Supporting Transition-Age Youth with Foster Care Histories: From Evidence to Action
Amy Dworsky, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall
Amy Dworsky, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Fellow at Chapin Hall. Dworsky manages a portfolio of policy-relevant research that cuts across multiple domains including child welfare, youth and family homelessness, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and home visiting. She is a nationally recognized expert on transition age youth in foster care, youth experiencing homelessness, and the nexus between homelessness and child welfare system involvement. Dworsky has experience using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, analyzing administrative data, leading formative evaluations, and partnering with public agencies and nonprofit organizations to conduct policy and practice-relevant research. Dworsky serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Child Maltreatment and the journal Child and Family Social Work. Dworsky has a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Social Work from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College.
Jennifer M. Geiger, Ph.D., MSW
Associate Professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois Chicago
Jennifer M. Geiger, PhD, MSW is an Associate Professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Geiger earned her MSW and PhD from Arizona State University (ASU). She has extensive practice and research experience related to students in postsecondary settings with foster care histories, including working as a child welfare specialist and developing and leading campus support programs for former foster youth at ASU and the UIC. Dr. Geiger has published over 45 peer-reviewed journal articles, 7 book chapters, and 3 books. She works with several local and national advisory groups and is committed to furthering research and developing effective practice and policy to promote postsecondary education, training, and employment opportunities for young people with foster care backgrounds.
Devlin Hanson, Ph.D.
Principal Research Associate, Urban Institute
Devlin Hanson is a principal research associate in the Family and Financial Well-Being Division at the Urban Institute. She is a labor economist, specializing in rigorous impact evaluations, whose research focuses on housing and child welfare. Dr. Hanson led an evaluation of the Education and Training Voucher program using child welfare administrative data from 10 states matched with National Student Clearinghouse data on college enrollment and persistence. She led a multisite RCT of a supportive housing program for families involved in child welfare. She is currently leading RCTs evaluating two interventions serving child welfare involved families: the Kentucky Wraparound program and New Jersey's Keeping Families together program. She received her PhD from Boston College.
Judy Havlicek, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Judy Havlicek is an associate professor of social work at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. Her research aims to build knowledge of how to support systems to promote well-being of young people who age out of foster care. Over the past 16 years, she has completed studies in three main areas: risks and protections, foster care contexts, and participatory approaches. Prior to this, she worked as staff in congregate care facilities. Dr. Havlicek is currently a part of a multidisciplinary team that is exploring studies engaging the intersection of disability, services in child and adult-serving systems, and employment. She is particularly interested in supporting states to use research in partnership with individuals served in systems to inform policy and practice decision-making.
Nathanael J. Okpych, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Connecticut School of Social Work
Nathanael J. Okpych is an Associate Professor in the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work. He studies the transition to adulthood for youth with foster care backgrounds, focusing on factors, policies, and programs aimed at increasing postsecondary education access and success. Dr. Okpych’s research is informed by his professional experience providing mental health services to youth in residential, school, and community settings, as well as working for several years in college residence life. Dr. Okpych earned his PhD from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice at the University of Chicago. He also holds master's degrees in biostatistics and epidemiology (University of Chicago), social work (Rutgers University), and clinical psychology (Duquesne University). You can learn more about his work and watch 4-minute research briefs at www.nateokpych.com.
Megan Piel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Department of Social Work, University of Texas at San Antonio
Megan Piel, PhD, MSW, is an associate professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for youth and families involved in the child welfare system, with specific attention to youth transitioning to adulthood and postsecondary education, the impact of trauma and resilience, and innovative strategies to strengthen cross-system collaboration. Piel currently leads state and federally funded projects to improve educational outcomes, housing stability, and supportive relationships for young adults with experiences of foster care in Texas. Piel’s passion for research in this area developed as a result of professional experience in residential foster care, behavioral health, and schools in both direct practice and administrative roles.
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D., MSW
Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare, Florida State University
Dr. Lisa Schelbe is the Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare at the Florida State University College of Social Work. She also is a faculty affiliate at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare and serves on the board of the Society for Social Work and Research. Dr. Schelbe’s primary research interest focuses broadly on child welfare, child maltreatment prevention, and child well-being. Specifically, her research examines the experiences of young people “aging out” of foster care. She focuses on their postsecondary education and parenting experiences. Dr. Schelbe authored Some Type of Way: Aging Out of Foster Care, an ethnographic study following five young people aging out of foster care. She co-authored Foster Parent Collaboration: A Guidebook for Social Workers and Other Professionals, The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice, and The Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment. She earned her doctorate in social work from the University of Pittsburgh where she was a recipient of the Doris Duke Fellowship for Promotion of Child Well-being.