Amy N. Mendenhall, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor
Associate Dean for Research
amendenhall@ku.edu
Primary office:
785.864.4792
Twente Hall, 206
Dr. Amy Mendenhall is an associate professor and the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. She joined the KU faculty in 2009, and served as the Director for the School's Center for Children & Families from 2013-2016. Dr. Mendenhall received her MSW and PhD from the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Division of the Department of Psychiatry at the Ohio State University Medical Center. As a graduate assistant and post-doctoral fellow in the OSU Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Mendenhall completed approximately three years of post-MSW practice experience in the inpatient, outpatient, and research units. Her scholarship and research focus on child and adolescent well-being and mental health, specifically service utilization, mental health literacy, and the impact of trauma and mental illness on families. Past research and evaluation projects include studies of strengths case management for youth, the Attachment Bio-Behavioral Catch-up intervention, Mental Health First Aid, service utilization of children diagnosed with serious emotional disturbance, and rural patient centered health care. Dr. Mendenhall teaches BSW and MSW clinical courses including "Mental Health and Psychopathology" in the MSW Program and "Foundations of Social Work Practice" in the junior year of the BSW Program.
Teaching Interests
- Social work practice
- Mental health
Research
Dr. Mendenhall's scholarship and research focus on children's mental health, specifically service utilization, mental health literacy, and the impact of mental illness on children and their families.
Research Interests
- Children's mental health
- Mental health literacy
- Service utilization
Selected Publications
Schuetz, N., Mendenhall, A., & Grube, W. (2019). Strengths Model for Youth Case Management: Professionals’ Perceptions of Model Impact on Clients. [Journal Articles]. Social Work in Mental Health, 17(4), 426–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2018.1563024
Grube, W., & Mendenhall, A. (2016). Adolescent Mental Health Case Management: Consumer Perspectives [Journal Articles]. Families in Society, 97(2), 86–94.
Grube, W., & Mendenhall, A. N. (2016). Adolescent Mental Health Case Management: Provider Perspectives. [Journal Articles]. Social Work in Mental Health, 14, 583–605.
Mendenhall, A., & Grube, W. (2016). Developing a New Approach to Case Management in Youth Mental Health: Strengths Model for Youth Case Management. [Journal Articles]. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. . Published. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-016-0467-z
Lucksted, A., Mendenhall, A., Frauenholtz, S., & Aakre, J. (2015). Experiences of Graduates of the Mental Health First Aid-USA course. [Journal Articles]. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion. Published. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623730.2015.1013670
Frauenholtz, S., Williford, A., & Mendenhall, A. (2015). Assessing school employee’s abilities to respond to children’s mental health needs: implications for social work. [Journal Articles]. School Social Work Journal. Published.
Frauenholtz, S., & Mendenhall, A. N. (2014). Child and Adolescent Mental Health Disorders [Book Chapters]. In Encyclopedia of Social Work Online.
Mendenhall, A. N., Fontanella, C., Hiance, D., & Frauenholtz, S. (2014). Factors associated with treatment attrition for Medicaid-enrolled youth with serious emotional disturbances. [Journal Articles]. Children & Youth Services Review, 40, 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.02.011
Mendenhall, A. N., Frauenholtz, S., & Hiebner, A. (2014). Provider Perceptions of Mental Health Literacy among Youth. [Journal Articles]. Child and Family Social Work, 31(3), 281–293.
Mendenhall, A. N., Kapp, S., Rand, A., Robbins, M. L., & Stipp, K. F. (2013). Theory meets practice: The localization of wraparound services for youth with serious emotional disturbance [Journal Articles]. Community Mental Health Journal, 49(6), 793–804.
Mendenhall, A. N., & Jackson, S. (2013). Instructor Insights into Delivery of Mental Health First Aid USA: A Case Study of Mental Health Promotion across One State [Journal Articles]. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 15(5), 275–287.
Mendenhall, A. N., & Frauenholtz, S. (2013). Mental Health Literacy: Social Work’s Role in Improving Public Mental Health [Journal Articles]. Social Work, 58(4), 365–368.
Mendenhall, A. N., Iachini, A., & Anderson-Butcher, D. (2013). Exploring facilitators and barriers to implementation of an expanded school improvement model [Journal Articles]. Children & Schools, 35(4), 225–234.
Mendenhall, A., Jackson, S., & Hase, S. (2013). Mental Health First Aid USA in a Rural Community: Impact on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior [Journal Articles]. Social Work in Mental Health, 15(5), 275–287.
MacPherson, H., Algorta, G. P., Mendenhall, A. N., Fields, B., & Fristad, M. A. (2013). Predictors and moderators in the randomized trial of Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy for Childhood Mood Disorders. [Journal Articles]. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43(3), 459–472.
Mendenhall, A., & Frauenholtz, S. (2013). Predictors of Mental Health Literacy among Parents of Youth Diagnosed with Mood Disorders [Journal Articles]. Child and Family Social Work. Published.
Mendoza, N. S., Resko, S. M., De Luca, S., Mendenhall, A. N., & Early, T. J. (2013). Social workers and post-doctoral experience [Journal Articles]. Social Work Research. Published. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svt006
Mendenhall, A. N., & Frauenholtz, S. (2012). System of care development in children’s mental health: lessons learned from a process evaluation [Journal Articles]. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 23(1), 157–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9701-2
Mendenhall, A. N., Horwitz, S., Demeter, C., Fristad, M. A., & the LAMS Group. (2011). Mental health service use by children with serious emotional and behavioral disturbance: Results from the LAMS Study [Journal Articles]. Psychiatric Services, 62, 650–658.
Mendenhall, A. N., & Mount, K. (2011). Parents of youth with mental illness: A look at caregiver strain and caregiver-focused interventions [Journal Articles]. Families in Society, 92(2), 183–190.
Mendenhall, A. N. (2011). Predictors of service utilization among youth diagnosed with mood disorders [Journal Articles]. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21(4), 603–611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-011-9512-x
Mendenhall, A. N., Arnold, L. E., & Fristad, M. A. (2010). Parent counseling, psychoeducation, and parent support groups [Books, Chapters in Textbooks]. In M. K. Dulcan (Ed.), Textbook of child and adolescent psychiatry (pp. 825–844). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Mendenhall, A. N., & Fristad, M. A. (2010). Psychoeducational approaches to children with bipolar disorder [Book Chapters]. In D. J. Miklowitz & D. Cicchetti (Eds.), Bipolar disorder: A developmental psychopathology approach (pp. 494–521). Guilford Publications.
Mendenhall, A. N., Davidson, K. H., & Fristad, M. A. (2010). The service provider and medication usage grids: A new method to measure Treatment as Usual (TAU) [Journal Articles]. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 6, 423–434.
Mendenhall, A. N., Fristad, M. A., & Early, T. J. (2009). Factors influencing service utilization and mood symptom severity in children with mood disorders: Effects of Multi-family Psychoeducation Groups (MFPG) [Journal Articles]. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 77, 463–473.
Selected Presentations
Grube, W., & Mendenhall, A. (3/16/2016). The strengths model for youth: an innovative approach to case management. 29th Annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference. Tampa, FL
Selected Grants
Strengths Case Management for Youth
Title XIX - Children's Mental Health FY 2016. KS Dept for Aging and Disability Service, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. $133858.00. Submitted 8/26/2015 (9/1/2015 - 6/30/2016). Federal. Status: Funded
Rural Patient and Provider Perspectives on the Patient Centered Medical Home Model.. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. $224598.00. (2/1/2015 - 1/31/2016). Not-for-Profit (not Foundation). Status: Funded
