Category: Research
Hosting the Inaugural Beyond Borders: Global Mental Health Research and Services Conference With Dr. Flora Cohen
The School of Social Work recently hosted the inaugural Beyond Borders: Global Mental Health Research and Services Conference. Coinciding with World Mental Health Day, the conference sought to bring together leaders, researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience from the local Champaign-Urbana community and around the world. Spanning two days, the event included speaker sessions […]
New Study Examines What Puts Children in Foster Care at Greater Risk of Maltreatment
A new study from the School of Social Work’s Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds light on an often-overlooked issue: why some children experience maltreatment even after being placed in foster care. Although the percentage of children who experience abuse or neglect while in foster care is small, the […]
PhD Research Spotlight: Supporting the Mental Well-Being of Families Who Have Experienced the Loss of a Baby
Beth Shelton, a PhD student at the University of Illinois School of Social Work and the first certified perinatal mental health specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Mid-South region, recognized early on the profound impact that a lack of trauma-focused care can have on the mental well-being of families who have experienced the loss of […]
Webinar Explores How Financial Support Impacts Child Neglect
A University of Illinois social work researcher is helping uncover how financial supports can strengthen families and reduce child neglect. The League of Women Voters of Champaign County will host “Economic Supports and Child Health and Well-being” from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. The free, public webinar will be held via Zoom, […]
Illinois Youth Survey Reveals Concerning Trends in Teen Substance Use
A recent report from the Illinois Youth Survey highlights concerning trends in alcohol and cannabis use among teens across the state. Conducted every two years, the survey gathers critical data on youth behaviors to help inform prevention and intervention strategies statewide. According to the latest findings, Illinois teens are drinking nearly twice the national average, […]
PhD Research Spotlight: Supporting Latina Immigrant Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
When University of Illinois School of Social Work PhD student Erika La Frano began her career as a clinician, she witnessed firsthand the struggles immigrant women face when seeking help after intimate partner violence (IPV). Her clients encountered barriers that extended far beyond the violence itself, including language differences, cultural stigma, lack of legal knowledge, […]
PhD Candidates Seeking Academic Appointment
At the University of Illinois School of Social Work, our PhD candidates are advancing knowledge and practice in the field. Their innovative research addresses urgent social issues such as health disparities, child welfare, community engagement, and digital equity, helping to shape solutions that create meaningful change in Illinois and around the world. They are also […]
Redefining Youth Recovery: A Podcast with Dr. Doug Smith
Douglas Smith, Director of the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, was recently featured on The Catalyst podcast. In the episode, Dr. Smith discusses how teens perceive and define recovery, drawing on findings from the Illinois Youth Survey. He explains why only 5% of surveyed Illinois […]
Andrade’s New Study on Aging and Mortality Differences in the United States and Brazil Accepted at Oxford University Press
The “long arm of childhood” on mortality in older adulthood in the United States and Brazil: examining the role of educational attainment and differences by gender, a paper co-authored by Social Work professor Dr. Flávia Andrade, University of Texas professor Mateo Farina, and Eric Klopack (postdoctoral researcher, University of Southern California at time of writing) has […]