2025 SSWR Conference

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GSSW

Communication Team

gssw.communications@du.edu

News •

Research & Scholarship •

January 14, 2025

Nearly three dozen University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) scholars are presenting their research at the Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference, "Strengthening Social Impact through Collaborative Research," held Jan. 15–19 in Seattle, Washington.

Presentations by faculty, staff and students span topics such as abolitionist social work, fostering support for transgender and nonbinary individuals, healing historical trauma, health care discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.

At the conference, GSSW Assistant Professor Marquisha Lawrence Scott will receive the GADE (Group of Advancement for Doctoral Education) Faculty Award for Early Career Achievement in Social Work Doctoral Education. The award recognizes an early career faculty member at a member institution who has made significant contributions to doctoral education through teaching, mentoring, service, and/or leadership.

University of Denver Education Sessions

Thursday, January 16

1:30 - 3 p.m.

Topic: Anti-Carceral Approaches in Social Work Education: Exploring a Research Agenda to Support Transformation
Speaker(s): Assistant Professor Sophia Sarantakos
Session Link
Topic: Sense of Belonging and Campus Climate? Influences in Upstanding Behavior When Witnessing Emotional Distress/Suicidal Thoughts
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Anthony Fulginiti
Session Link
3:15 - 4:45 p.m.

Topic: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Exploration of Young People's Perspectives on Foster Care and Their Reflections on How to Change the Child Welfare System
Speaker(s): Professor Heather Taussig
Session Link
Topic: Under Attack: Fostering Support for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals
Speaker(s): PhD Student Brendon Holloway and Professor Eugene Walls
Session Link

Friday, January 17

7 - 8 a.m.

Topic: Aging Research, Policy, and Advocacy Network
Speaker(s): Professor Leslie Hasche
Session Link
8 - 9:30 a.m.

Topic: Exploring the Predictive Role of ACEs on Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among Midwest Youth
Speaker(s): PhD Student Akeem Modeste-James
Session Link
9:45 - 11:15 a.m.

Topic: Correlates and Rates of HIV and STI Testing Service Utilization Among Homeless Youth across Seven U.S. Cities
Speaker(s): PhD Student Alex Ochs, Associate Professor Anamika Barman-Adhikari and Professor Kimberly Bender
Session Link
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Topic: Abolitionist Social Work
Speaker(s): Assistant Professor Sophia Sarantakos
Session Link
2 - 3:30 p.m.

Topic: Don't Talk like That! Personal Experiences with Discrimination and Its Impact on Upstanding Behavior
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Anthony Fulginiti
Session Link
Topic: The Role of Contemplation in Healing Historical Trauma: A Scoping Review
Speaker(s): PhD Student My Ngoc To
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Topic: How Does Sexual Orientation Influence the Drug of Choice, Age of Onset, and Route of Drug Administration Among Adults Receiving Substance Use Treatment? An Evaluation at Mile High Behavioral Healthcare in Colorado
Speaker(s): Research Associate Graham Zulu
Session Link
Topic: Nurturing Dads and Partners: Findings from a Pilot Study of a Co-Parent Inclusive Fatherhood Intervention
Speaker(s): Professor Jennifer Bellamy, Research Associate Professor Shauna Rienks, Senior Research Associate II Ashley Brock-Baca, Research Coordinator II Michael Holcombe and Research Associate Kaylee Ortega
Session Link
3:45 - 5:15 p.m.

Topic: Brief and Brilliant
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Shannon Sliva
Session Link
Topic: Discrimination in Health Care Settings and Depression Among Older Black Adults during Covid-19 Pandemic
Speaker(s): Assistant Professor Tyrone Hamler
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Topic: Comparing the Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Youth Psychosocial and Academic Outcomes in Schools between the U.S. and East Asian Studies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Johnny Kim
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Topic: Does Self-Care Really Help? A Study of Self-Care Strategies and Behaviors, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Caseworkers
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Amy He
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5:30 - 7 p.m.

Topic: Establishing Factor Structure for a Measure of Moral Distress for Child Welfare Professionals
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Amy He
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Topic: Challenging Paternalism in Social Work Research
Speaker(s): Phd Student Tyler Miyoshi Han, Professor Jennifer Bellamy and Professor Deb Ortega
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Topic: Moral Injury in Social Work: An Experiential Model to Shape Future Research
Speaker(s): PhD Student Jen A Sedivy
Session Link

Saturday, January 18

8 - 9:30 a.m.

Topic: Development and Pilot of the Race and Class Bias (RCB) Scale for Child Welfare Practitioners
Speaker(s): PhD Student Anna Wasim
Session Link
9:45 – 11:15 a.m.

Topic: The Association between Interpersonal Factors, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Junior High School Students in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
Speaker(s): Research Associate Graham Zulu
Session Link
Topic: “I didn't Know That I Could Talk to You”: Negotiating Family Engagement for Caregivers Involved with Child Welfare
Speaker(s): PhD Student Anna Wasim
Session Link
4 – 5:30 p.m.

Topic: Creating Positive Organizational Climates for the Child Welfare Workforce
Speaker(s): Research Associate Professor Shauna Rienks, Research Professor Robin Leake and Associate Professor Amy He
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Topic: Depressive Symptomatology and Physical/Neurodegenerative Multimorbidity Among Older Black Americans
Speaker(s): Assistant Professor Tyrone Hamler
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Topic: Rethinking Academic Conferences: Carbon Footprints and Sustainable Alternatives in the Climate Crisis Era
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Lisa Reyes Mason
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Topic: Fathers' Involvement, Early Childhood Development and Risk: Employing the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) Technology in Understanding Fathers' Verbal Interactions with Their Young Children
Speaker(s): Professor Jenn Bellamy
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Topic: System Pathways and Recidivism: How Does the Timing of System Involvement Predict Risk?
Speaker(s): Morris Endowed Dean Henrika McCoy
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Topic: HIV Testing Frequency & Predictors in a Statewide Sample of Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex Adults
Speaker(s): PhD Student Alex Ochs
Session Link

Sunday, January 19

8 – 9:30 a.m.

Topic: Integrated Care Among Latine's in Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders
Speaker(s): PhD Student Akeem Modeste-James and Professor Lena Lundgren
Session Link
Topic: Healing Historical Trauma Among Vietnamese Americans: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Pilot Contemplative-Based Program
Speaker(s): PhD Student My Ngoc To and Research Assistants Kim-Phung Van and Kenneth Huynh
Session Link
Topic: Transition Decisions of Transgender and Nonbinary Persons Exposed to Gender Identity Conversion Efforts
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Eugene Walls and PhD Student Brendon Holloway
Session Link
9:45 – 11:15 a.m.

Topic: Exploring Social Network Relationships and Types of Social Support Among Young Adults with HIV: A Systematic Literature Review
Speaker(s): PhD Student Alex Ochs
Session Link
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Topic: Beyond Caseload Characteristics: Moderating Roles of Job Demand, Control, and Support in Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Workers
Speaker(s): Associate Professor Amy He
Session Link
Topic: Exploring the Denver Basic Income Project: A Model for Collaborative Research
Speaker(s): Professor Daniel Brisson
Session Link