Social Work & the Criminal Legal System

Alcohol and Drugs

A – K

D. Michael Applegarth, UCLA

PHD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

Email: applegarth@ucla.edu

My primary area of interest within the correctional system involves the reentry process and the various challenges that accompany this process. Some of the specific factors I am interested in examining include how young adults with mental illness and substance use challenges navigate reintegrating into society. I am also interested in how individuals’ social networks, inmate’s programing and treatment during incarceration, and system-level factors may mitigate successful outcomes for individuals during the reentry process. Furthermore, I am interested in how correctional environments and conditions create barriers for individuals to engage in desistance from criminal behavior.

Janae Bonsu, UIC

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO

Email: jbonsu2@uic.edu

Bio: I am a doctoral candidate at Jane Addams College of Social Work, activist, and restorative justice practitioner. My work is based in an intersectional and structural analysis. My current work interrogates the intersection of gender-based violence, policing, and survivor empowerment; building and sustaining models of transformative justice; and policies that directly impact incarcerated people and their families.

Wesley T. Church, II, LSU

J. FRANKLIN BAYHI ENDOWED PROFESSOR, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: wesleyc@lsu.edu

Websit: https://www.lsu.edu/chse/socialwork/faculty-staff/church.php

My research agenda has been concentrated in two areas. First, I have been examining issues facing children and adolescents and their families. I am interested in the impact of race, socio-economic status, gender, education, crime, and family on the involvement of children and their families as they navigate their way through major systems (i.e. welfare, justice, and healthcare). Second, I have been exploring personal perceptions and attitudes towards offenders, focusing on sexual offenders and mentally ill offenders. I use an interdisciplinary approach in my research and utilize resources derived from criminal justice, psychology, history, minority studies, social work, gerontology, and rural studies.

Dominique Courts, UCONN

GRADUATE STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Email: Dominique.Courts@uconn.edu

Website: https://ssw.uconn.edu/person/c-l-dominique-courts-ma-mft/#

After graduating from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Social and Cultural Analysis, Dominique Courts, MA, MFT, earned a clinical master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at UCONN. Following her work as a therapist, Dominique is now a Crandall-Cordero fellow at The UCONN School of Social Work and invested in affecting change on an institutional and systems level.

As a doctoral student, she is particularly interested in using a reproductive and healing justice framework to understand the healing process for people, who live with intersecting marginalized identities, especially lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and queer individuals of color. The lack of visibility and research around LGBTQ people of color led her to be passionate about conducting mixed-methods and participatory action research to explore various aspects of their lived experiences. Ultimately, Dominique desires to amplify the voices of marginalized populations in her research and use collaborative and empowering research methods and accessible dissemination techniques.

Throughout the CT community, Dominique also facilitates workshops and groups focused on relationships, LGBTQ identities and other topics related to social justice and healing. She centers the lived experiences and needs of the individuals at the intersections of race, sexuality, gender and ability in her research, teaching, clinical and community work and advocacy.

Dana Dehart, University of South Carolina

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Email: dana.dehart@sc.edu

Website: http://cosw.sc.edu/faculty/dana-dehart

Dr. DeHart’s specialty area is violence and victimization. She has been Principal Investigator on many grants and contracts addressing issues such as victimization and survivor services, impact of incarceration on families, gendered pathways to adult and juvenile offending, mental health and substance abuse, and predatory sexual behavior. Dr. DeHart has expertise in a range of qualitative and quantitative methods and has conducted hundreds of interviews with adult and juvenile offenders, crime victims, justice professionals, and human-service providers. Dr. DeHart is experienced in needs assessment, program evaluation, scale design, and ethical research design.

Patricia Drown, Allied American University

DEAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ALLIED AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Email: Drpattydrown@yahoo.com

Varsha DuBose, LCSW, Southern Connecticut State University

DOCTORAL STUDENT AND TEACHING ASSISTANT, SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: Dubosev1@southernct.edu 

Bio: Varsha Dubose is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of practice experience in legal and mental health settings. Varsha is currently a doctoral student and teaching assistant at Southern Connecticut State University. Varsha has practical experience working with justice-involved veterans with significant mental health and substance use disorders. One of the theoretical approaches that Varsha is focusing her research on is critical race theory. Varsha is interested in addressing the intersections of racial oppression and social injustices that are prevalent in the United States judicial system. Varsha’s teaching interest are in areas related to veterans, race/oppression, mental health and substance use disorders within the criminal justice system.

Jeff Edwards, University of South Carolina Upstate

INSTRUCTOR OF CHILD ADVOCACY STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE

Website: https://sam.research.sc.edu/uscera/facultyExpertise/cv/35304#bio

Liz Espinoza, College of Saint Rose

VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE

Email: espinozl@strose.edu

Liz Espinoza has forensic social work experience at state government level in NY.

 

Michael Fendrich, UCONN

PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Email: michael.fendrich@uconn.edu

Website: https://ssw.uconn.edu/person/michael-fendrich-phd/

 I conduct research on interventions for mental health and substance use in vulnerable and high risk populations.  My work has examined the impact of drug treatment courts in addressing the needs of heroin involved participants and emerging adults.  My work has also examined the role of alternative criminal justice interventions specifically focused on juveniles in the criminal justice system.  Most recently, I am developing mindful interventions for opioid involved adults reentering the community from the criminal justice system.

 

John Gallagher, Indiana University South Bend

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND

Email: johngall@iupui.edu

Website: https://socialwork.iusb.edu/FacultyAndStaff/profile.php?id=Gallagher_John_johngall

Dr. John R. Gallagher is an Associate Professor in the Indiana University School of Social Work at IU South Bend, where he teaches classes in addiction and mental health counseling. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) who has practiced addiction and mental health counseling for nearly 20 years. Gallagher’s research agenda is focused on the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in treating opioid use disorders; exploring drug court and other treatment court participants’ lived experiences in programming; identifying the factors that may contribute to racial disparities in treatment court outcomes; program evaluation for drug courts and other treatment courts; and implementing evidence-based interventions to promote addiction and mental health recovery.

John M. Gallagher, University of Arkansas, School of Social Work

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

Email: jmgallag@uark.edu

Bio: My work focuses on behavioral and social interventions delivered within the criminal justice system. Current projects include (1) intervention and program fidelity in a mentor program for justice-involved veterans; (2) evaluation of Veterans Treatment Courts in Arkansas and Arizona, and (3) testing of a letter-writing group intervention for inmates with minor children. Topical and theoretical areas of interest include veterans, problem-solving courts, incarcerated parents, procedural justice, legal legitimacy, social identity, community bonds, peer-mentorship, and program evaluation.

Ivan Godfrey, SUNY Ulster

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SUNY ULSTER

Email: Godfreyi@sunyulster.edu

Website: http://sunyulster.edu

I have participated in a recent research study about the value of post secondary education for incarcerated persons. My teaching interest and expertise is in Alternative to Incarceration & Reentry strategies and iniatives

Tom Gregoire, Ohio State University

DEAN AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: gregoire.5@osu.edu

Website: https://csw.osu.edu/about/faculty-staff/faculty-directory/gregoire-tom-ph-d/

 

Melinda Hohman, San Diego State University

RESEARCH SCIENTIST, CENTER FOR ALCOHOL & DRUG STUDIES & SERVICES, SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: mhohman@mail.sdsu.edu

Website: https://centerforaod.sdsu.edu/staff/hohman.html

Melinda (Mindy) Hohman, Ph.D., MSW, is a Professor and Director of the School of Social Work at San Diego State University. Dr. Hohman teaches courses in substance abuse treatment, research, Motivational Interviewing, and social work practice. Dr. Hohman has published numerous articles on the topics of Motivational Interviewing, substance abuse assessment and treatment services and women’s issues in this area. She has been a trainer in Motivational Interviewing (MI) since 1999, training community social workers, Child Protection workers, probation officers, and addiction counselors across Southern California and in other states. She is the author of the book, Motivational Interviewing in Social Work Practice. Dr. Hohman annually teaches a study abroad course on substance abuse and harm reduction, in Dublin, Ireland.

Debra Hrouda, Northeast Ohio Medical University

DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION, NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Email: dhrouda@neomed.edu

Focus on the implementation of evidence-based, best, and emerging practices for people along the continuum of justice involvement.

Russ Immarigeon

EDITOR

Email: russimmarigeon@fairpoint.net

Editor of national publications on community corrections, alternatives to prison, and offender programming. Editor of 4 books on crime desistance, prisoner reentry, and women and girls in the criminal justice system. Independent researcher on the overuse of incarceration for women and others, and of cash bail in pretrial settings.

 

Timothy Ireland, Niagara University

PROVOST & VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, NIAGARA UNIVERSITY

Email: toi@niagara.edu

The primary area of my research focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of family violence (intimate partner violence and maltreatment), including the role of drugs and alcohol as both predictors of family violence as well as coping mechanisms for those exposed.

In addition, other health consequences of exposure to violence are under consideration including engaging in risky sex behaviors during adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Jennifer Kenney, University of Alabama

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Email: jennifer.kenney@ua.edu

Website: https://cj.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JKenneyCV_Sept15.pdf

I am primarily interested in the issues that affect adult women and their entry into the criminal justice system. The risk factors that I am currently focusing on include: trauma, substance abuse, mental health, employment, and class (SES) issues. I am also working on a project related to media consumption, fear of crime, and the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of that fear. I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. In the classroom, I teach classes in the areas of: social inequality, gender and crime, victimology, and drug use and policy.

Erin Kerrison, UC Berkeley

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Email: kerrison@berkeley.edu

Website: http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/faculty/erin-kerrison

My research and teaching interests extend from a legal epidemiological framework, wherein law and legal institutions operate as social determinants of health. Specifically, through varied agency partnerships, my mixed-method research agenda investigates the impact that compounded structural disadvantage, concentrated poverty and state supervision has on service delivery, substance abuse, violence and other health outcomes for individuals and communities marked by criminal justice intervention.

Jean Kjellstrand, University of Oregon

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Email: jeank@uoregon.edu

Website: https://education.uoregon.edu/people/faculty/jeank

Dr. Jean Kjellstrand, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Human Services at the University of Oregon, focuses on parental incarceration. Specifically, she examines how parental incarceration impacts child development, and how to support children and their parents both during and after incarceration. Her goal is to create effective interventions that are affordable, acceptable, and sustainable within existing delivery systems. Before entering academics, Dr. Kjellstrand was a licensed social worker for over 15 years. During this period, she developed and coordinated several individual, group, and community interventions to support and empower children and families in high-risk circumstances.

 

Karen Kolivoski, Howard University

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Email: karen.kolivoski@howard.edu

Website: https://www.karenkolivoski.com  and https://twitter.com/KKolivoski

My research interests focus on crossover youth, specifically on understanding how factors in children and youths’ experiences within the child welfare system impact subsequent juvenile and criminal justice system involvement. I am especially interested in understanding the role of out of home placements within the child welfare system, youths’ relationships and perceptions of their child welfare caseworkers, and sibling and family influences as related to criminal justice outcomes. I also have interest and experience in transfer of youths to the adult system and juvenile life without parole, including the misconduct/experiences of youth in prisons. In regards to teaching, I teach in the criminal justice field of practice specialization in the MSW program at Howard University.

 

L – Z

Lewis Lee, University of Alabama

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Email: lhlee@ua.edu

Website: https://socialwork.ua.edu/blog/social-theme-staff/lee-lewis-phd/

Dr. Lewis Hyukseung Lee has experience working with incarcerated adults and with youth who have come in contact with the criminal justice system. Prior to joining Pitt’s doctoral program, he worked as the Assistant Director for the Korean Community Center in Englewood, New Jersey, where he provided community services for immigrant minorities. His research interests include social policy in the criminal justice system, criminal desistance, mental health disparities and service use, substance use, community-based participatory research, macro practice.

George Leibowitz, Stony Brook University

PROFESSOR, STONY BROOK, UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WELFARE

Email: George.Leibowitz@stonybrookmedicine.edu

Website: https://socialwelfare.stonybrookmedicine.edu/faculty-staff/leibowitz

For the past 20 years, I have been working as an interdisciplinary researcher, forensic evaluator, national consultant and trainer in the related fields of adolescent delinquency, addictions, sexually harmful behavior among youth, and adult sexually offending behavior. I am interested in research on sex offender registry reform, restorative justice, and compassionate release laws. I am also a member of the National Association of Forensic Social Work recently co-authored the following textbook: Maschi, T. & Leibowitz, G.S. (Eds.) (2018). Forensic social work: Psychosocial and legal issues across diverse populations and settings (2nd Ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company.

 

Jason Matejkowski, University of Kansas

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Email: jmate@ku.edu

Website: http://socwel.ku.edu/people/faculty/matejkowski-jason

Research interests include policies and services involving adults with mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system or who are homeless.

Louisiana Medina, USC
Danielle Parrish, Baylor University Houston

PROFESSOR, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY HOUSTON CAMPUS

Email: Danielle_Parrish@baylor.edu

Website: https://www.baylor.edu/social_work/index.php?id=954327

Carrie Pettus-Davis, Florida State University

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: cpettusdavis@fsu.edu

Website: https://csw.fsu.edu/person/carrie-pettus-davis

Research and Professional Specializations: applied community-based intervention research with current and former prisoners, services evaluation using corrective statistical modeling, social support and social networks for current and former prisoners, substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and co-occurrence in prisoner populations, transitions from prison to community-based living for former prisoners and their families, trauma and victimization in current and former prisoners, and University – Criminal Justice Practitioner partnerships.

 

Melinda Pilkinton, Mississippi State University

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DIRECTOR OF FIELD INSTRUCTION IN SOCIAL WORK, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: pilkinton@soc.msstate.edu

Melinda W. Pilkinton is an Assistant Professor and Director of Field Instruction in Social Work. She earned a B.A. degree in social work from Mississippi State University in 1975, a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1976, and a Ph.D. in social work from Jackson State University in 2007. She has taught a variety of social work courses at MSU since 1999. Additionally, she has worked as a Clinical Social Worker in the fields of mental health, substance abuse, supervision & administration, nursing home consultation, and school social work for over 30 years. She is a gubernatorial appointee to the Mississippi Board of Examiner for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists and is active in the Association of Social Work Boards. Her research interests include military families, mental health and substance abuse issues, and social welfare policy.

Sheryl Pimlott Kubiak, Wayne State University

DEAN AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND JUSTICE

Email: spk@wayne.edu

Website: https://socialwork.wayne.edu/profile/ao1692

Sheryl Kubiak is the founding Director of Wane State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ). Her research interests are at the intersections of criminal legal system and behavioral health (mental health and substance use disorders); encompassing both individual as well as systems issues. The CBHJ employs 35 full time individuals involved in a number of various projects at over 20 jails and prisons across Michigan. Dr. Kubiak’s personal research has examined the implications of cumulative stress, PTSD and depression among women in various phases of the criminal justice system; assessed the implications of welfare reform and the child welfare system on those with convictions; analyzed the effects of PTSD on relapse and recidivism among incarcerated men and women; tested the validity and practicality of a brief mental health screening measure for use in a large metropolitan jail; assessed the effects of criminal justice funding of community-based substance abuse treatment nationally; tested interventions in prison settings and lead a statewide evaluation of mental health courts.

Mark Plassmeyer, University of Arkansas

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Email: mpplassm@uark.edu

My research broadly focuses on the criminal justice system with an emphasis on drug policy and policies that impact people with criminal histories.
I teach social welfare policy and political advocacy courses that focus on local, national, and global economic and social issues while making sure to emphasize the role of drug policy and criminal justice policy in exacerbating these issues. I also helped develop a drug policy class that will be part of our new substance use minor. Lastly, I advocate for increased involvement in the political process for social workers and the socially and economically marginalized communities they serve, particularly people who use drugs and/or have criminal histories.

Hughlett Powell, United Arab Emirates University

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY

Email: brownhillnevis@gmail.com

Jennifer Roark, Utah State University

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: jennifer.roark@usu.edut

Website: https://socialwork.usu.edu/tci/people/faculty

My research interests are intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, policing, and community based research. I am dedicated to bridging the gap between university research and agency research by working with criminal justice agencies performing evaluations. ​

Jacoba Rock, Juniata College

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JUNIATA COLLEGE

Email: rock@juniata.edu

Website: https://www.juniata.edu/academics/departments/sociology/faculty.php

Jacoba Rock is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and Criminal Justice and the B.S.W. Program Director at Juniata College. She received her Master of Social Work degree, with a clinical concentration in work with High-Risk Youth in 2010, and a graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2008, both from the University of Denver. She received her doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies, with a doctoral minor in Criminology, from Pennsylvania State University in 2021. Dr. Rock’s research focuses on the developmental consequences of childhood trauma, including biological, cognitive, and social contributions, for individuals involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and related intervention opportunities for incarcerated juveniles and young adults. She leads an assessment and intervention study at a Department of Corrections facility which houses young adult offenders, testing the use of a staff empathy training and implementation of a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral intervention. Prior research has focused on restorative practices in juvenile correctional facilities, and systemic disparities in response to parole violations. Dr. Rock maintains social work licensure in both Colorado and Pennsylvania, where she continues to assess a small number of clients serving life without parole sentences for crimes convicted as juveniles, and provide court testimony in these cases; this work began in 2012, following the Miller v. Alabama Supreme Court ruling which held that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juveniles. Her work has focused on collaborating with attorneys and other criminal justice advocates to encourage the use of social science research which supports resentencing efforts and service access for incarcerated young people. Before 2012, Dr. Rock worked for several years in the child welfare system, as an assessment specialist and caseworker. Between her undergraduate and graduate training, she was also the program coordinator for a restorative justice program based at a police department. She went on to facilitate psychoeducational groups for young adult offenders, primarily those with substance use and anger management related needs. Dr. Rock’s courses include program evaluation, clinical practice courses, cognitive behavioral therapy, group treatment, restorative approaches, child and adolescent trauma, adolescent development, social welfare policy, and juvenile delinquency and youth violence. Dr. Rock serves on the HEAL-PA Trauma Consultation team, Pennsylvania Re-Entry Council, and the Pennsylvania Office of Advocacy and Reform 21st Century Solutions think tank. She also serves Juniata College through participation on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council, Bias Response Team, General Education Committee, Health Professions Committee, and Baker Institute board.

Allison Salisbury, UIUC

PHD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Email: aas6@illinois.edu

Allison Salisbury (she/her/hers), MSW, is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Social Work. Her research interests include criminal justice content in the social work curriculum.

 

Carolyn Sutherby, Michigan State University

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: sutherb2@msu.edu

Carolyn has been a social work adjunct professor since 2008, teaching a variety of BSW and MSW courses at four universities. She is also certified to teach the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program. Carolyn is completing her Ph.D. in Social Work at Michigan State University, and her research interests involve maternal mental health and substance use disorders, alternatives to incarceration, and the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice.

Hiroki Toi, Toyo University

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, TOYO UNIVERSITY

Email: hirokitoi.sw@gmail.com

Website: http://ris.toyo.ac.jp/profile/en.49ce7e9f9582deae7ed49a595b30efe8.html

Hiroki Toi is an Assistant Professor at Toyo University in Japan where he teaches criminal justice and social work for undergraduate students. Hiroki’s research primarily focuses on better understanding the professional values and conflict among forensic social workers. Hiroki worked as a research assistant for the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and has practiced in forensic psychiatric hospital, prison hospital, and also served as a social work advisor at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.

Jean E. Twomey, Brown Alpert Medical School

PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS, BROWN ALPERT MEDICAL SCHOOL

Email: jtwomey@wihri.org

Website: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/jtwomeyp

Dr. Twomey has extensive clinical experience in early childhood. She provides therapy to children and their families through the Behavior and Development, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Infant Behavior, Cry and Sleep Clinics at the Women and Infants Center for Children and Families. She has worked with families affected by perinatal substance use through research, program development and treatment. Her research interests include parenting abilities of substance-using women, developmental outcomes of substance-exposed infants with child welfare involvement, and the impact of infant behavioral difficulties on parental mental health. Dr. Twomey has been involved on longitudinal studies examining prenatal substance exposure and child outcomes. She was co-principal investigator on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant examining families who participated in the RI Family Treatment Drug Court. In 2010, she was named Social Worker of the Year in Children & Families by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Katherine Van Wormer, University of Northern Iowa

PROFESSOR EMIRITA OF SOCIAL WORK, UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

Email: katherine.vanwormer@uni.edu

Website: https://csbs.uni.edu/socialwork/faculty-staff-directory/katherine-vanwormer-phd

Blog Posts:

Dr. van Wormer is the author or co-author of 15 books (not counting new editions), including Death by Domestic Violence: Preventing the Murders and the Murder-Suicides. Some of her recent books are: Confronting Oppression, Restoring Justice: From Policy Analysis to Social Action (2nd ed.) (co-authored by L .Kaplan and C. Juby) (CSWE, 2012); The Maid Narratives (LSU Press, 2012); Restorative Justice Today (SAGE, 2013); Women and the Criminal Justice System (co-authored with C. Bartollas) (Pearson, 2014); Social Welfare Policy for a Sustainable Future (SAGE, 2016), Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Micro Level and HBSE, Macro Level (Oxford University Press, 2017) and Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective (4th ed.) (co-authored with D.R. Davis) (Cengage, 2018). Van Wormer is currently working on a 5th edition of Women and the Criminal Justice System.

 

Mel Wilson, NASW

SENIOR POLICY CONSULTANT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Email: mwilson.NASW@socialworkers.org

My interest and experience with criminal justice and social work includes being active in criminal justice policy and legislative actions via my affiliation with – NASW, the Justice Roundtable , the Justice Reform Taskforce, and the Criminal Justice Behavioral Health Work Group. I have also written several NASW Social Justice Briefs on topics including bail reform, racial profiling, drug policy, and juvenile justice issues.

 

Alexandra Wimberly, University of Maryland

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

Email: awimberly@ssw.umaryland.edu

Website: https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/academics/faculty/alexandra-wimberly/

Alexandra researches interventions for individuals with substance use problems and associated challenges such as criminal justice involvement and HIV risk. She is interested in complementary health approaches to improve stress coping as a pathway to reduced substance use. For example, she designed and implemented an RCT testing the effect of a yoga intervention on stress, substance use and HIV outcomes for individuals in reentry from prison or jail. Alexandra also researches interventions that recognize the chronic nature of substance use disorders, particularly continuing care.

 

Lilane Windsor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

DIRECTOR FOR FACULTY RESEARCH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Email: lwindsor@illinois.edu

Website: www.newarkccb.org

Liliane Cambraia Windsor, Ph.D., MSW is the Director of Faculty Research and Associate Professor at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Social Work. Her research focuses on the application of critical consciousness theory to the development of multi-level interventions designed to reduce health inequalities related to substance use disorders, including HIV infection and incarceration in marginalized communities. Dr. Windsor follows community based participatory research (CBPR) principles and utilizes a variety of scientific methodologies including ethnography, randomized experimental controlled trials, measurement development, meta-analysis, and online survey. Dr. Windsor is the founder and chair of the Newark Community Collaborative Board, a group of researchers, service providers, and consumers developed Community Wise, a multilevel intervention designed to reduce substance use frequency, criminal offending, and health risk behaviors. Dr. Windsor has overseen numerous research studies in the United States and in Brazil. Currently, she is principal investigator of the Community Wise Optimization study (R01 funded by NIMHD) and its administrative supplements. Dr. Windsor is also a co-investigator in the Social Action in Rural Communities Study, an Avant Guarde research award from NIDA to Dr. Dolores Albarracin. Finally, Dr. Windsor is a RWJ Health Policy fellow at the National Academy of Medicine. Her teaching interests include research methods, social justice, and substance use disorders. Born and raised in Brazil, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from FCH-FUMEC, Brazil in 1998. She moved to Texas in 2000 to pursue her Master of Science and doctoral degrees in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin.