welfare.

It is also interdisciplinary in nature, requiring course work in both social work and a particular social science, or across disciplines, while focusing on a selected area of study. This focused cognate is designed by the student and his/her Guidance Committee (a group of faculty chosen by the student that represents social work and the focused cognate area). Courses for the cognate may be taken from any department within the University, with appropriate approval, and are organized around a student's specific area of scholarly interest.

In addition to the designated areas of course work, all students must satisfactorily complete a statistics sequence and a sequenced research internship. Finally, students must complete a comprehensive examination and a doctoral dissertation that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the degree.

The doctoral program is a member of   GADE , the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.

Please refer to the   PhD Student Handbook   for a detailed program description.

Current Doctoral Students

Breana Martinez (Bree, she/her/ella) is a Mexican American scholar originally from Bakersfield, California. She earned a BA in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley and an MSW focusing on children and family well-being from CSU Long Beach. Breana also obtained a PPSC, to provide social work services in school-based settings. Breana has experience as a school social worker and substance use clinician. Her work is influenced by her experiences working with youth in large systems, including the school and juvenile justice systems. She is passionate about creating more equitable spaces for the BIPOC community and cares deeply for the Latino/a/e community. Breana endeavors to give back to her community through collaboration and research. Her research interests include alternatives to incarceration, school-based mental health services, and youth substance use. In her free time, Breana enjoys mentoring first-generation college students, spending time with her loved ones, attending pop-punk shows, and practicing yoga.

Alanna Feltner currently works for UW Medicine as the statewide evaluator for the Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP), a program that supports pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders. She graduated from UW with my MSW and MPA degrees in 2020. Alanna’s research interests currently include maternal wellbeing and substance use, and interested in developing skills in cost benefit analysis.

Vania Buck (she/hers/ella) is the daughter of immigrant parents and a dedicated Mexican-American scholar from San Diego, CA, with roots in Guanajuato and Tijuana, Mexico. As a first-generation college graduate, she earned her B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University and her MSW from California State University, Chico.

Vania began her social work career in 2017 with San Diego Child Welfare Services, evaluating and approving families for fostering and adoption. She later worked as a bilingual social worker in Tehama County, investigating child abuse cases and ensuring culturally sensitive support for Latinx families.

Her research and teaching focus on transforming the child welfare system to better serve Latinx and immigrant communities. She developed and launched the course “Bilingual Social Work in Child Welfare” at CSU, Chico, based on her master’s thesis. Before pursuing her PhD, Vania contributed to the University of Denver’s Butler Institute for Families as a research associate on the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) Evaluation Team.

Vania’s personal journey, shaped by her bilingual upbringing and commitment to social justice, fuels her ambition to create lasting change in the child welfare system. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys rewatching the Twilight Saga and The Office, exploring the outdoors, delving into true crime shows, and finding the best carne asada tacos – so far, the best taco is in Tijuana, MX. Email:  [email protected]

Jon Torres – TBD

Tess Abrahamson-Richards is a citizen of the Spokane Tribe, the United States, and England. She received her BA from Seattle University and MPH here at the UW in Health Services/Maternal and Child Health. Her primary research interests are in the overlapping domains of maternal behavioral health promotion and early childhood service delivery within American Indian communities. Much of her professional experience has been in home visiting service delivery, research, and evaluation. For the past 5 years, Tess has worked on a multi-site study partnering with 17 tribal home visiting programs throughout the nation to better understand what supports successful and effective early childhood program implementation in Native communities.  E-mail: [email protected]

Shoshana Benjamin (she/her) earned her MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she focused on the social determinants of health and sexual and reproductive health. In graduate school, Shoshana concentrated her work and research on comprehensive sexuality education, teaching sex education to middle school students, lobbying the New York State legislature to implement legislation around sex education, and writing her master’s thesis on the impacts of college-level sexual health curricula. Since graduation, she has worked with the Social Intervention Group at Columbia’s School of Social Work, implementing evidence-based interventions around substance use, HIV, and violence prevention. She hopes to focus her future research on examining how sexuality education can be used as a tool to prevent relationship and sexual violence, and to use research findings to influence policy in order to ensure more expansive and equitable access to sexuality education. Shoshana is also passionate about designing and implementing targeted interventions to improve the sexual health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth. Email:  [email protected]

Santino (Tino) Camacho is a Queer CHamoru scholar from the island of Guåhan (Guam). He’ll be returning to UW as a triple dawg. In his first year, he is excited to continue the work he has been doing over the summer with Dr. Michael Spencer and the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute to create a model for COVID-19 Economic Recovery for and in collaboration with WA Pacific Islander communities. Tino’s research interests include the development of culturally rooted/adapted health promotion interventions for Queer, Transgender and other Indigenous Pacific Islanders; the use of indigenous methodologies and community-based research methods in the collection and use of QTPI and Indigenous Pacific Islanders’ health data; and the practice of CHamoru and Pasifika ethics and praxis in conducting scientific research of health disparities of Indigenous communities. While accomplishing his Master’s in Public Health at the UW, Tino worked with the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services to establish Title X sexual and reproductive health services at their Northern Community Health Center. His thesis work used community-based participatory research principles to ascertain the health concerns and needs of Queer and Transgender Pacific Islanders in the greater Puget Sound Area.   E-mail:  [email protected]

Hanna Cho  earned a Bachelor of Law from Duksung Women’s University and a Master of Social Work from Yonsei University in South Korea. Her interest in international comparative social policy led her to receive her second master’s degree, a Master of Arts in Social Policy, at the University of York in the United Kingdom. She worked as a researcher for two years at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), where she mainly participated in projects evaluating means-tested transfer programs for low-income families. Her current research interests include social policies and programs that can improve intergenerational socioeconomic mobility, young adults’ economic independence, and comparative research on welfare state models. Email: [email protected]

Adam Davis earned a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and an MSW with a clinical focus at the University of Kentucky. Prior to pursuing a career in social work, Adam worked in a variety of settings including agriculture, insurance, and cooperative housing. During his MSW, Adam became passionate about research and was able to assist with secondary analysis of mixed-methods data on professionals who worked with victims of sex trafficking of minors in Kentucky. He has since been practicing clinical social work in a state psychiatric hospital that primarily serves involuntary patients with severe mental illness. Adam’s clinical pursuits have been largely focused on working with individuals with cluster b personality disorders and traits. Adam has worked in clinical and leadership roles in the hospital and is currently working to improve continuity of care between the hospital and community mental health agencies across 50 counties. This experience in working with individuals facing significant marginalization as well as the ethical challenges inherent in working within a social welfare system with many gaps motivated the desire to pursue an academic career. Adam’s research interests primarily involve strengthening the philosophical basis of the social work profession. More specifically, he is interested in exploring empirical methods to improve ethical practice as well as identifying ways to improve service delivery for individuals with personality disorders and traits.  Email:   [email protected]

Allison Engstrom (she/her) received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington. Prior to the Social Welfare PhD program, Allison served as a research coordinator in the Personality Across Development (PAD) lab at the University of Houston, as a research assistant at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC), and as a research coordinator and social work interventionist in the Trauma Survivors Outcomes and Support (TSOS) lab at Harborview Medical Center. Allison’s research interests include improving behavioral health outcomes, prevention science, addressing health disparities, and implementation science. Email: [email protected]

Taurmini Fentress  earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oregon. While completing this degree, Taurmini worked in the anthropology department on projects relating to food insecurity, poverty, culture, policy, and food choice in district elementary and middle schools. This research was dedicated to deepening the understanding of the relationships between food choice, food education, and school district policy and the impact this has on the health and wellbeing of children. After leaving the University of Oregon, she continued this work with a comparison study in Oviedo, Spain. Taurmini then came to the University of Washington where she completed her MSW and MPA while also working towards a graduate level certificate in Global Public Health specializing in women, adolescents, and children. She has been employed at the West Coast Poverty Center for the last three years where she has had the opportunity to continue working to bridge the gaps between research, policy, and practice. Taurmini’s long-term research interests are in stress and its effects on the body and mind across generations; she hopes to use stress as a through line linking individual experiences to culture and societal structures while exploring how interventions can be made at the population level. She is committed to transdisciplinary, multi-level, and impact-oriented work. E-mail:  [email protected]

Matthew Frank is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Shiprock, New Mexico. Matthew has his MSW and MPH from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. His research interests are on racial and ethnic health disparities and the role of social determinants of health, particularly how socioeconomic position and social context affect health and health disparities in Native Americans. E-mail: [email protected]

Geraldine Germain  received her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis in 2017 and will receive a master’s in economics from the University of Missouri–St. Louis this spring. She has nearly 10 years of experience in practice and policy work in non-profit workforce development and social policy research settings. Her project work has included developing and evaluating workplace-based financial stability and asset-building interventions, qualitative/community-based research in socially and economically disinvested communities, and quantitative studies evaluating a range of topics including incarceration, mortgage lending policy, labor supply, and wealth accumulation. In a Ph.D. program, Geraldine is broadly interested in researching the influence of social welfare policies and practices on the economic well-being of marginalized populations and evaluating effective solutions to promote full social and economic inclusion. E-mail: [email protected]

Kilohana Haitsuka  Welina! ʻO Kilohana koʻu inoa. Ua noho au i Anahola ma Kauaʻi a Manokalanipō. He wahine Hawaiʻi au. He moʻopuna au. He kaikamahine au. He kaikuahine au. ʻO kēia nā mea waiwai i kuʻu puʻuwai. Kilohana Haitsuka is the proud product of Kānaka Maoli from Anahola, Kauaʻi and Japanese settlers from Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu. She loves her community, and their needs and voices will always be at the forefront of her work. Her research is culturally guided and grounded in Indigenous research methodologies that advocate for community participation and respectful engagement. She recently completed her work at Hā Kūpuna, the National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders. She is also happy to be continuing her work with the wonderful team from Mauli Ola Mālamalama at Papa Ola Lōkahi.  E-mail: [email protected]

Brittany Jones (she/her) is a white cisgender LCSW who received her MSW in 2008. She has spent the intervening time working primarily with older adults as a nonprofit clinician and research assistant at Georgia State University. Her research interests build on these experiences. Brittany wants to focus on developing interventions that target the social isolation and loneliness of older adults at the intersection of oppressions, particularly those with dementias or physical disabilities. She would also like to study models of housing and long-term care for this population.  E-mail:  [email protected]

Seratha Largieis of the Towering House (Kinyaa’áanii) clan and born for the Near the Water (Tó’áhani) clan. Her maternal grandfather is of the Mud clan (Hashtł’ishnii), and her paternal grandfather is of the Water’s Edge (Tábąąhá) clan. She is a federally enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and comes from the Diné people. She is from the community of Naschitti, New Mexico, and east of the community is a place known as Tse’ya ti, the English translation “the Rock that Stands Up,” where the last name Bitsoí (the grandchildren of) originates from and is also where her Kin’yaa’aanii elders have built their fire from eons before. She received her BA in Psychology from Fort Lewis College and MSW from the University of Denver Four Corners Program. She has a strong background across the human lifespan: working with young people of various ages from toddlers to adolescents to young adults, elders, and families in diverse settings. She has found excitement and fulfillment in learning to integrate Federal, State, and Tribal policies in culturally responsive ways within tribally controlled early childhood programs. Her research interests are to continue to analyze the federal and state funding system biases impacting the early childhood tribal programs providing direct child care to indigenous communities. Email: [email protected]

Joanna La Torre  (she/they) is a cis gender / queer multi-ethnic Filipinx scholar activist from occupied Ohlone territory in California’s Bay Area. She is excited to join Indigenous research and communities at the University of Washington (UW). Mx. La Torre’s research focuses on the movements of decolonizing Filipinx’s, disproportionate mental / health burdens of queers and people of color, and community-driven healing initiatives. Joanna’s clinical practice centers on work with children and families, particularly teens and young adults, and she has worked within child welfare, carceral, and medical settings. In her most recent role at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, Joanna has enjoyed supporting youth that are transgender, commercially sexually exploited, as well as those chronically impacted by racist policies.  E-mail:  [email protected]

Juliann Li Verdugo  (she/her) is a proud Chinese American scholar from San Diego, California. She received a Bachelor of Science in clinical psychology from the University of California at San Diego (2017) and a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan (2019). Juliann has led and contributed to various research projects focused on topics including severe mental illness, psychosis, Asian mental health, and culturally tailored interventions. After graduating with her MSW, Juliann served as the project coordinator for a NIH-funded grant conducting community-based participatory research on schizophrenia spectrum disorders, suicide prevention, and community mental health. Juliann is also a licensed clinical social worker and worked for over 3 years as a clinician in Michigan, practicing therapy in both Mandarin and Spanish. In pursuing a PhD in social welfare, Juliann is passionate about enhancing mental health outcomes particularly among Asian diaspora and Latino/a/e populations. She hopes to develop a research program enhancing equity and increasing access to, and quality of, mental healthcare services among marginalized communities, especially to support families impacted by severe mental illness. For fun, Juliann loves traveling, walking in nature, playing video games such as The Legend of Zelda, and spending time with her husky Strider Zuko. Email: [email protected]

Hung-Peng Lin is an M.O.E Fellow of Taiwan who received his MSW from National Taiwan University (NTU) in 2012. He is a seasoned clinical social worker and freelance forensic interviewer with more than seven years of post-MSW experience working with children, older adults as well as families, who have a history of trauma. Upon completing his graduate studies, he immersed himself in the field of child protection. He has since worked as a child protective services worker for three years and moved on to a position in program manager in charge of relational permanency program for aging-out youth and parent education program. As a CPS investigator, he proposed a Life Trajectory Mapping Model that would help us find missing children. He also strived to introduce and to localize a family engagement model, Family Group Conferencing (FGC) of New Zealand, in tackling out-of-home placement and many other critical decisions facing Taiwanese CPS workers. This practice model changed the landscape of decision-making as well as out-of-home care in Taiwan. Other than his practice experience, he was engaged in several impactful research projects, one of which is to address the problematic sexualized behavior and unregistered mounting foster care-to-prison pipeline among foster care youth in residential care. His wealth of experience in child welfare informs his research interest. Specifically, his research interest evolves around adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and development outcomes, disclosure of child maltreatment, early trauma and adolescent sexual health, institutional child sexual abuse, prevention/implementation science, intervention research, and program evaluation. His ultimate goal is to advocate prevention of child maltreatment, as well as accessible and trauma-informed interventions impacting families at-risk.  Email:  [email protected]

Sarah Porter  (she/her) identifies as a cisgender female and multi-ethnic first-generation American from Madison, Wisconsin. During her program, Sarah aims to expand her methods training in order to build her capacity in translational research and advocacy-driven program development. Ms. Porter is excited to join UW’s Forefront Center of Excellence focusing on innovative suicide prevention program implementation, with a focus on marginalized college populations. Sarah’s primary research passions include suicide prevention, implementation science, and amplifying effective collaborative practices between frontline mental health providers and national resources. She recently left Washington, DC where she worked for two years as a Federal contractor supporting Executive Orders focusing on national suicide prevention efforts for Veterans and the communities where they live and thrive. Before that, Sarah worked in academia and national nonprofit mental health organizations.  E-mail:  [email protected]

Isaac Andrew Sanders received their BA from the University of Tulsa and their MSW from the University of Kansas. Sanders grew up as a military brat with firm familial roots in Kansas & Oklahoma. An afro-indigenous two spirit non-binary person, belonging to the Muskogee tribe, Sanders work is influenced by their lived experience and devotion to equity. Sanders is interested in youth homelessness, its disproportional impact on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC young people, and ways to bring the homelessness response system into the 21st century. Sanders has worked, primarily, in the youth homelessness field. Sanders has lead multiple counties in Washington to functionally reduce their active youth homeless population. A expert in positive youth development strategy, Sanders has worked with youth and young adults to impact governmental and local change through empowering young adults to advocate for change while demanding providers listen. Sanders has also co-authored two published articles, one being academic poems, focusing on the experiences of rural trans/ gender non-conforming youth. Email: [email protected]

Hannah Scheuer received her MSW from Portland State University in 2018. Her research interests include preventive behavioral intervention research targeting risky behavior in youth and the development of scalable pragmatic intervention models to promote adolescent health in diverse populations. While pursuing her MSW, Hannah worked for the Translational Research for Adolescent Change Lab providing intervention sessions for youth engaging in heavy alcohol use. After completing her MSW, Hannah worked as the social worker in the Trauma Survivors Outcomes and Support research program. In this role she delivered evidenced based behavioral therapy and recruited/trained peer interventionists with the goal of reducing emergency department readmissions, PTSD and depression symptoms, and high risk behavior associated with recurrent injury in traumatic injury survivors. Email: [email protected]

Natalie Turner (she/her) is a white, cisgender Licensed Master of Social Work from Poughkeepsie, NY. She moved to Albany, NY in 2013 to pursue her education in Social Work. She received her BSW in 2017 and MSW in 2018 from the University at Albany, School of Social Welfare. Her research interests include health disparities and service use disparities among older adults. She has worked the last few years at a specialty outpatient neurology clinic for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias and their family members/caregivers, providing individual services and also developing and implementing health provider education and training. She has additional experience with program evaluation for a New York State veterans peer support program and serving as an adjunct professor at Maria College.  E-mail: [email protected]