School of Social Work
Faculty Expert Guide
ABOUT SSW: The University of Alabama School of Social Work is located on a vibrant, energetic college campus in the center of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Located on 1,200 acres of tree-lined pathways, UA is one of the most beautiful college campuses in the state. In recent years, UA has achieved impressive growth in student enrollment and research funding. The University of Alabama is a Carnegie Research-2 “higher research activity” institution. Ranked third among UA colleges and schools for research funding, SSW has an enrollment of more than 600 students and offers BSW, MSW, and PhD degree programs. Through the school’s dynamic Field Education Program, students learn firsthand how to provide social services in a practice setting. Field also is home to the school’s long-standing Washington, D.C. Internship Program. SSW also has several international field initiatives in locations such as China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Ghana, South Korea and Cuba. Since 2016, the school has been ranked among the top 50 Best Grad Schools for Social Work in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
FOUNDED: 1965
VISION STATEMENT Leading the country in community-engaged research in health, behavioral health, and social and economic justice solutions for Alabama and the nation.
MISSION STATEMENT The University of Alabama’s School of Social Work prepares scholar-practitioners and researchers committed to ending adverse social conditions and promoting societal well-being through teaching, research and service.
TAGLINE Collaborate. Innovate. Transform.
VISIT US AT: socialwork.ua.edu
Table of Contents 2................................................................................................... Introduction 4.......................................................................................... Areas of Expertise 5................................................................................ Public Policy Watchdogs 6............................................................................... Community Partnerships 7..................................................................................Working with the Media 8........................................................................................ Our Faculty Experts 11..................................................................................Schedule an Interview
Social Work Faculty Expert Guide The School of Social Work at The University of Alabama is home to more than 30 highly qualified faculty members who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across Alabama, the nation and globally. As educators, scholars and leading experts in their fields, our faculty members are an important resource for policymakers, journalists and service planners. They can provide the latest, cutting-edge social work research to ensure that services, laws and policies impacting Alabamians and citizens across the nation are evidence-based and developed from the latest data available.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE Today’s political, social and economic landscapes are rapidly changing, making it important for policymakers, journalists and service planners to be in the know on important issues impacting Alabamians and citizens nationwide. Our faculty experts can provide these groups access to accurate information and timely research to support their work and keep their readers and constituents better informed. Our faculty members are experts in a wide range of areas affecting communities and industries across Alabama and nationally. These areas include: • Child welfare
• Elder abuse
• Foster care and adoption
• Politics
• Medicaid
• Rural community issues
• Long-term care services
• Urban community issues
• Healthcare delivery and policy
• Mental health
• Food insecurity
• Child abuse
• Race relations and disparities
• Disability policy
• Veterans’ issues • Poverty and welfare
• Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Education
• End-of-life care
• Domestic violence
• Caregiving
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Congresswomen Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) speak to social work students and faculty about advocacy and working with their state representatives at the UA School of Social Work’s first Policy and Advocacy Washington, D.C. Fly-In in 2017.
Instructor Carroll Phelps, field coordinator of the Washington, D.C. Internship Program, looks on as MSW student David Conner advocates for bill HR253: Family First Prevention Services with Hunter Hobart, legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Alabama).
PUBLIC POLICY WATCHDOGS Our faculty members have experience and training in collaborating with public offices at the local, state and international levels. They can provide a wealth of knowledge and expertise to those in public office as they work to meet the needs of Alabama communities and address important national issues. Specifically, our faculty members can be a resource for: • Informing policymakers on outcomes and policies in other regions • Helping analyze current policies or prospective policies • Conducting evaluations of public programs and initiatives • Providing evidence and needs assessments to communities in Alabama • Providing research findings that can help guide policy decisions • Providing evidence-based advice for public initiatives and program development
Javonda Williams, associate professor of social work, is the principal investigator for a $1.35 million U.S. Department of Justice grant that will be used to improve outcomes of Alabama youths who are victims of human sex trafficking.
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS UA social work faculty researchers are entrenched in Alabama communities and neighborhoods across the state to help develop and evaluate health and human service programs. Through grant supported projects, our researchers partner with local community service organizations to improve lives and capture the experiences of Alabamians from diverse backgrounds and populations, including veterans, juveniles and the elderly. These projects are essential to educating and giving residents a voice on important issues, ranging from mental health, domestic violence to human sex trafficking and elderly care and services. Our community partners include: • Alabama Department of Family and Child Services • Alabama Department of Human Services • The University of Alabama at Birmingham • Children’s of Alabama • Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Prevention • National Children’s Advocacy Center • John A. Hartford Foundation • The Area Agency on Aging of West Alabama • Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama • The Community Foundation of South Alabama • Alabama Department of Mental Health
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• Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service • National Association of Social Workers – Alabama • The Annie E. Casey Foundation • Tuscaloosa County Department of Human Resources • National Guard Family Program • Army Community Service • Mississippi Department of Human Services’ Division of Family and Children Services • The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation • American Cancer Society Minnesota • Minnesota Department of Health • DCH Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic • Whatley Health Services
The map represents areas in the state where UA social work faculty members are engaged in research and service projects. 1 to 2 faculty
10 or more faculty
WORKING WITH THE MEDIA Our faculty experts can provide journalists insight on how current events and issues are affecting local communities. While there are experts across the county on topics of importance to local communities, UA social work faculty members have firsthand knowledge about Alabama communities and citizens through their research. Some specific ways our faculty members support local and national media include: • Identifying current trends and issues that local residents may want to learn about
UA social work faculty members have been sourced and featured by the following media organizations:
• AL.com • WBHM • The Palm Beach Post • The Miami Herald • WBRC Fox News 6 • WIAT CBS 42 • Tuscaloosa News
• The Selma Times Journal • The Time Tribune • The Tuskegee Times • TEDx • Tuscaloosa Backpack Coalition • WHNT News 19 Huntsville • Mpls.St.Paul Magazine
• Identifying current ways that current events and issues are affecting communities in the state • Summarizing and verifying research findings on the topics they are reporting on • Explaining how research findings have real-life implications for local families, communities and policies
David Albright, Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health and associate professor of social work, speaks to media about the School of Social Work and Alabama Department of Mental Health partnering on an $8 million project to expand a substance abuse and mental health program to underserved areas of West Alabama. FACULTY EXPERT GUIDE | 7
OUR FACULTY EXPERTS David Albright, PhD, MSW Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health and Associate Professor dlalbright@ua.edu (205) 348-4416 Areas of Expertise: Behavioral health, dissemination and implementation research, family caregiving, mental health, military and veterans
Jill Beck, JD Director of Youth Services Institute jrbeck2@ua.edu (205) 348-2992 Areas of Expertise: Juvenile justice and youth sex offenders
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Catherine Carlson, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor
Kimberly Gibson MSW Field Coordinator
ccarlson5@ua.edu 205-348-0204
kbgibson2@ua.edu (205) 348-4599
Areas of Expertise: Refugees, sexual assault, immigration, domestic violence
Areas of Expertise: Field education, end-of-life care, and workforce development
Leah Cheatham, PhD, JD, MSW Assistant Professor
Laura Hopson, PhD, MSW Associate Professor and BSW Program Director
lpcheatham@ua.edu (205) 348-4655 Areas of Expertise: Child welfare, disability issues, transitions to adulthood, aging out of foster care
lmhopson@ua.edu (205) 348-5270 Areas of Expertise: Evidence-based practice, school climate, social work services in schools, student mental health
Sebrena Jackson, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor and MSW Program Director msjackson5@ua.edu (205) 348-4726 Areas of Expertise: Child welfare, field education, foster care, social work online education
Hee Yun Lee, PhD, MSW, MSG Associate Dean of Research and Academic Chair in Social Work (Health) hlee94@ua.edu (205) 348-6553 Areas of Expertise: Health behavior change intervention using mobile health, cancer prevention and intervention randomized control trials, cancer/health literacy, and family violence
Debra Nelson-Gardell, PhD, MSW Associate Professor and Coordinator of International Programs
Carroll C. Phelps, MSW Instructor and Coordinator of the Washington, D.C. Internship Program
dnelsong@ua.edu (205) 348-2990
cphelps@ua.edu (205) 348-5571
Areas of Expertise: Child sexual abuse, child and adolescent emotional trauma, interpersonal violence, program evaluation, international social work, women’s issues
Areas of Expertise: Clinical practice, field education, policy and advocacy
Hyunjin Noh, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor
Josephine Pryce, PhD, MSW Associate Professor
hnoh1@ua.edu (205) 348-5265
jpryce@ua.edu (205) 348-5405
Areas of Expertise: Aging and health care, end-of-life care, health disparities, qualitative methods
Areas of Expertise: Military families and veterans issues, secondary traumatic stress, social work and other helping professions
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Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, MSW Associate Professor nruggiano@ua.edu (205) 348-4654 Areas of Expertise: Health and health care policy, longterm care policy, dementia care and caregiving, issues affecting older adults Avani Shah, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor shah009@ua.edu (205) 348-3937 Areas of Expertise: Chronic health conditions, mental health, video games and mental health Cassandra E. Simon, PhD, MSW Associate Professor csimon@ua.edu (205) 348-4586 Areas of Expertise: Breast cancer early detection/ survivorship, health disparities, social justice, community engagement, race relations and civil rights 10 | SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Brenda D. Smith, PhD, MSW Associate Professor and PhD Program Director bsmith2@ua.edu (205) 348-6528 Areas of Expertise: Child welfare policy and services, organizational and policy contexts of practice, policy and service disparities Shayla Smith, MSW BSW Field Coordinator stsmith7@ua.edu (205) 348-4529 Areas of Expertise: Child welfare
Amy Traylor, PhD, MSW Associate Professor atraylor@ua.edu (205) 348-2189 Areas of Expertise: Adolescent and young adult mental health, substance use, virtual reality and related technologies Javonda Williams Associate Dean for Educational Programs and Student Services and Associate Professor jwilliams11@ua.edu (205) 348-3926 Areas of Expertise: Child sexual abuse, human trafficking, social work education, trauma and child development
Scheduling an Interview CONTACTS Dr. Nicole Ruggiano Associate Professor of Social Work (205) 348-4654 nruggiano@ua.edu Adrienne Nettles, MLA Communications Specialist (205) 348-3942 anettles@ua.edu socialworkatUA UA_SocialWork UA_SocialWork
The University of Alabama School of Social Work Box 870314 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0314