On the “transitional-aged youth” concept

There is a growing consensus amongst youth services practitioners and scholars that the line between youth and adulthood is more demarcated than it might be when it comes to the way our social… Continue reading →

On the transformative power of research projects for students

Last weekend, the School of Social Work at Salem State University held a Graduate Social Work Research Symposium.  Twenty-four groups of MSW students presented on their year-long (mostly) community-based research projects.  While the… Continue reading →

Fostering alternative leadership skills among child protection workers

Presentation given at the Council on Social Work Research’s Annual Program Meeting…. Moving beyond supervisory leadership:  Fostering alternative leadership skills among child protection workers Mary Byrne, PhD, LICSW, Salem State University Carol Masshardt,… Continue reading →

Accommodating students with disabilities in field practicum: Challenges and strategies

I was pleased to be part of a team of social work educators from around the United States who will be presenting “Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Field Practicum: Challenges and Strategies” at… Continue reading →

On "fear management" in child protection work with undocumented families

Interested in child welfare practice with non-citizen immigrant families?  Finding only a nascent literature base?  Well, you may be happy to hear that new work is coming out on the topic in 2012. … Continue reading →

Suicidality in child protection settings: Implications for social work education

Calling all child welfare folks who may be attending CSWE this October 2011 in Atlanta – please attend our panel entitled “Suicidality in child protection settings: Implications for social work education.” This panel… Continue reading →

Child welfare-involved youth with intellectual disabilities: Pathways into and placements in foster care

As I have worked to merge my interests in disability and child welfare, I have started to draw on data from the Adoption and Foster Care Reporting System (AFCARS).  Recently, I worked with… Continue reading →

On engaging social work students students in required research courses

Engaging social work students in required research courses is most often not for the faint of heart.  During AY 2010-2011, I participated in a faculty learning community on this topic.  I am sharing… Continue reading →

On Methodological, Logistical and Ethical Issues in Research Related to People with Disabilities

Although I am slated to participate in a roundtable on Methodological, Logistical and Ethical Issues in Research Related to People with Disabilities at the Society for Social Work and Research conference with seven… Continue reading →

On the recent social service worker death in Massachusetts: Work to create a culture of safety

Last week, we received the horrible news that a young woman working in a community residence for people with mental illness had been murdered by a resident in that residence.  Click here or… Continue reading →

Upcoming paper at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting – suicidality and young adults with disabilities

Suicidality and help-seeking behaviors among young adults with disabilities: Implications for suicide prevention Little is known about the prevalence of suicidality among young adults with disabilities. The transition into young adult life is… Continue reading →

New article coming out on substance use disorder treatment access, intellectual disability

Coming out in the October 2010 issue of Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: Medicaid-covered alcohol and drug treatment use among people with intellectual disabilities: Evidence of disparities For some, community inclusion facilitates access to alcohol and… Continue reading →

Foster youth with intellectual disabilities, permanency planning goals and case outcomes

Just gave a talk at the National Research Conference on Child and Family Programs and Policy on permanency planning and foster care outcomes for children with and without intellectual disabilities…someone snapped this photo, interesting… Continue reading →

On demographic and clinical characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders

Little is known about the demographic and clinical characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities and substance abuse problems. Drawing on health care billing claims for people with Medicaid coverage aged 12–99 years, the characteristics… Continue reading →

Community-based participatory research project on youth with developmental disabilities

Building on a two-year partnership with my colleague Beth Flanzbaum at YOU, Inc., I am starting to work on a new community-based participatory research project entitled “Developing best practices for clinical work with… Continue reading →

Family violence and women with disabilities

Violence against women is identified as a top human rights issue by women with disabilities, a population that is more likely to experience intimate partner violence (IPV) than their counterparts without disabilities. Existing… Continue reading →

Access to substance abuse treatment for youth with intellectual disabilities

Very psyched – the first of my dissertation-based articles is out!  The abstract is listed below, but you can access the full article from the Journal of Disability Policy Studies at this link.… Continue reading →

Qualitative research on child protection practice and child sexual exploitation

Over the past year, three graduate students from my applied research course (Ellen Calhoun, Melissa Geoffroy and Dominique Gutierrez) designed a qualitative research project to learn more about the experiences of child protection workers engaged… Continue reading →

New article in The New Social Worker Online on disability, substance abuse

Check out my article in The New Social Worker Online – it is about identifying substance abuse among people with intellectual disabilities. This work merges my former work as a forensic social worker… Continue reading →