Society for Social Work and Research 31st Annual Conference: Special Interest Groups

[Special Interest Groups] Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 22)
Conveners: Rocío Calvo, PhD , Maggi Price, PhD and Martel Teasley, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Aging Research, Education, Advocacy, and Practice (Aging-REAP) Network (Golden Gate 2)
Conveners: Cal Halvorsen, PhD, MSW , Allison Gibson, PhD , Tina Maschi, PhD , Tyrone Hamler, PhD and Ernest Gonzales, PhD, MSSW

[Special Interest Groups] Build Healthy Relationships to End Violence (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 11)
Conveners: Katie Maguire-Jack, PhD , Kristen Ravi, Ph.D. , Heidi Ruda, PhD , Heather Storer, Ph.D. , Laura Voith, PhD , Cecilia Mengo, PhD and Susan Yoon, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Children & Youth Behavioral Health Policy and Services Research (Golden Gate 3)
Conveners: Genevieve Graaf, PhD and Cassandra Simmel, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Golden Gate 4)
Conveners: Joonmo Kang, PhD , Christopher Weatherly, PhD, LCSW, MPH , Shanondora Billiot, PhD and Felicia Mitchell, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (Golden Gate 5)
Conveners: Cheng Ren, PhD , Nari Yoo, PhD and Woojin Jung, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Eradicating Social Isolation (Grand Challenge for Social Work) (Union Station 12)
Conveners: Melissa Bessaha, PhD, LMSW, MA , Suzanne Brown, PhD , Robert Cosby, PhD. , Sandra Crewe, PhD , Michelle Munson, PhD and Erika Sabbath, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Faith-Based Community Organizing Hub: Forum for Hope, Strategic Planning, & Participatory Action Research (Golden Gate 6)
Conveners: Chantee Parris-Strigle, PhD and E'ula Green, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Gender-Based Violence (Golden Gate 8)
Conveners: LB Klein, PhD, MSW, MPA , Abha Rai, PhD , Noelle St. Vil and Sarah E Bledsoe, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Global Neighbors: Canadian & American Social Work Scholars (Union Station 24)
Convener: Sam Luxmikanthan, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Harness Technology for Social Good (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 1 & 2)
Conveners: Jonathan Singer, PhD , Steven Anderson, PhD , John Bricout , Johanna Baez, PhD , Lauri Goldkind, PhD , Sebrena Jackson, PhD and Jennifer Parga, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Historical Research In Social Work SIG (Union Station 3 & 4)
Conveners: Justin Harty, PhD , Jessica Toft, PhD, LISW and Jane McPherson, PhD, MPH, LCSW

[Special Interest Groups] Kinship Care and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (Union Station 5 & 6)
Conveners: Nancy Mendoza, Ph.D. and Yanfeng Xu, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Mind-Body Practices In Social Work (Union Station 17 & 18)
Convener: My Ngoc To, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Pilipina/o/x Social Work and Affiliates Group (P-SWAG) (Union Station 21)
Conveners: John Bunyi, MMFT , Hillary Peregrina, MA, AM , Joanna La Torre, PhD(c), LCSW , Gabrielle Aquino-Adriatico, PhD , Ronna Bañada, PhD, MSW, LCSW , Dale Dagar Maglalang, PhD , Cora de Leon, PhD, MPH, LCSW , Lalaine Sevillano, PhD, MSW and Kari Tabag, PhD, LCSW-R

[Special Interest Groups] Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Golden Gate 7)
Conveners: Dani Adams , Heidi Allen, PhD , Leopoldo Cabassa, PhD , Alyssa Draffin, LCSW , Brooke Scott, LCSW , Tonya Edmond, PhD and Megan Meyer, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Reimagining Mental Health with Black Men (Golden Gate 1)
Convener: Charles Williams II, MSW, MDiv, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Research with Multiracial Individuals (Union Station 13)
Conveners: Bridget Weller, Ph.D. and Megan Hicks, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] School Social Work (Union Station 14)
Conveners: Annahita Ball, PhD and Tasha Childs, PhD, LMSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Work and Neuroscience (Union Station 15)
Conveners: Lindamarie Olson, PhD , Sunghyun Hong, MSW , Kathryn Irish, PhD and Isabelle Kim, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Workers Advancing Asian American Mental Health (Union Station 16)
Conveners: Daniel Tanh, LCSW, DSW and Deena Patel, LCSW, DSW

[Special Interest Groups] Sport Social Work (Union Station 19)
Conveners: Carlyn Kimiecik, PhD , Tarkington Newman, PhD , Matt Moore, PhD , Amanda Dailey-Weaver, MS , Richard Weaver, PhD , Levone Lee, MSW and Anne Stauffer, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] The Social Work and Research with Muslims Special Interest Group (SIG) (Union Station 23)
Conveners: Altaf Husain, PhD and Tarek Zidan, Ph.D.

[Special Interest Groups] Addictive Behaviors and Substance Misuse (Union Station 22)
Convener: Mike Broman

[Special Interest Groups] Arts-Based Research and Praxis (Golden Gate 2)
Conveners: Greer Hamilton, PhD , Candace Christensen , Melanie Sonsteng-Person, PhD , Dora Watkins, PhD , Rogério Pinto, PhD , E Alexander, PhD and Danielle Littman, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Black Administrators, Researchers, & Scholars (BARS) (Union Station 20)
Conveners: Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware, PhD , Martell Teasley, PhD , Camille Quinn, PhD , Joan Blakey, PhD, LCSW , Trina Shanks, PhD , Michele Hanna, PhD , Jenny Jones, PhD , Durrell Washington, PhD and Evelyn Coker, MSW, MBA

[Special Interest Groups] Close the Health Gap (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Golden Gate 3)
Conveners: Sara Bachman, PhD and Teri Browne, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Criminal and Juvenile Justice (Golden Gate 4)
Convener: Susan McCarter, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Design Justice & Co-Design (Golden Gate 5)
Conveners: Emil Smith, PhD , Amanda Cruce, PhD , Rachel Gartner, PhD and Mary Rautkis, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Ensure Healthy Development for Youth (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Golden Gate 7)
Conveners: Sabrina Oesterle, PhD and Valerie Shapiro, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Fatherhood Related Research (Golden Gate 6)
Conveners: Joyce Lee, PhD , Brianna Lemmons, PhD and Branden McLeod, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Health and Social Work (Union Station 1 & 2)
Conveners: Jen Hirsch, MSW , Abigail M. Ross, PhD , Lauren Gil Hayes, MSW , Samuel Bethel, PhD and Frances Nedjat-Haiem, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Immigrant and Refugee Studies (Union Station 3 & 4)
Conveners: Mitra Naseh, PhD , Mary Lehman Held, PhD, LCSW and Wooksoo Kim, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Korean American Social Work Educators Association (KASWEA) (Union Station 5 & 6)
Conveners: Youseung Kim, PhD and Eun Koh, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Multilevel Intervention Research & Practice (Union Station 17 & 18)
Convener: Patricia M. Bamwine, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Organizations and Management (Golden Gate 8)
Conveners: Theresa Anasti, PhD , Matthew Bakko, PhD and Seon Mi Kim, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Political Social Work (Union Station 21)
Conveners: Jason A Plummer, PhD , Suzanne Pritzker, PhD and Shannon Lane, PhD, LMSW

[Special Interest Groups] Promote Smart Decarceration (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 11)
Conveners: Matt Epperson, PhD , Pajarita Charles, PhD , Taylor Reed-Jones, PhD and Durrell Washington, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Research (focused on) Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equity (RISE) Network (Golden Gate 1)
Conveners: Karen Bullock, PhD , Barbara Mendez-Campos, PhD, MSW , Terrance Ruth and Kim Stansbury, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Restorative Research Approaches and Methods (Union Station 13)
Conveners: Rei Shimizu, PhD , Sid Jordan, PhD, JD , Briana Barocas, PhD and Sheila McMahon, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Service Members, Veterans, and Families (Union Station 14)
Conveners: Donna Schuman, PhD, LCSW and Jose Carbajal, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Social Work Contributions to Psychosis & Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders (Union Station 24)
Conveners: Shannon Blajeski, PhD , Lindsay Bornheimer, PhD , Jordan DeVylder, PhD , Jessica Wojtalik, PhD , Ana Flores, PhD and Patricia Turner, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Social Workers As Researchers and Innovators: Global Knowledge, Cross-Cultural Solutions, and Practice-Based Research (Union Station 16)
Conveners: Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail, PhD , Ann Anka, PhD , Nishi Mitra, PhD , Nyaga Dionisio and . Neşe . Neşe Şahin Taşğın

[Special Interest Groups] The LGBTQ Caucus of Social Work Students & Faculty (Q Caucus) (Union Station 12)
Conveners: Dicky Baruah, MSW , Vern Harner, PhD , Brittanie Ash, PhD , Brendon Holloway, PhD , Sam Luxmikanthan, LMSW , Kelsey Reeder, LCSW-R and LB Klein, PhD, MSW, MPA

[Special Interest Groups] Theory, Critique and Praxis (Union Station 23)
Conveners: Odessa Gonzalez Benson , Yun Chen, PhD, MSW , Gina Samuels, PhD , Yoosun Park, PhD and Edwina Uehara, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Adoptee Researchers (Union Station 22)
Conveners: Maureen Boyle, PhD and Ashley Toland, DSW

[Special Interest Groups] Associate and Deputy Deans of Faculty Affairs, Faculty Development, and Academic Affairs (Golden Gate 2)
Conveners: Rebecca Gomez, PhD , Victoria Stanhope, PhD, MSW , Rachel Fusco, PhD , Shawna Lee, PhD , Ellen DeVoe, PhD, LICSW , Janet Liechty, PhD, MSW, LCSW , Julia Henly, PhD and Jennifer Manuel, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Community and Neighborhoods (Golden Gate 3)
Conveners: Cheryl Hyde, PhD and Mary Ohmer, PhD, MSW, MPIA

[Special Interest Groups] Critical Queer Researchers (Golden Gate 4)
Convener: Angie Wootton, PhD, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Designing and Funding Research for a 21st Century Child and Family Well-Being System – Networking Session for Funders and Researchers (Golden Gate 5)
Conveners: Peter Pecora, PhD , Kimberly DuMont, PhD , Allison Holmes, PhD and Jodi Hill-Lily, M.S.W.

[Special Interest Groups] Eliminate Racism (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 11)
Conveners: Martell Teasley, PhD , Quincy Bloxom, DSW , Michael Spencer, PhD , Jandel Crutchfield, PhD, LCSW and Maggi Price, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Foster Care and Higher Education SIG (Golden Gate 6)
Conveners: Amy Salazar, PhD , Angelique Day, PhD and Lisa Schelbe, PhD, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Grand Challenge to End Homelessness (Golden Gate 8)
Conveners: Amanda Aykanian, PhD and Emmy Tiderington, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Health Equity & Families (Union Station 1 & 2)
Conveners: Katrina Ellis, PhD, MPH, MSW and Ann Nguyen, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Immigration across the Grand Challenges for Social Work (Union Station 3 & 4)
Conveners: Kelly Barneche, MS , Katelin East, MSW , Mitra Naseh, PhD and Lindsey Cantelme, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Maternal and Infant Mental Health (Union Station 5 & 6)
Conveners: Rena Bina, PhD and Abigail Palmer Molina, PhD, LCSW

[Special Interest Groups] Oncology Special Interest Group (Union Station 17 & 18)
Conveners: Tess Thompson, PhD and Bridgette Thom, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Practice-Rooted, Scholar-Practitioner Research (PRSPR) SIG (Union Station 21)
Conveners: Kelsey Reeder, LCSW-R , James Green, MA, LMFT, LSW , Anthony Verdino, LCSW and Tharyn Giovanni, LCSW-C

[Special Interest Groups] Qualitative Methods (Union Station 25)
Conveners: Maryam Rafieifar, PhD , Judith Leitch, PhD, LCSW, MSW and Edward Scott Jr., PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Research and Advocacy for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities (Golden Gate 1)
Conveners: Jenn Lee, MSW, LCSW , Deborah Moon, PhD , Duy Nguyen, PhD , Elaine Szeto, MSW and Haein Son, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Scholarly-Practioners (Union Station 13)
Convener: Candice Aparicio, LCSW, DSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Movements, Collective Action, and Community Power Research SIG (Union Station 14)
Convener: Susanna Shapiro, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Work and Reproductive Justice (Golden Gate 7)
Conveners: Celina Doria, MSW, PhD and Melody Huslage, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] South Asian Social Work Educators’ Association (SASWEA) (Union Station 16)
Conveners: Anindita Bhattacharya, PhD, MSW , Neely Mahapatra, PhD , Ankur Srivastava, PhD , Mamta Ojha, PhD , Rhitamvara Pokharel, MSW and Sanoop Valappanandi, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Suicide Research, Prevention, and Intervention (Union Station 19)
Conveners: Lindsay A. Bornheimer, PhD, LCSW and Anthony Fulginiti, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Workforce Health and Well-Being Among Social Work Professions (Union Station 23)
Conveners: Amy He, PhD , Jangmin Kim, PhD and Shelby Clark, Phd, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Advancing Racial Equity In Practice and Practicum: A Community-Engaged Learning Initiative Developed through the Partnership for Equity and Excellence In Practicum (PEEP) (Union Station 22)
Conveners: Jewel Stafford, MSW , Dan Ferris, PhD and Pamela Begay, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Associate Research Deans and Directors SIG (Golden Gate 2)
Convener: Jodi Frey, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Build Financial Capability and Assets for All (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 11)
Conveners: Yunju Nam, PhD , Julie Birkenmaier, PhD , Katie Calhoun, PhD , Jin Huang, PhD , Lissa Johnson , Jenny Jones, PhD , David Rothwell, PhD and Margaret Sherraden, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Community Health Workers and Social Work (Golden Gate 3)
Conveners: Mary Ellen Brown, PhD and Katie Stalker, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Critical Researchers on White Supremacy In Development (CROWD): Social Work Research Network (Golden Gate 4)
Convener: Sommer Blair, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Disabilities Cross-Cutting Working Group (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Golden Gate 5)
Convener: Alison Wetmur, DSW

[Special Interest Groups] Evidence Synthesis for Social Work Research (Golden Gate 7)
Conveners: Maryam Rafieifar, PhD , Jaclyn Kirsch, PhD and Rebecca Mauldin, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Gade Social Work Doctoral Education SIG (Golden Gate 6)
Conveners: Tova Walsh, PhD , Jonathan Okstad, PhD and Mimi Chapman, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Harm Reduction (Golden Gate 8)
Convener: Theresa Anasti, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Heterodox Social Work (Union Station 1 & 2)
Conveners: Heidi Rueda, PhD and Pilar Horner, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Implementation Research (Union Station 3 & 4)
Convener: Geetha Gopalan, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Mentoring and Support Experiences for Black Women Leaders In Social Work Education SIG (Reactivation) (Union Station 5 & 6)
Conveners: Yarneccia Dyson, Ph.D. and Crystal Campbell

[Special Interest Groups] Preventing Gun Violence (Grand Challenge for Social Work) (Union Station 21)
Conveners: Patricia Logan-Greene, PhD , Neil Guterman, PhD , Patricia M. Bamwine, PhD , Deborah Gorman-Smith, PhD and Mickey Sperlich, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Reduce Extreme Economic Inequality (Grand Challenges for Social Work) (Union Station 25)
Conveners: Mary Ager, Ph.D. , Quincy Bloxom, DSW , Laura Cuesta, PhD , Vincent Fusaro, PhD , Leah Hamilton, PhD , Stephanie Hong , Laura Lein, PhD , Lenna Nepomnyaschy, PhD , Stephen Roll, PhD , Jennifer Romich, PhD and Trina Shanks, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Research and Advocacy on Human Flourishing and Well-Being (Golden Gate 1)
Conveners: Deborah Moon, PhD , Ramesh Raghavan, PhD, MD, MBBS , Amanda Cruce, PhD , Hyunjin Lee, MSW , Ruijie Ma, MSW , Xixi Kang, MSW, MSP , Hyung Jik Daniel Lee, PhD , Jeesoo Jeon, PhD , Ron Idoko, MPA and Youme Kim, MA

[Special Interest Groups] Scholars across Anthropology and Social Work (Union Station 13)
Conveners: John Doering-White, PhD , Hannah Obertino-Norwood, PhD , Sanoop Valappanandi, MSW , Kathryn Berringer, PhD and Nicolas Juarez, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Work and Libraries: From Practice Innovation to Research Agenda (Union Station 14)
Conveners: Jelena Todic, PhD , Ian Johnson, PhD , Mary Provence, PhD , Leah Topek-Walker, LCSW-R , Margaret Paauw, PhD and Patrick Lloyd, MSW

[Special Interest Groups] Social Work, Jewish Identity, and Judaism (Union Station 15)
Conveners: Corey Shdaimah, PhD , Rafael Engel, PhD , Roni Berger, PhD and Maayan Lawental, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Space, Place, and Geography (Union Station 16)
Conveners: Alexa Cinque, AM and James Green, MA, LMFT, LSW

[Special Interest Groups] Strength-Based Approaches to Studying Black Male Youth: Implications for Social Work Practice (Union Station 12)
Conveners: Adrian Gale, Ph.D. , Ed-Dee Williams, PhD , Donte Boyd, PhD, MSW , Edward Scott Jr., PhD, LCSW , James Ellis, PhD , Husain Lateef, PhD and Durrell Washington, PhD

[Special Interest Groups] Youth and Young Adult Homelessness (Union Station 23)
Convener: Sarah Narendorf, PhD

Society for Social Work and Research 31st Annual Conference: Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups

Friday, January 22, 2027

7:00 AM-8:00 AM

12:45 PM-1:45 PM

Saturday, January 23, 2027

7:00 AM-8:00 AM

12:30 PM-1:30 PM