Funding Awards

Laura Graham Holmes

Assistant Professor

Autistic sexual and gender minority people are at increased risk for co-occurring mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts and report more unmet mental health care needs compared to autistic cisgender heterosexual people.

This award will support Dr. Graham Holmes in gaining new skills in community-engaged intervention development for marginalized populations, clinical trial design and implementation science, and developing ethical data and safety monitoring plans for groups at heightened risk for suicide. Dr. Graham Holmes will collaborate with a group of sexual and gender minority autistic people to develop and test an affirming psychosocial intervention, ALIVE, for sexual and gender minority autistic people. The intervention will adapt evidence-based principles for addressing minority stress among sexual and gender minorities using a co-designed, co-facilitated, online group psychoeducation intervention approach. Autistic people will be involved in developing, delivering, and disseminating the intervention. Dr. Graham Holmes is thankful for the support of her team of eight mentors and advisors who together bring expertise from many disciplines to support this project, and for the immense and continued support of the Silberman School of Social Work. 

Marina Lalayants

Professor

 Through enrichment seminars featuring leaders and individuals with lived experiences, the initiative addresses systemic inequities in child welfare while preparing participants to drive meaningful change in policy and practice.....Read more

Professor Marina Lalayants (PI) and Adjunct Assistant Professor Inga Saitadze (Co-PI) were awarded $50,000 by the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation to evaluate Rising Ground's innovative Co-Parenting Program in foster care. By cultivating collaboration between birth and foster parents, the program seeks to reduce stress and trauma for children, accelerate reunification, and improve family relationships. The study, Building Evidence About Co-Parenting in Foster Care: Strengthening Relationships to Improve Child and Family Outcomes, will assess the program’s impact on children, parents/foster parents, and families while identifying barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned.

Liat Shklarski

Assistant Professor

Seon Mi Kim

Assistant Professor

Awards & Recognitions

Jama Shelton

Associate Professor

As an SSWR Fellow, Professor Shelton joins an esteemed group of leaders and mentors who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and dedication to the mission of SSWR. This designation highlights their influential work and commitment to shaping the future of social work research.

The official announcement took place during the 2025 SSWR Annual Conference at the Awards Presentation on Saturday, January 18, 2025, in Seattle, WA.

National Conferences

Marina Lalayants

Professor

National Webinar: Advancing Evidence-Based Insights for Parent Partner Programs

Professor Marina Lalayants, in collaboration with Casey Family Programs, conducted an evaluability assessment study of parent partner programs across the United States. The findings were presented during a recent webinar hosted by the Parent Partner Learning Collaborative (PPLC) for its 125 member organizations titled “Parent Partner Programs in Action: Fresh Findings and Future Steps.” The PPLC, supported by the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance and Casey Family Programs, aims to foster connections among administrators and staff of parent partner programs nationwide, promote knowledge sharing, leverage resources, address common challenges, and highlight key lessons learned. During the webinar, Dr. Lalayants shared descriptive trends and insights, outlining the future direction for parent partner programs. The event also featured an engaging discussion and an in-depth exploration of these programs, with a focus on evidence-based evaluation.

National Webinar Highlighted a Reimaged Child Welfare System

Diane DePanfilis

Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research

Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research Diane DePanfilis collaborated with Cheryl Beamon, CPTM, Associate Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services Office of Workforce Development, and Project Director Alexis Howard to present a webinar titled “Developing the Workforce for a Reimagined Child Welfare System” on October 3, 2024. The webinar reviewed strategies and results from a University/Agency partnership geared to develop the New York City public/private child welfare workforce to support families and keep children safe.

Features of a reimagined child welfare system include: (1) increasing the number of families who can be supported without a report of child abuse and neglect; (2) developing public and private top-level executives in adaptative leadership; (3) developing supervisors to use coaching to support staff to build partnerships with families; (4) developing staff to employ strengths based engagement and motivational interviewing with children, youth, and families; and (5) using principles of safety science, a non-punitive approach to understand and determine potential targets for system reform. 

The webinar was co-sponsored by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and the W. T. Grant Foundation as part of an initiative to Build a Transformative 21st Century Research Agenda. The webinar recording can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzDFbbWvxk 

Laura Graham Holmes

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Laura Graham Holmes and SSSW MSW graduate Liliana Valvano delivered presentations at two conferences:

Valvano, L., & Graham Holmes, L. (2024, November). ADAPT: A co-designed, co-facilitated group-based workshop to prevent substance use disorders among autistic adults. Student presentation for the ABCT Autism Special Interest Group Pre-Conference Event, Philadelphia, PA.

Valvano, L., & Graham Holmes, L. (2024, November). ADAPT: Preliminary data on a co-designed, co-facilitated group-based workshop to prevent substance use disorders among autistic adults. Poster presented at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities Conference, Washington, D.C.

Seon Mi Kim

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Seon Mi Kim presented at the Associations for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action conference:

Kim, S. M., Jeong, B. K., Um, H., (2024, November). Exploring Platform Cooperatives: Divergent perspectives and practices among domestic worker cooperatives in S. Korea. Paper presented at the Associations for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Washington, D.C.

Agnes K. Halarewicz (left)

Assistant Dean of Field Education

Emily Murphy (right)

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Lecturer Emily Murphy and Assistant Dean of Field Education Agnes Halarewicz co-presented at the New York State Social Work Education Association Conference:

Murphy, E., & Halarewicz, A. K. (2024, October 17). Gatekeeping in practicum education with social work students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Ethical challenges and equitable solutions. New York State Social Work Education Association (NYSSWEA) Conference: Leveraging Social Work for Better Health: Changing Economic, Environmental, and Social Factors. Saratoga Springs NY. 

Faculty Presentations

CSWE APM in Kansas City, MO, October 24-27, 2024

From Left to Right: Associate Professor Jama Shelton, Professor SJ Dodd, Assistant Professor Liat Shklarski, BSW Director & Associate Professor Anna Ortega-Williams,

Associate Professor Mayra Lopez-Humphreys

Anna Ortega-Williams

"Minority Fellowship Program Master's Workshop—Navigating Your Career: Empowered Self-Advocacy Against Workplace Bias"

AND

"Land-Based Healing: Learning from the Intergenerational Cultural Wisdom Fueling Community Gardens"

Liat Shklarski

"Compassion Fatigue of Israeli Mental Health Clinicians Post-October 7th Terror Attack"

AND

"Navigating the Dilemma: Use of ChatGPT in Social Work Education"

SJ Dodd & Jama Shelton

"Living Into Our Values: Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Students in Practicum Education"

SJ Dodd

"Social Work Sex Ed Needs Help: A Comparative Study of Sexuality Education"

Mayra Lopez-Humphreys

"A Review of LGBTQ+ Content in Diversity and Justice Course Syllabi"

International Conferences / Convenings

Gerald P. Mallon

Julia Lathrop Professor of Child Welfare

In October 2024, Professor Mallon met with faculty colleagues, students, and community partners in two Universities in Ireland: Queens University in Belfast and University College in Dublin. In Belfast, Dr. Mallon met in several sessions with faculty to discuss research challenges of in studying LGBTQ+ people; with community partners in examining how they could become more responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ citizens; and with students to discuss the basics of working with LGBTQ+ youth. This visit was an expansion of work discussed with Queens University colleagues in March.

In Dublin, Mallon met with two classes of MSW students at the University College of Dublin to discuss Human Rights and Social Justice Issues as they pertained to LGBTQ+ people. Dr. Mallon also had the opportunity to meet with Nursing faculty from Trinity College who conducted a groundbreaking study on the Mental Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Communities in Ireland. Dr. Mallon’s research and training on working with LGBTQ+ youth in Ireland is on-going – he will follow up with visits to Belfast, Dublin and Galway in March 2025.

Other Presentations and Visits

A group of Chinese social work professors and professionals from Beijing who specialize in child welfare and juvenile justice visited Silberman School of Social Work to explore innovative practices and engage in international exchange. Professors Gary Mallon, Marina Lalayants, Adam Brown, Qi Chen, Yi Wang, and Rong Zhao presented their research projects and Dunia Garcia shared about The Community Navigators program at SSSW.

ACS PEP team, Professor Lalayants, and Finnish delegation

Professor Marina Lalayants participated in a “Learning Exchange” event hosted by the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) with a Finnish child welfare delegation. The event focused on discussing the role of Parent Advocates in foster care as part of the Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) initiative, implemented in foster care agencies across New York City. 

Dr. Lalayants presented evaluation findings from the initiative’s pilot year, highlighting its successes and positive impacts on families and agencies. Professionals from Finland also shared their experiences with implementing a parent advocacy program, discussing the challenges they faced and the successes they achieved.

From Left to Right: Professors Anna Ortega-Williams, Willie Tolliver, Cheryl-Ann Boodram, Robyn Brown-Manning, and Sandi McCray

Dr. Cheryl-Ann Boodram, program coordinator of the Social Work Program at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, visited SSSW November 4-7, 2024. Her visit aimed to explore how SSSW integrates social justice into its curriculum, as her institution prepares to revise its Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Social Justice degree. 

During her visit, Dr. Boodram observed several BSW classes as well as engaged with key faculty and staff, including the Director of Social Justice & Equity Education, the MSW Program Director, Practice Lab Co-Chairs, and others, to learn more about courses like Community Organizing and the structure of the Practice Lab. Dr. Boodram also met with the BSW Program Director, BSW Practicum Education Director, academic practicum advisors, and alumni to better understand how social justice is embedded in both academic and practicum training for generalist social work practice. Additionally, she participated in discussions with the BSW Committee and representatives from community-based organizations that collaborate with SSSW on broader social justice initiatives. This visit marks the beginning of what is hoped to be a fruitful and enduring partnership between the two institutions, fostering a shared commitment to advancing social justice in social work education and practice. 

During the same week, SSSW had another visiting scholar—Professor Linda Lemmen of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, who spent two days at the school. Like Dr. Boodram, Professor Lemmen was very interested in learning more about SSSW’s approach to social justice work. Several of the Silberman faculty and administrators had the opportunity to have lunch with the scholar and learn more about their social work program and the cultural factors that inform our respective curricula. SSSW is actively exploring possibilities for collaboration in both Europe and the Caribbean as we increase our efforts in helping students become more globally informed social work professionals. 

From Left to Right: Professor Marina Lalayants, Jennifer Pinder - Executive Director of You Gotta Believe (YGB), Professor Colleen Katz, and Research Assistants (former SSSW students) Hannah Leoni-Hughes and Dory Harris

YGB and SSSW Research Team

Professors Colleen Katz (PI) and Marina Lalayants (Co-PI) led a two-year evaluability assessment of You Gotta Believe (YGB), funded by the New York Community Trust. YGB is a child welfare organization dedicated to finding adoptive families for older youth in the foster care system. They are unique in their approach, relying on “credible messengers”—client-facing staff with lived experience in the foster care system—to engage and support youth interested in adoption before aging out of care. YGB also offers tailored Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training for potential foster parents of older youth, along with a commitment to providing lifelong support to matched families to ensure long-term success.

The study had two primary components: (1) a qualitative investigation of YGB’s agency operations, and (2) an exploration of client experiences and the perceived impact of YGB’s services. Upon completion, the SSSW research team presented their findings to YGB’s leadership, board members, and staff. This presentation contextualized the results and helped map future directions for the organization.

Exciting ACS and Silberman School of Social Work Event

From Left to Right: Principal Investigator Diane DePanfilis and Project Director Alexis Howard

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and Silberman School of Social Work celebrated the inaugural success of the Institute for Leadership Development (ILD), a joint initiative offering an 11-month leadership training and coaching program. The LEAD program helps child welfare and juvenile justice executives build adaptive leadership skills, which they apply to community projects targeting systems change. Posters on the second floor at Silberman showcased projects on themes like racial equity, workplace safety, interdisciplinary collaboration, workforce retention, parent partner advocacy, and quality assurance. Silberman supports ILD with facilitation, coaching, and evaluation.

Robyn Brown-Manning

Director of the MSW Program & Doctoral Lecturer

On October 9, 2024, Professor Robyn Brown-Manning had the honor of attending the one-year anniversary celebration of the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. She was invited by Dr. Felecia Pullen, the founder and CEO of Let’s Talk SAFETY, Inc., a Harlem-based organization dedicated to addressing racial disparities in health and wealth for underserved communities. Dr. Pullen, who served as both a keynote speaker and panel moderator at the event, was a driving force behind the occasion. The celebration featured inspiring presentations from a wide range of public, private, and government organizations—including the United States Postal Service, public libraries, and airlines—that have committed to training their employees in the use of opioid reversal medications and other life-saving practices to protect both colleagues and customers.

Recent Notable Publications

This qualitative study aimed to analyse rectal cancer survivors’ lived experiences to identify facilitators and barriers to support access. We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews and employed thematic analysis to identify key themes and insights. Participants included eight rectal cancer survivors and three caregivers recruited at Texas Colorectal Collaborative sites.

Results showed that adequate hospital resources, high health literacy and close connections with clinicians and peers who share similar experiences facilitate survivors’ access to social support. Conversely, ineffective healthcare team communication, financial challenges and low self-motivation hindered access. Survivorship experiences were shaped by varying degrees of social support access, influenced by internal and external factors. We aim to establish a cross-institutional survivorship support network to address these factors, ensuring equitable access to support services and enhancing survivorship experiences.

This study aimed to develop the Partner Version of the Self-Efficacy to Communicate about Sex and Intimacy (SECSI-PV) scale. Candidate items derived from the patient version of the instrument were refined with input from an expert panel specializing in sexual health, psychosocial oncology, and instrument development (n = 6). Partners (n = 17) of female cancer survivors participated in cognitive interviews to assess the revised scale’s content validity. Transcripts were analyzed qualitatively. Participants endorsed the items as relevant, clear, and appropriate. The present work illustrates the iterative development of the SECSI-PV scale. The study highlights the importance of including partners in sexual health discussions and emphasizes the need for psychosocial interventions supporting partners’ confidence communicating about sexuality and intimacy. Additional research is recommended to validate the instrument in larger samples encompassing cancer types that are not sex-based and partners from diverse backgrounds, including sexual and gender minority groups.

The current study partnered with a midwestern specialized court docket to conduct an exploratory formative evaluation in developing and preliminarily validating a adolescents with sexual problem behaviors (PSB-A) typology tool that was then used to generate broad typological classifications of PSB-A. This work is an initial exploration study that will be expanded to a larger validation project using larger samples and prospective data collection procedures with the hope of offering court and clinical utility to aid in individualizing treatment and supervision of PSB-A.

Background: ChatGPT, a large language model representing artificial intelligence, has the potential to revolutionize higher education. Aim: This study explores social work educators' experiences with ChatGPT use by students and their needs for effective management. Method: Exploratory mixed-method research study based on a survey (n = 78) and semi-structured interviews (n = 16). Results: findings show that instructors are uncomfortable addressing ChatGPT with students but believe it is necessary to communicate with students about the ethical use of ChatGPT. Results also suggest that ChatGPT may create a false sense of mastery of academic material among students and that institutional guidelines about using ChatGPT are needed. Conclusion: There is a need to develop a new framework for academic integrity and plagiarism to account for the use of ChatGPT. This would encourage instructors to address the use of ChatGPT with their students and take intentional steps to integrate AI models into the social work curriculum ethically and creatively so students are prepared for work in the field.

Most social work students receive only limited instruction about disabilities in their general coursework despite a growing need for trained social workers in this area. In this paper, we argue that coursework dedicated to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) needs to be implemented as an essential component of a graduate-level social work education. This paper presents a complete syllabus for a graduate-level course (referred to here as “I/DD 101”) dedicated solely to teaching about I/DD in social work practice. Course content explores the historical, societal, and environmental factors influencing how social workers interact with individuals with I/DD across their lifespan. This syllabus is structured as a template that can be customized for different purposes and contexts. Rather than being viewed as definitive or comprehensive, it is offered as a resource and starting point for education in this field.

Quality of life (QoL) is identified as a clinical and research priority by the autistic community. Researchers have the responsibility to ensure that instruments used to measure QoL do so reliably and accurately among autistic participants. Our study evaluated measurement invariance of Emotional Distress (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Psychological Stress) and Subjective Well-Being (Life Satisfaction, Positive Affect, and Meaning & Purpose) scales of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) among groups of autistic (N=140, n per scale=132-140) and general population (N=1,224, n per scale=406-411) teenagers (14-17 years). These scales were included in the PROMIS Autism Battery-Lifespan, which uses PROMIS scales to measure QoL domains most relevant for autistic people. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses using permutation tests demonstrated that Depression and Positive Affect scales exhibited scalar invariance between groups, indicating that scores can be meaningfully compared across autistic and general population teens. Anger and Psychological Stress scales demonstrated metric invariance between groups, indicating that these scales measure the same latent trait in both groups, but group comparisons are not supported. We provide guidance as to how these scales can be used in psychometrically supported ways to capture constructs relevant for understanding QoL among autistic teens.

Dating violence victimization is a pervasive public health problem that affects individuals of all age groups, but it holds particular significance during adolescence due to the potential long-term consequences on an individual's physical and psychological well-being, and potential influence on the health of adult relationships. Although there is now ample research on the topic of adolescent dating violence prevalence, risk factors, and consequences, to our knowledge, only four studies have assessed dating violence victimization among autistic youth. The current study was designed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk markers for, dating violence victimization among autistic youth. Specifically, the study had two aims: (a) to estimate the prevalence of dating violence victimization among autistic youth in a U.S.-based sample and (b) to identify correlates of dating violence for autistic youth, which include sociodemographic, mental health, and alcohol-related variables. We found that among participants who were in a romantic relationship in the past year, autistic participants were not any less likely to experience dating violence victimization compared to their non-autistic counterparts (40.7% for autistic youth vs. 38.0% for non-autistic youth). In addition, findings from the current study demonstrate the significant relationships between dating violence victimization and consequences of alcohol use, loneliness, and anxiety among autistic youth. Existing studies, in addition to the results of the current study, suggest the need for tailored dating violence prevention, support, and intervention to support the overall well-being of autistic youth.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the alignment between platform cooperatives (co-ops) and cooperative principles, with a focus on worker co-op activists’ perceptions and the challenges faced by domestic service co-ops in South Korea. Design/methodology/approach: A multiple-case study approach was used to examine two major worker co-ops in South Korea’s domestic service sector: the National House Managers’ Association (NHMA) and Life Magic Care Co-op (LMCC). Findings:

This study reveals contrasting perspectives between NHMA and LMCC on integrating platform co-ops with cooperative principles. While NHMA raises concerns about deteriorating working conditions and a diminished sense of community, LMCC’s experience suggests that a well-designed, worker-owned platform can address these issues. However, NHMA’s concerns about the loss of a sense of community and funding challenges remain valid in LMCC’s experience, raising fundamental questions about the cohesion of platform co-ops in maintaining cooperative values. Establishing a sustainable funding mechanism, especially for platform maintenance and marketing, is crucial. Co-op communities must recognize the challenges platform co-ops face in balancing scalability with active member participation and community cohesion and develop strategies to address these issues before launching platform co-ops. Originality/value: This study highlights the unique challenges of implementing platform technology in domestic worker co-ops and emphasizes the need for innovative strategies to ensure alignment with cooperative values. The research provides key insights for co-ops considering platform adoption, especially in sectors where trust and personal relationships are vital.

This case study examines the impact of union worker cooperatives, with the case of Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA), on the proactive efforts of precarious workers to change their work experience and environment. Our investigation centers on workers’ job crafting, defined as workers’ self-initiated actions to redesign roles in alignment with identity, values, and needs to find meaning in their work. The findings highlight that CHCA’s organizational structure and strategies, as a union cooperative, positively influence workers’ job crafting, leading to improved individual work experiences, a reshaped work environment, and fostering worker prerogatives. The paper finds a yet unidentified form of job crafting-organizational job crafting showcasing a bottom-up organizational change process within CHCA’s non-hierarchical structure. This research advances our understanding of how union worker cooperatives facilitate worker empowerment through innovative individual and organizational-level initiatives.

Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) face elevated risks of HIV and STIs compared to their housed counterparts. HIV and STI testing services are pivotal for prevention and early detection. Investigating utilization rates and associated factors among YEH provides critical insights for intervention efforts in major U.S. regions. This study analyzed secondary data from the Homeless Youth Risk and Resilience Survey (HYRRS) conducted between 2016 and 2017. Participants were recruited in seven major cities: Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix, St. Louis, Denver, Houston, and New York City (n = 1426). Notably, YEH in Denver, Houston, Phoenix, San Jose, and St. Louis were significantly less likely to use HIV testing services than those in Los Angeles. YEH reporting early sexual activity were less likely to undergo HIV testing, while having online sex partners increased the likelihood of HIV testing. Moreover, YEH in New York City were more likely to receive STI testing, while Phoenix and San Jose had lower testing rates. Disparities in testing rates highlight questions about equitable resource allocation, accentuating the need for enhanced educational and community outreach efforts to address barriers across diverse urban settings.

In November, Professor Gary Mallon published his fourth children’s book in the series – The Adventures of Bruno & Frida – Bruno & Frida Go to Mexico City/ La Aventuras de Bruno y Frida – Bruno y Frida Van a Ciudad de Mexico in both English and Spanish.