KU School of Social Welfare hosts Research Impact Talk Event Series


The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare’s Research Office will host a series of Research Impact Talks highlighting current School research and community practice in areas related to social work. These events will be held virtually to facilitate access for KU alumni and community stakeholders across the state. Participants will be able to receive 1.0 hour CEU for attending each event in full. These events are free and open to the public.  

The first event showcases current research project Kansas Serves Native American Families (KSNAF). KSNAF seeks to improve the wellbeing of Native American children impacted by parent and community substance use through culturally integrated implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based family skills training program. Their Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is offered by trained group leaders recruited from local tribal communities and a tribal university. Panel presenters will introduce the KSNAF initiative, share preliminary findings, and discuss practical challenges and strategies for collaborating with tribal partners to develop a culturally integrated program that aligns with Indigenous interests and culture. The event is September 15, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (on Zoom). Project Director Michelle Levy will lead a panel comprised of project members Maria Fairman, a descendant of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and KSNAF project coordinator; Missy Holder, a citizen of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and assistant professor at the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare; Sierra Two Bulls, a citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and adjunct faculty member at Haskell Indian Nations University; and Amy Mendenhall, professor and associate dean for research and faculty development at the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare. Participants who attend this talk will be able to identify challenges in building connections with tribal communities to develop and provide a program aligned with Indigenous interests, values and culture.

The other talks in this series are as follows:

Asset Poverty: What Is It & How Do We Eradicate It? With Dr. Deb Adams on November 17, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (on Zoom).

Innovating Trauma-Informed Approaches for Sexual Health Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence with Dr. Meredith Bagwell-Gray on February 16, 2022, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (on Zoom).

Home & Community-Based Services During COVID-19: Challenges, Triumphs & Implications with Dr. Carrie Wendel-Hummell on April 6, 2022, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (on Zoom).

To attend one of these events, register on the KU School of Social Welfare events page.