It was a busy month for the School of Social Work team. The January roundup includes seven published papers, a multitude of presentations and more.
Publications
Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Jamie Burgess-Flowers (High Point University) and Kelsey Yokovich ’23 (MSW) co-authored “The social determinants of health, social work, and dental patients: a case study” for Social Work in Health Care. The authors examined a school of dentistry in the United States that implemented social work to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). The authors provided a blueprint for future dental programs implementing social work, including chances for interprofessional health care related to SDOH.
Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi, Amy Prentice (UNC Department of Medicine) and Sarah Grace Downs (UNC Department of Medicine) co-authored “Social workers roles in achieving health quality metrics in primary care: a quality improvement case study” for Social Work in Health Care. The authors examined a Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) quality improvement approach used by social workers to focus on the gaps in clinical quality at a family medicine practice. The authors’ findings concluded the importance of social workers as part of health care teams in improving the quality of health services.
Advanced Research Scientist Allison De Marco, Kennedy Bridges ’24 (MSW), Shareen El Naga ’24 (MSW), Alexandria Coffey (UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health) and Hollis Smith co-authored “Beyond the Community Meeting: An Annotated Bibliography of Resources on Anti-Racism Research Methods.” The publication is “intended to guide and enhance practices around anti-oppressive and anti-racist research methods. Key themes include the importance of authentically involving those who are the focus of research in the research process, considering the impact of research, notably that action-oriented policy recommendations should flow from research findings, and working to disseminate findings that go beyond traditional formats to elevate equity and justice for communities.”
The research team led by Research Associate Professor Tonya Van Deinse saw its study published by The Pew Charitable Trusts in the article “Adults With Mental Illness Are Overrepresented in Probation Population.”
Assistant Professor Orrin Ware, Andrea Hussong (UNC Department of Psychology and Neuroscience), Jodi Frey (University of Maryland), Stacey Daughters (UNC Department of Psychology and Neuroscience), Marianne Cloeren (University of Maryland), Jan Gryczynski (Friends Research Institute), Jamey Lister (Rutgers University) and Robyn Jordan (UNC School of Medicine) co-authored “Decreases in employer referrals to first-time substance use treatment for adults from 2004 to 2020” for the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The authors studied referrals from employer assistance programs for outpatient substance use disorder treatment in the United States from 2004 to 2020, finding that the amount of referrals steadily decreased over time. The authors concluded that workplaces had missed the chance to serve as a referral point for substance use treatment for affected employees.
Associate Professor Joy Noel Baumgartner, Lavanya Vasudevan (Emory University), Jan Ostermann (Duke University), Nathan Thielman (Duke University), David Solomon (National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Research Centre), Anna Mosses (National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Research Centre), Amy Hobbie (Duke University), Nicole Hair (University of South Carolina), Chen Liang (University of South Carolina), Marco van Zwetselaar (Zwets IT), Sayoki Mfinanga (National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Research Centre) and Esther Ngadaya (National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Research Centre) co-authored “Leveraging Community Health Workers and a Responsive Digital Health System to Improve Vaccination Coverage and Timeliness in Resource-Limited Settings: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Study” for JMIR Research Protocols. The authors conducted a hybrid study to evaluate a community-based health intervention to improve the timeliness of vaccination for children in Tanzania, where there is a significant rural-urban divide for vaccination rates. The authors are conducting the study in two rural regions of Tanzania, and expect to finish collecting data in July 2027.
Assistant Professor Rebecca Rebbe, doctoral student Wan-Ting Chen, Bianca Olivares ’23 (MSW) and Lindsey Palmer (University of Utah) co-authored “State-level variation of child neglect: Child protection systems investigations and substantiations” for the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. The authors studied state-level variations in how child neglect was investigated by child protection system agencies, using data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Using neglect allegations, they examined the rates of investigations, the percentage of investigations that were substantiated and the percentage of maltreatment allegations that were co-occurring. The authors’ findings led them to conclude that there should be a federalist approach to child protection in the United States due to the level of variance between states.
Presentations & Trainings
School of Social Work faculty and students conducted more than 40 presentations at the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research. You can see the list of presentations here.
Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden presented “Building the Behavioral Health Workforce” at the 2024 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Opioid Policy Fellows Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 7, in New Orleans.
Associate Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden and Research Assistant Professor Brianna Lombardi presented “Priming the Pump: Behavioral Health Workforce” at the Council on Social Work Education Board of Directors meeting on social work workforce and education pathways into the profession.
Mental Health First Aid Training is available this spring. For those interested in taking the 8-hour course to develop the skills to help someone experiencing mental health problems, you can register here.
Clinical Associate Professor Melissa L. Godwin and Molly Hurd (Online Training Specialist) of Behavioral Health Springboard launched “Pregnancy and Opioid Exposure: A Training Course to Increase Understanding at Four Key Points of Intervention.” This free, online, self-paced training course explores the role of gender in the development of opioid use disorders. It examines evidence-based practices and available resources that support improved outcomes for pregnant and parenting women who use opioids and other substances, and their children, at four key points of intervention: pre-pregnancy, prenatal, birth, and postnatal.
John A. Tate Distinguished Professor for Children in Need Emily Putnam-Hornstein presented “Decision-Making in Child Protective Services: Algorithms, Experts, and Child Outcomes” at the American Economic Association’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
Doctoral Candidate Claire R. McNellan and John A. Tate Distinguished Professor for Children in Need Emily Putnam-Hornstein presented “Mortality Outcomes for Young Adults Transitioning from Foster Care” to California’s workgroup on suicide and overdose prevention.
Advanced Research Scientist Allison De Marco, Brett Sheppard (UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention) and Barbara Morton (UNC Health Care) are presenting “Layers Upon Layers of Impacts: Two Ways to Use Ripple Effects Mapping in Community-Engaged Research” during Carolina Engagement Week on Tuesday, Feb. 27. You can register for the event here.
Join the UNC School of Social Work for a thought-provoking celebration of National Disability Awareness Month during our third annual Legacy Speakers Series. This year, we are focusing on “Thriving with I/DD Across the Lifespan.”
Spend the day with social work scholars and community leaders with lived experience, exploring ways to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to exercise choice and self-determination more fully throughout life. We’re shedding light on the challenges faced by individuals with I/DD and highlighting collaborative practices that build more equitable and inclusive communities. How are we ensuring our legacy creates a space where people with unique perspectives and experiences can thrive?
Sheli Reynolds, key developer of the Charting the LifeCourse framework and tools, will lead the day by sharing her expertise in practices that enhance person- and family-centered organizational, policy and systems change. Our dynamic panelists will share their thoughts on building capacity and working collaboratively. Learn how we can ensure equitable, accessible, and inclusive communities for people with I/DD and their loved ones.
Don’t miss this impactful event focusing on positive change, evidence-informed practices, and real-life perspectives. You can register for the event here.
Awards, News & Recognition
Administrative Research Manager Penny Hawkins was appointed to serve a two-year term on the collaborate community committee for The National Council of University Research Administrators, a nonprofit organization that promotes research administration through professional development and education.
