Partners in Survival: Improving Survivorship for Minority Women

This project was developed in collaboration with Men Against Breast Cancer (MABC), a non-profit located in Maryland to educate men and increase their involvement and support in breast cancer treatment. The Partners in Survival program utilizes problem-solving education which has been proven to reduce depression, stress, and to improve the overall mental health of the survivor. The program works with the partners of survivors to bring them critical skills which improve their ability to care for and support their loved one through all the stages of her illness. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (under their P30 Program).

Partners: Mean Against Breast Cancer, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer II: Network Project, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's Spirit of Eagles Program, Nueva Vida (New Life), Cinta Latina (Latin Ribbon), James R. Zabora.

Funding: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – P30 $1.1 Million over 5 years

Implementation and evaluation of attachment based training model of social work field supervision

Focus: Evaluation of the use of attachment theory to enhance the supervisory working alliance between social work students and field instructors. Design: Mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative measurements, evaluation of field instructor training program incorporating in-person and on-line training).

Principal Investigator: Susanne Bennett

Co-PIs: Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc, Loretta Vitale Saks

Funding: CUA Grant-in-Aid Award

Examining the State of Field Education in North American Social Work Schools

In an attempt to quantify the anecdotal information and the impact of changes in the workplace and in the academy, a survey of directors and coordinators of field instruction was undertaken. A 38 item on-line survey was developed to collect information anonymously on the following areas of field education: director/coordinator of field education demographics, office of field education demographics, models of field education, college/university demographics, student internship information, and field instructor information.

Co-Investigators: Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc, Loretta Vitale Saks

Assessing factors associated with violence severity index of those in substance abuse treatment.

Investigator: Julie Lopez

Funding: SAMHSA $30,000

The Impact of Changes in Work Status on Psychosocial Well-Being: A Study of Breast Cancer Survivors

The focus of the study is on the consequences of workforce participation on the psychosocial well-being ( i.e. psychosocial distress, level of functioning and quality of life) of a sample of breast cancer survivors.

Investigators: Katherine Mahar, Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc, Joseph Shields

Informed consent and confidentiality in the use of clinical case material in social work publications

Focus: Evaluation of the use of clinical case writing in social work journals. Design: Survey and qualitative interviews (qualitative interviews of national social work scholars, advanced clinicians, and journal editors; survey of published authors)

Principal Investigator: Susanne Bennett

Funding: NCSSS Health and Mental Health Research Institute