Leslie Hasche

Leslie K. Hasche

Associate Professor

What I do

Our society has never faced the size, complexity or diversity of our aging population. Through my teaching and research, I hope to motivate more social workers to take leadership roles in developing and offering services that promote quality of life and social engagement of all older adults.

Specialization(s)

aging and gerontology, evidence-based practice/implementation science, intervention research, mental and behavioral health, social justice

Professional Biography

Associate Professor Leslie Hasche focuses on clinical social work practice related to aging and mental health. Her research aims to understand how community-based services may best promote older adults‚ mental health, independence, safety, quality of life and overall wellness. She enjoys integrating her research and previous mental health practice experience into teaching theory-based and contemporary issue courses related to social work, aging and intergenerational justice.

Hasche serves as the coordinator for the Aging Services and Policy concentration at the Graduate School of Social Work, and as an advisory group member of University of Denver's Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging. Current research projects involve partnering with LinkAGES Colorado on evaluating the collaborative's community-based intergenerational programs. Her scholarship has been funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Justice, and the John A. Hartford Foundation. Her research has been shared through journals, such as The Gerontologist, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatric and the Journal of Gerontological Social Work. In 2015, the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work recognized Hasche's early career accomplishments with the Faculty Achievement Award. In 2017, Hasche was recognized as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.

Degree(s)

  • Ph.D., Social Work, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009
  • MSW, Social Work, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, 2000
  • BA, Social Work Major, Bradley University, 1998

Professional Affiliations

  • Other
  • Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
  • Society for Social Work Research (SSWR)
  • Other

Media Sources

Research

Research efforts prioritize community-engaged research with social service and aging service providers. These community partnerships help shape the questions, research designs, and areas for presentation and publication. Methods include structured interviews on mental health, trauma, and service utilization, intervention research, evaluation, and implementation science. Prior projects have partnered with the Denver Elder Abuse Forensic Collaborative, the Colorado Adult Protective Services, and LinkAGES Colorado Collaborative for Intergenerational Programs.

Key Projects

  • DU-Metro Denver Intergenerational Collaborative Partnership
  • Enhancing Adult Protective Services

Featured Publications

Hasche, L. K., & Lavery, A. L. (2015). "As needed" case management across aging services in response to depression. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 58(3), 272-288.
Hasche, L. K., Lenze, S., Lawrence, L., Proctor, E., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2014). Adaptating collaborative depression care in public community long-term care: Using Research-Practice Partnerships . Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 41(5), 687-696.
Kattari, S. K., & Hasche, L. K. (2016). Differences across age groups in transgender and gender non-conforming people's experiences of health care discrimination, harassment, and victimization. Journal of Aging and Health, 28(2), 285-296.

Awards

  • Faculty Achievement Award, Association for Gerontological Education in Social Work (AGESW)
  • Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
  • Student Nominated Excellence in Teaching Award-Appointed Faculty, GSSW