BUSSW 2015-2016 Research Luncheon Seminar Series

Join us for the 2015-2016 BUSSW Research Luncheon Series. These lunch-time talks are open to the BUSSW community and feature faculty and students. They provide an opportunity for the presenters to share their research and findings and receive feedback as well as a learning opportunity for the community to gain some insight on the topics of study.

The series commenced with Identifying and Measuring Risk for Homelessness: Evidence from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a presentation by Thomas Hugh Byrne, PhD and BUSSW Assistant Professor on September 24. The presentation focused on the findings of ongoing research based on a recently VA developed and implemented screening instrument intended to identify Veterans at-risk of homelessness and link them with necessary services and supports, highlighted implications of these findings for the VA and beyond, and discussed planned future research directions.

Abigail Ross, MSW, MPH, and Doctoral Candidate at BUSSW made the second series presentation on October 22. She presented her dissertation research, Efficacy Outcomes of a Parenting Program for National Guard/Reserve Spouses who are Mothers of Young Children: The Moderating Role of Social Support. The research focused on addressing the relationships of formal and informal social support, known to certain affects on veterans and civilians, and National Guard Reserve or military spouses that are mothers of very young children. Through the exploration of spouse efficacy outcomes of a formal home-based parenting program including whether three separate dimensions of social support (perceived support, social connectedness, and dyadic satisfaction) moderate spouse outcomes of anxiety, depression, and parenting stress, the research found a statistically significant overall reduction in spouse anxiety in the treatment group, and that both formal and informal supports are valuable to military families.

The seminar series will continue through the fall semester with the following presentations:

Melissa Hirschi, MSW
Doctoral Candidate, BUSSW, Joint Social Work and Sociology PhD Program
The Role of Law Enforcement in Responding to Individuals with Mental Illness: Police and Family Perspectives
Thursday, November 19 rom 12:15 to 1:30 PM, Conant Lounge

Professors Tom Byrne, Yoonsook Ha, Dan Miller, BUSSW
Introducing The BU Social Policy Analysis Working Group: The Importance of Policy Analysis for Social Work Research
Thursday, December 10 rom 12:15 to 1:30 PM, Conant Lounge

Please RSVP to Lisa Murphy a lmurph@bu.edu to attend.