Becci A. Akin

Photo of Dr. Becci Akin
  • Professor
she/her/hers

Contact Info

785-864-2647
Twente Hall, Room 204

Personal Links

Biography —

Becci Akin is a Professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. Dr. Akin spent her early social work career in child welfare as a caseworker and policy advocate. She also worked in community-based agencies as a macro practitioner on a wide range of human service and community issues. Dr. Akin has taught at the BSW, MSW and PhD levels including courses in community practice, social work policy, research methods, and community-engaged program design and evaluation. She also collaborated with other faculty to develop a child welfare certificate program in the School.

Dr. Akin’s scholarship focuses on understanding the keys to successful implementation and effective and equitable interventions for families involved in child welfare. Her recent publications have examined barriers to permanency for families of children with serious mental health problems; youth and parent views on child welfare services; direct-service staff perceptions on implementation of evidence-based interventions in foster care; and rigorous evaluation of evidence-based interventions in child welfare. Dr. Akin has served as principal or co-principal investigator on 12 federally funded studies. Her current work includes partnering with colleagues to co-lead the evaluation of the national Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare, working on a statewide collaborative to address racial equity in the child welfare system, collaborating with a team of youth with lived experience and researchers on a digital storytelling project, and leading evaluations of statewide strategies that aim to improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. Dr. Akin has published over 50 works in peer-reviewed journals and books, and presented over 150 papers at national and international conferences and proceedings. She received her MSW and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Kansas.

Education —

Ph.D., University of Kansas

Research —

Research interests:

  • Equitable and Effective Child Welfare Practices and Policies
  • Foster Care
  • Adoption
  • Children's Mental Health
  • Parent Substance Abuse
  • Domestic Violence
  • Parent Mental Health
  • Implementation Research
  • Intervention Research
  • Translational Research
  • Community-Based Research
  • Evidence-Based Practice

Teaching —

Teaching interests:

  • Social Work Research
  • Social Work Program Design, Implementation, and Administration
  • Community Engaged Program Evaluation
  • Implementation Science
  • Organizational and Community Practice

Selected Publications —

Major (Refereed)      

* - Indicates student author

  1. Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., Vanchy, P., Byers, K., & Diaz, A. (in press). Evaluating the early implementation of a resilience intervention: Addressing secondary traumatic stress in child welfare workers. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance. doi:  10.1080/23303131.2024.2392821
  2. Clark, S. L., Miller, B., Akin, B. A., Barney, R. K., Grube, W., McArthur, V., Gulledge, E., & Mitchell, J. (in press). Examining Associations between Child Welfare Workforce Well-being and Utilization of Casework Skills with Children and Families. Child Abuse & Neglect. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106964
  3. Clark, S. L., Miller, B., Akin, B. A., Wright, K. C., Carr, K., Byers, K. & Hunt, M. K. (in press). Exploring the Relationships between Self-Care and Well-being Outcomes Among Child Welfare Professionals. Journal of Public Child Welfare.doi: 10.1080/15548732.2024.2306151  
  4. Liming, K. W., Grube, W., Sieger Lloyd, M., Brook, J., Berryhill, E., Akin, B. A., Mendenhall, A. (in press). Child Welfare Outcomes after Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Intervention Participation: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Child Maltreatment. doi: 10.1177/10775595241265968  
  5. Wright, K., Carr, K., & Akin, B. A. (in press). Reconciling the Past and Shaping the Future: The Importance of Social Work History in the Grand Challenge to Eliminate Racism. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, Special Issue on The Future of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities. doi: 10.1080/15313204.2024.2374803
  1. *Banda, L., Carlson, J. M., *Diaz, A., Akin, B. A., Davis, L., Rose, J., & Yellowhammer, T. (2024). Barriers to services at the intersection of child maltreatment and domestic violence: A multi-perspective analysis of parents with lived experience and professionals. Journal of Family Violence, 39(3), 509-521. doi: 10.1007/s10896-022-00457-8 [open access]
  2. Brown, A. R., Byers, K., Vanchy, P. K., Alford, D., *Diaz, A., Akin, B. A., & Cizek, M. (2024). Preventive Legal Services for Kinship Care: Reducing the Need for Foster Care with Family First. Families in Society, 105(1) 37-56. doi: 10.1177/10443894231201744
  3. Dunkerley, S., Brown, A. R., Akin, B. A. & McArthur, V. (2024). Honoring Family: Using Parent Partner Expertise to Strengthen a Child Welfare Coaching Program. Children & Youth Services Review, 159. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107523
  4. Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., McCall, S., Byers, K., & *Gomez, M. (2023). “Shown love from the brokenness of a system”: Themes from a Poetic Inquiry Reimagining Child Welfare. British Journal of Social Work. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad239 [open access]
  5. Byers, K., Barton, J., Grube, W., *Wesley, J., Akin, B. A., Hermesch, E., Felzke, E., Roosevelt, R. (2023). “I ran to make a point”: Predicting and preventing youth absences from foster care. Child and Adolescent Social Work. doi: 10.1007/s10560-023-00930-3 [open access]
  6. Clark, S., Akin, B. A., McCall, S., Paceley, M., Byers, K., & *Gomez, M. (2023). “Youth are not something to check off your to do list”: Poetic Inquiry into the Symbols Youth, Parents, and Professionals Use to Reimagine Supports for Youth in Foster Care. Child & Family Social Work, 28(3), 589-599. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12986
  7. Dunkerley, S., Palmer, A., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2023). The helping relationship in the foster care context: Perspectives from parent-caseworker dyads. Journal of Family Social Work. doi: 10.1080/10522158.2023.2194937
  8. *Wright, K. C., McCall, S., *Clark, S. L., Byers, K., Akin, B. A. (2023). Revolutionizing Child Welfare through an Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Racist Research Framework: Guidelines from Applying Institutional Analysis to Racial Disparities. APSAC Advisor, Special Issue on Confronting Systemic Racism and Bias in Child Welfare, 35(1), 9-31. http://apsaclibrary.org/publications_all.php?dir=2023%20Number%201# [open access]
  9. Barton, J. L. & Akin, B. A. (2022). Implementation drivers as practical measures of data‑driven decision‑making: An initial validation study in early childhood programs. Global Implementation Research and Application. doi: 0.1007/s43477-022-00044-5 [open access]
  10. Kim, J. S., Brook, J., Liming, K. W., Park, I. Y., Akin, B. A., & Franklin, C. (2022). Randomized controlled trial study examining positive emotions and hope in solution-focused brief therapy with substance using parents involved in child welfare system. International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 33(3), 129-149. doi: 10.1080/2692398X.2022.2045160
  11. *Wright, K., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., McCall, S. E., Alford, D., Parker, A., *Clark, S. L., Shaw-Woody, N., Kline, M., Brown, N., Hill, E., Davis-Myers, S., Parham, W., Rush, R. (2022). Using Institutional Analysis to examine the systemic sources of racial disproportionality and disparity: A Case Example. Child Welfare, 100(2), 99-136.
  1. Akin, B. A., Collins-Camargo, C., Strolin-Goltzman, J., Antle, B., Palmer, A., Verbist, N., & Krompf, A. (2021). Screening for trauma and behavioral health needs in child welfare: Practice implications for promoting placement stability. Child Abuse & Neglect, 122. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105323 [open access]

  1. Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S., Brook, J., & Bruns, K. (2021). Driving organization and systems change toward trauma-responsive services in child welfare: Supervisor and administrator perspectives on initial implementation. Journal of Public Child Welfare. doi: 10.1080/15548732.2019.1652720
  1. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & Bruns, K. (2021). Child welfare caseworker and trainer perspectives on initial implementation of a trauma-informed practice approach. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(4), 1082-1096. doi: 10.1007/s10826-021-01935-1
  1. Kim, J., Brook, J. & Akin, B., & Franklin, C. (2021). Randomized controlled trial study of solution-focused brief therapy for substance use disorder affected parents involved in the child welfare system. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 12(1), 545-568. doi: 10.1086/715892
  2. Liming, K. W., Akin, B., & Brook, J. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences and foster care placement stability. Pediatrics, 148(6). doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052700 [open access]
  1. Liming, K., Brook, J. & Akin, B. A. (2021). Cumulative adverse childhood experiences among children in foster care and the association with reunification: A survival analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 113, doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104899
  2. *Wright, K., *Carr, K., & Akin, B. A. (2021). The whitewashing of social work history: How dismantling racism in social work education begins with a more culturally equitable history of the profession. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 274-297. doi: 10.18060/23946 [open access]
  3. *Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., & *Wright, K. (2020). A future of strength: The strength perspective and developing social workers. In Mendenhall, A. & Carney, M. (Eds.) Rooted in Strengths. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas School of Social Welfare (Refereed). [open access]

  1. *Clark, S. L, Palmer, A. N., Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S. (2020). Investigating the relationship between trauma symptoms and placement instability for children in foster care. Child Abuse & Neglect. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104660

  1. Akin, B. A., Lang, K., McDonald, T., Yan, Y., & Little, T. (2019). Randomized trial of PMTO in foster care: Six-month child well-being outcomes. Research on Social Work Practice, 29(2), 206-222. doi:10.1177/1049731516669822 
  1. Akin, B. A., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Kepple, N., & *Clark, S. L. (2019). Intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Oxford Bibliographies in Social Work. doi: 10.1093/OBO/9780195389678-0274 (Refereed)

  1. Brook, J. & Akin, B. A. (2019). Using theory of change as a framework for examining community context and philanthropic impact. Evaluation and Program Planning, 77, doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101708

  1. Collins-Camargo, C., Strolin-Goltzman, J., & Akin, B. A. (2019). Use of Technology to Facilitate Practice Improvement in Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Systems. Child Welfare. 
  1. Kim, J., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2019). Solution-focused brief therapy to improve child well-being and family functioning outcomes with substance using parents in the child welfare system. Developmental Child Welfare 1(2), 124-142. doi: 10.1177/2516103219829479
  2. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Paceley, M., & Davis, S. (2018). Engaging substance-affected families in child welfare: Parent perspectives of a parenting intervention at program initiation and completion. Journal of Family Social Work, 21(4-5), 313-330. doi: 10.1080/10522158.2018.1469562
  1. Akin, B. A., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Davis, S., Paceley, M., & Brook, J. (2018). Parent perspectives of engagement in the Strengthening Families Program: An evidence-based intervention for families in child welfare and affected by parental substance use. Child & Family Social Work 23(4), 735-742. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12470
  1. Akin, B. A., Lang, K., Yan, Y. & McDonald, T. (2018). Randomized trial of PMTO in foster care: 12-month child well-being, parenting, and caregiver functioning outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 95, 49-63. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.10.018
  1. Akin, B.A. & McDonald, T. (2018). Parenting intervention effects on reunification: A randomized trial of PMTO in foster care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 83, 94-105. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.011
  1. Chasnoff, I. J., Barber, G., Brook, J., & Akin,B. A. (2018). The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act: Knowledge of health care and legal professionals. Child Welfare, 96 (3), 41-58.
  2. Lloyd, M. H., Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & Chasnoff (2018). Factors associated with practitioner knowledge of CAPTA 2010 mandates for identifying and intervening in cases of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure: The policy to practice gap. Families In Society, 99(3), 232-243. doi: 10.1177/1044389418785326
  3. Akin, B. A., Strolin-Goltzman, J., & Collins-Camargo, C. (2017). Successes and challenges in developing trauma-informed child welfare systems: A real-world case study of exploration and initial implementation. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 42-52. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.09.007
  1. Akin, B. A., Lang, K., McDonald, T., Yan, Y., & Little, T. (2018). Randomized study of PMTO in foster care: Six-month parent outcomes. Research on Social Work Practice, 28(7), 810-826. doi:10.1177/1049731517703746 
  2. Kim, J., Brook, J., & Akin, B. A. (2018). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with substance using individuals: A randomized controlled trial study. Research on Social Work Practice, 28(4), 452-462. doi:10.1177/1049731516650517
  3. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & Lloyd, M., & McDonald, T. (2017). Effect of a parenting intervention on foster care re-entry after reunification among substance-affected families: A quasi-experimental study. Child Maltreatment, 22(3), 194-204. doi:10.1177/1077559517702743
  1. Akin, B. A., Yan, Y., McDonald, T. & *Moon, J. (2017). Changes in effective parenting during PMTO with parents of children in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 76, 181-191. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.03.010
  2. Akin, B. A., Domenech Rodriguez, M. M., *Yan, Y., DeGarmo, D. S., McDonald, T., & Forgatch, M. S. (2017). Clinician's observations of family interactions in the reunification process: The Parent Child Checklist. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26 (1), 137-147. doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0556-9   
  3. Akin, B. A., & *Gomi, S. (2017). Non-completion of evidence-based parent training: An empirical examination among families of children in foster care. Journal of Social Service Research, 43(1), 52-68. doi:10.1080/01488376.2016.1226229
  4. *Lloyd, M. H., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2017). Parental drug use and permanency for young children in foster care: A competing risks analysis of reunification, guardianship, and adoption. Children and Youth Services Review, 77, 177-187. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.04.016
  5. McDonald, T., *Bhattarai, J., & Akin, B. A. (2017). Predictors of consent to a randomized study of an evidence-based parenting intervention in foster care. Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work, 14(4), 243-265. doi: 10.1080/23761407.2017.1319774
  6. Akin, B. A. (2016). Practitioner views on the core functions of coaching in the implementation of an evidence-based intervention in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review, 68, 159-168. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.07.010
  7. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., Byers, K., & *Lloyd, M. (2016). Worker perspectives from the front line: Implementation of an evidence-based intervention in child welfare. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(3), 870-882. doi:10.1007/s10826-015-0283-7 
  8. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., *Lloyd, M., *Bhattarai, J., Johnson-Motoyama, M., & *Moses, M. (2016). A study in contrasts: Supports and barriers to successful implementation of two evidence-based parenting interventions in child welfare. Child Abuse & Neglect, 57, 30-40. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.06.002 
  9. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., *Lloyd, M., *Bhattarai, J., & McDonald, T. (2016). The use of prospective versus retrospective pretests with child-welfare involved families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(9), 2740-2752. doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0446-1   
  10. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., *Lloyd, M., Johnson-Motoyama, M., & *Yan, Y. (2016). Family drug courts as comprehensive service models: Cost considerations. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 67(3), 23-43. doi:10.1111/jfcj.12060    
  11. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & *Lloyd, M. (2015). Co-occurrence of parental substance abuse and child serious emotional disturbance: Understanding multiple pathways to improved child and family outcomes. Child Welfare, 94(4), 71-96. 
  12. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & *Lloyd, M. (2015). Examining the role of methamphetamine in permanency: A competing risks analysis of reunification, guardianship and adoption. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(2), 119-130. doi:10.1037/ort0000052 
  13. Akin, B. A., *Byers, K., *Lloyd, M., & McDonald, T. (2015). Joining formative evaluation with translational science to assess an EBI in foster care: Examining social-emotional well-being and placement stability. Children and Youth Services Review, 58, 253-264. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.10.005 
  14. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., *Lloyd, M., & *Yan, Y. (2015). Family drug court, targeted parent training and family reunification: Did this enhanced service strategy make a difference? Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 66(2), 35-52. doi:10.1111/jfcj.12028 
  15. Bryson, S., & Akin, B. A. (2015). Predictors of admission to inpatient psychiatric care among children enrolled in Medicaid. Journal of Administration and Policy in Mental Health,42(2), 197-208. doi:10.1007/s10488-014-0560-6 
  16. Mariscal, S., Akin, B. A., Lieberman, A., & *Washington, D. (2015). Exploring the path from foster care to stable and lasting adoption: Perceptions of foster care alumni. Children and Youth Services Review, 55, 111-120. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.05.017 
  17. Akin, B. A., *Mariscal, S., Bass, L., *Bhattarai, J., McArthur, V., & Bruns, K. (2014). Implementation of an evidence-based intervention to reduce long-term foster care: Practitioner perceptions of key challenges and supports. Children and Youth Services Review, 46, 285-293. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.09.006 
  18. Akin, B. A., McDonald, T., Testa, M., Melz, H., Blase, K., & Barclay, A. (2014). Formative evaluation of an evidence-based intervention to reduce long-term foster care: Assessing readiness for rigorous impact evaluation. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 8(4), 354-374. doi:10.1080/15548732.2014.939250 
  19. Bryson, S., Akin, B. A., Blase, K., & McDonald, T. (2014). Selecting an evidence-based intervention for families of children with severe emotional disturbances. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 11(1-2), 208-221. doi:10.1080/15433714.2013.850325 
  20. *Lloyd, M., & Akin, B. A. (2014). The disparate impact of alcohol, methamphetamine, and other drugs on family reunification. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, 72-81. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.05.013 
  21. Akin, B. A., Bryson, S., Testa, M., Blase, K., McDonald, T., & Melz, H. (2013). Usability testing, initial implementation and formative evaluation of an evidence-based intervention: Lessons from a demonstration project to reduce long-term foster care. Evaluation and Program Planning, 41, 19-30. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.06.003 
  22. Akin, B. A., Bryson, S. A., McDonald, T. P., & Walker, S. (2012). Defining a target population at high-risk of long-term foster care: Barriers to permanency for families of children with severe emotional disturbances. Child Welfare, 91(6), 79-101. 
  23. Akin, B. A. (2011). Predictors of foster care exits to permanency: A competing risks analysis of reunification, guardianship, and adoption. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(6), 999-1011. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.008 
  24. Akin, B. A., McDonald, T., & *Tullis, L. (2010). An inventory of risk assessment in child protection: Instrument usage and key features. Protecting Children, 25(3), 35-51. 
  25. Akin, B. A., & Gregoire, T. (1997). The voice of experience: Perspectives of parents on the child welfare response to addiction. Families in Society, 78(4), 393-404. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.797 

 

Selected Presentations —

Scholarly Presentations

Major

* - Indicates student author

  1. Miller, B. J., Grube, W., Gulledge, E., Clark, S. L., McArthur, V. & Akin, B. A. (2024, April 3-6). Organizational Compassion Climate and Worker Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction. Southern Sociological Society 2024 Annual Meeting: Disrupting Binaries, New Orleans, LA. (Refereed).
  2. Barton, J. & Akin, B. A. (2024, January 13). Combining Practice Wisdom and Implementation Drivers to Develop a Measure of Data-Driven Decision Making. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  3. Barton, J., Naemi Jimenez, P., Byers, K., Nasrazadani, A., Akin, B. A., & *Carr, K. (2024, January 13). Evidence for Internal Structure of Established Parenting Measures with a Diverse Population of Fathers Involved in Child Welfare. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  4. Clark, S. L., Vanchy, P., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., & McArthur, V. (2024, January 14). A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Acceptability and Adoption of Mindfulness Practices Among Child Welfare Professionals. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  5. Carlson, J., White Starr, R., Kepple, N. J., & Akin, B. A. (2024, January 11). Centering Domestic Violence Survivors’ Experience of Child Welfare as Knowledge: A Case for Abolition. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  6. Kepple, N. J., Ball, T., Carlson, J., Akin, B. A., Bagwell-Gray, M., & Holmes, C. (2024, January 13). Collaboratively Developing and Validating Measures to Reflect Intervention Innovations When Exploring Provider Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practice Behaviors. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  7. Miller, B., Brown, A. R., Naemi Jimenez, P., Byers, K., Barton, J., & Akin, B. A. (2024, January 11). Initial Placement in Kinship Foster Homes and Exits to Permanency. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  8. Miller, B., Grube, W., Gulledge, E., Clark, S. L., Byers, K., McArthur, V. B., Akin, B. A. (2024, January 14). Organizational Compassion Climate and Worker Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  9. Naemi Jimenez, P., Barton, J., Akin, B. A., Brown, Amanda, & Byers, K. (2024, January 13). Intentional Community and Researcher Partnerships: Co-Creating Measures with Community Partners to Assess Parents' Experiences of Child Welfare Casework and Court/Legal Practice. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  10. Naemi Jimenez, P., Carr, K., Ridley, M., Hicks, C., Akin, B. A., McCall, S., Wright, K., Dupree, S., Turner, B., & Fry, A. (2024, January 13). Child Welfare, Racial Equity, and Vision Boards: Democratizing Knowledge with Arts-Based Methods. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  11. *Young, K., Kepple, N. J., & Akin, B. A. (2024, January 12).Does Age Matter for Reentry after Reunification? a Ten-Year Longitudinal Exploration from an RCT on PMTO for Families of Children in Foster Care. 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  12. Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., *Carr, K., & Wright, K. C. (2023, October 28). A Pedagogy of Strength: Reimagining the Strengths Perspective in Social Work Education. Council on Social Work Education 69th Annual Program Meeting: It’s Time to Act: Defining and Reckoning with Anti-racist Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA. (Refereed).
  13. Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., & McCall, S. (2023, October 28). Wisdom from the Child Welfare Workforce: Imagining Improved Supports for Youth in Care. Council on Social Work Education 69th Annual Program Meeting: It’s Time to Act: Defining and Reckoning with Anti-racist Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA. (Refereed).
  14. *Carr, K., Wright, K. C., Clark, S. L., & Akin, B. A. (2023, October 27). Ungrading as a Strategy to Promote Learning and Growth in Social Work Education. Council on Social Work Education 69th Annual Program Meeting: It’s Time to Act: Defining and Reckoning with Anti-racist Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA. (Refereed).
  15. Wright, K. C., Akin, B. A., *Carr, K., & Clark, S. L. (2023, October 27). Social Work Education and its Role in Dismantling Racism: Reforming the Whitewashed Narratives. Council on Social Work Education 69th Annual Program Meeting: It’s Time to Act: Defining and Reckoning with Anti-racist Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA. (Refereed).
  16. Dupree, S., *Carr, K., Akin, B. A., Turner, B., Fry, A., Naemi Jimenez, P., & McCall, S. (2023, October 10). Leveraging Cross-sector Partnerships and Transforming Child Welfare System through an Equity Lens. 59th National Welfare Research and Statistics Workshop, Salt Lake City, UT. (Refereed).
  17. Dupree, S., Fry, A., Naemi Jimenez, P., Turner, B., *Carr, K., Akin, B. A., & McCall, S. (2023, October 2). An Interactive Discussion on Personal & Professional Values Involving Racism, Poverty, and Neglect in Child Welfare.Kempe Center 2023 International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare, Denver, CO (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  18. *Wright, K. C., *Carr, K., & Akin, B. A. (2023, March 21). The Whitewashing of Social Work History: How Dismantling Racism in Social Work Education Begins with an Equitable History of the Profession. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. (Invited).
  19. Akin, B. A., *Wright, K. C., Clark, S. L., Byers, K., McCall, S. (2023, January 15). Researching and Revolutionizing Child Welfare: Guidelines for an Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Racist Research Framework. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  20. Grube, W., Wesley, J., Byers. K., Barton, J., Akin, B. A. (2023, January 15). "I Had Most of the Stuff I Needed Except a Decent Foster Home": Predictors of Youth Absences from Foster Care. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  21. Naemi-Jimenez, P., *Wright, K. C., Akin, B. A., McCall, S., Dupree, M., Turner, B., Smith, A., Fry, A. (2023, January 15). "What Are You Willing to Risk for Racial Equity?" Implications of Racial Equity Workshops to Better Serve Families in Child Welfare. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  22. Vanchy, P., Alford, D., *Diaz, A., Brown, A., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., Toplikar, J. (2023, January 15). Raising Family Perspectives: Assessing Needs and Barriers to Accessing Services for Primary Prevention. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  23. *Young, K., Akin, B. A., Clark, S. L., McArthur, V., Brown, A. (2023, January 15). Exploring Positive Indicators of Well-Being Among Child Welfare Direct Service Workers and Supervisors. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  24. Byers, K., Barton, J., Brown, A., Alford, D., Vanchy Kadavasal, P., *Diaz, A., Akin, B. A. (2023, January 14). Roundtable: Integrating Family First: Early Implementation, Outcomes, and Lessons Learned from Moving Child Welfare Upstream. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  25. Clark, S. L., Vanchy, P., *Diaz, A., *Young, K., McArthur, V., Byers, K., Akin, B. A. (2023, January 14). Exploring the Early Implementation of a Resilience Intervention in a Child Welfare Setting. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  26. Akin, B. A., Clark, S. L., Byers, K., McArthur, V., Brown, A. (2023, January 13). Investigating Predictors of Resilience Intervention Dosage and Completion Among Child Welfare Direct Service Workers.  27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  27. Clark, S. L., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., McArthur, V., Brown, A. (2023, January 13). Investigating Findings from a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial Exploring Initial Well-Being Outcomes from Resilience and Loving-Kindness Meditation Interventions Implemented with Child Welfare Workers. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  28. *Wright, K.C., Akin, B. A., Dupree, M., Turner, B., Fry, A. (2023, January 13). Anti-Racist Research Implementation - a Review of a Multisystem Collaborative Approach Towards Addressing Institutional Harm in Systems. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  29. Barton, J., Byers, K., Naemi-Jimenez, P., *Carr, K., Akin, B. A. (2023, January 12). Initial Implementation of a Community-Based Fatherhood Program: Perspectives from the Field. 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Phoenix. (Refereed).
  30. Barton, J., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., & Alford, D. (2022, November 12). Conditions for Change in Child Welfare: How Collective Impact Frameworks Inform Family First Implementations. Council on Social Work Education 68th Annual Program Meeting: Leading Critical Conversations: Human Rights Are Global Rights, Anaheim, CA. (Refereed).
  31. Grube, W., Mendenhall, A., Akin, B. A., Kepple, N., *Ridley, M., & Riquino, M. (2022, November 11). Equitable Child and Family Assessments: The Role of Social Work Education. Council on Social Work Education 68th Annual Program Meeting: Leading Critical Conversations: Human Rights Are Global Rights, Anaheim, CA. (Refereed).  
  32. *Wright, K., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., Clark, S., *Carr, K., & McCall, S. (2022, November 11). Shaping Anti-Oppressive Frameworks and Detailing the Creation of an Anti-Racist Research Model. Council on Social Work Education 68th Annual Program Meeting: Leading Critical Conversations: Human Rights Are Global Rights, Anaheim, CA. (Refereed).
  33.  Clark, S., McCall, S., Akin, B. A., & Byers, K. (2022, October 5). Putting the Art in the Heart of Child Welfare: Reimagining Foster Care with Creative Research Methods. 2022 Kempe Center International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare, Denver, CO (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  34. Barton, J., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., Hermesch, E., & Felzke, E. (2022, October 4). "I ran to make a point, and they didn’t listen to me.”: Youth Absences from Foster Care. 2022 Kempe Center International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare, Denver, CO (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  35. *Diaz, A., Vanchy, P., Cizek, M., Toplikar, J., Akin, B. A., & Byers, K. (2022, October 6). Prevention to Permanency: Strengthening the Continuum of Care Via Cross-Sector Community Engagement. 2022 Kempe Center International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare, Denver, CO (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  36. Akin, B. A., Dupree, S., McCall, S., Naemi-Jimenez, P., Fry, A., Smith, A., Turner, B., & *Wright, K. (2022, October 6). Collaborating in Courageous Conversations to Transform Child Welfare toward Racial Equity. 2022 Kempe Center International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare, Denver, CO (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  37. Dupree, S., Fry, A., & Akin, B. A. (2022, August 22) Courageous Conversations: Launching a Learning Series on Racial Disparities in Child Welfare. National Association of Counsel for Children, 45th National Child Welfare Law Conference: Bridging Theory to Practice: Learning & Unlearning to Drive Effective Advocacy, Baltimore, MD (Refereed).
  38. Schiele, J., Akin, B., A., Ali, S., Gil, K., & Sousa, C. (2022, May 24). Keynote Panel Discussion: Innovations in Implementing Anti-racist and Inclusive Practices in Doctoral Education. Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) Annual Conference: Societal Shifts and the Changing Landscape of Doctoral Education: Research, Pedagogy, and Public Impact,University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (Virtual Conference) (Invited).
  39. *Clark, S. L. & Akin, B. A. (2022, April 3-5). There is No Such Thing as an Independent Scholar: Autoethnographic Reflections of a Doctoral Candidate’s and Chair’s Experiences in Doctoral Education. ResilienceCon 2022, Nashville, Tennessee (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  40. Akin, B. A. (2022, March 4). Implementation Science in Social Work. Presentation to faculty and students of the Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Invited).
  41. *Wright, K. C., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., McCall, S., E., Alford, D. & *Carr, K. (2022, January). Discrimination, disproportionality, and disparity: Black families’ experiences of structural and systemic bias in child welfare. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  42. *Clark, S. L., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., Dunkerley, S., *Wright, K. C., McArthur, V., & *Carr, K. (2022, January). Organizational Responses to Child Welfare Professionals: Do they Predict Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction and Self-Care among Front Line Workers and Supervisors? 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  43. Clark, S. L., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., Dunkerley, S., *Wright, K. C., & McArthur, V. (2022, January). Investigating the Relationship between Child Welfare Professionals’ Well-Being and Application of Casework Skills in Practice. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  44. Dunkerley, S., McArthur, V., Akin, B. A., & Brown, A. (2022, January). Honoring Family: Engaging Parent Partners in Strengthening a Child Welfare Coaching Program. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  45. Brown, A., Alford, D., Byers, K., & Akin, B. A. (2022, January). The Adoption Tracking Tool: Creating Structures to Improve Cross-Sector Collaboration. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  46. Brown, A., Naemi Jimenez, P., Byers, K., & Akin, B. A. (2022, January). Parent Experiences with the Child Welfare System: Validation of Surveys Assessing Interactions with Caseworkers and the Court System. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  47. Naemi Jimenez, P., Brown, A., Byers, K., & Akin, B. A. (2022, January). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Brief Version of the Secondary Traumatic Stress-Informed Organization Assessment (STSI_OA). 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  48. Akin, B. A., *Clark, S. L., Byers, K., McCall, S., *Gomez, H., & Paceley, M. (2022, January). “That’s nothing if we never let you say how it feels to be already drenched:” Identifying key themes for supporting youth in foster care through poetic inquiry. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  49. Paceley, M., Akin, B. A., *Clark, S. L., Byers, K., & McCall, S. (2022, January). “Youth are not something to check off your to do list”: Poetic inquiry into the symbols youth and other stakeholders use to reimagine supports for youth in foster care. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  50. McArthur, V., Hanna, A., Eibes, M., Dunkerley, S., Akin, B.A., & Byers, K. (2022, January). Adapting and Installing a Coaching Program for Child Welfare Supervisors: Lessons Learned from Initial Implementation. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  51. Barton, J., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., & Alford, D. (2022, January). Key Conditions for Change in Child Welfare: Applying a Collective Impact Framework to Inform Family First Prevention Services Implementations. 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Social Work Science for Racial, Social, and Political Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  52. Akin, B. A., Byers, K., *Clark, S. L., Dunkerley, S., *Wright, K. C., & McCall, S. (2021, November 7). Child Welfare Professionals’ Orientation Toward Child Saving Versus Family Focus. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  53. Kepple, N. J., Bagwell-Gray, M., Mendenhall, A., *Sattler, P., Akin, B. A., *Jeong, M., *Carr, K., Paceley, M., Jen, S. (2021, November 6). Revisioning Doctoral Education to Center Racial Justice and a Critical Perspective. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  54. McArthur, V., Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., Atkins, T., Crain, E., Eibes, M., Hanna, A., Hinkle, C., & Santiago-Mason, N. (2021, November 6). Lessons Learned: Initial Implementation of a Skills-based Coaching Program in Child Welfare. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  55. *Wright, K. C., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., & McCall, S. (2021, November 6). Courts, Communities, and Accountability: Executing Genuine Community-based Research. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  56. Brown, A., Alford, D., Akin, B. A., & Byers, K. (2021, November 5). Differences in Local Court Procedures Impact Implementation of a Cross-Sector Communication Tool. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  57. *Clark, S. L., McCall, S., Akin, B. A., Byers, K., Brown, A., Alford, D., Toplikar, J. & *Wright, K. C. (2021, November 5). “Pause, Listen, Act”: Reimagining Supports and Systems Impacting Youth in Foster Care. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  58. Dunkerley, S., McArthur, V., Akin, B. A., Brown, A. (2021, November 5). Honoring Family: Engaging Parent Partners in Strengthening a Child Welfare Coaching Program. Council on Social Work Education 67th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic & Environmental Justice, Orlando, Florida. (Refereed).
  59. Liming, K., Brook, J., & Akin, B. A. (2021, October 4-7). Considerations for Achieving Child Well-being: Examining Adverse Childhood Experiences among Children in Foster Care. 2021 Kempe International Virtual Conference: A Global Call to Action to Change Child Welfare. (Refereed).
  60. Akin, B. A. (principal author), Byers, K., Dennis Alford, *Amanda Brown, *Shelby Clark, Stacy Dunkerley, Vickie McArthur, Sarah McCall, Pegah Naemi Jimenez, Julie Toplikar, & *Kelechi Wright. (2021, July 27-29). A Multi-Level, Collaborative Approach to Strengthening a Child Welfare System. 22nd Annual Conference, National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Thriving Children & Families: Prevention with Purpose. Washington, DC (Virtual Conference) (Invited).
  61. Akin, B. A., Byers, K., *Dunkerley, S., *Clark, S. L., *Wright, K., McArthur, V., Alford, D. (2021, May 3-6). Collaborative Teaming and Planning to Support the Selection of Innovations and Implementation Strategies. Global Implementation Conference 2021, Addressing Equity in Implementation: Building Research, Practice, and Policy Across the Globe, Denver, Colorado (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  62. *Banda, L., Akin, B. A., *Diaz, A., Carlson, J., Holmes, C., & Kepple, N. (2021, May 3-6). Iterative Development of a Fidelity Assessment to the Balance Needs of Multi-system Human Services Settings. Global Implementation Conference 2021, Addressing Equity in Implementation: Building Research, Practice, and Policy Across the Globe, Denver, Colorado (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  63. Carlson, J., Akin, B. A., Holmes, C., *Banda, L., *Diaz, A., & Kepple, N. (2021, May 3-6). Working with Implementation Teams to Promote Gender and Racial Equity: Actionable Insights from a Multi-Systems Change Demonstration Project. (2021, May 3-6). Global Implementation Conference 2021, Addressing Equity in Implementation: Building Research, Practice, and Policy Across the Globe, Denver, Colorado (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  64. *Diaz, A., Kepple, N., Holmes, C., *Banda, L., Carlson, J., & Akin, B. A. (2021, May 3-6).  Implementation Teams’ Perceptions of Collaboration with a Racial Equity Lens: Results from Diverse Stakeholders Applied to Improvement in Implementation Stages. Global Implementation Conference 2021, Addressing Equity in Implementation: Building Research, Practice, and Policy Across the Globe, Denver, Colorado (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  65. *Wright, K., McCall, S., Akin, B. A. (2021, May 3-6). Pursuing Equity and Justice in Implementation: Learning from the Collective Process of Addressing Racial Disparities in Child Welfare. Global Implementation Conference 2021, Addressing Equity in Implementation: Building Research, Practice, and Policy Across the Globe, Denver, Colorado (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  66. *Clark, S. L, McCall, S., Akin, B. A., Piepmeier, S., Long, L., Reichart, M., Byers, K. (2021, April 11). When Abstract Meets Concrete: Using Art to Shape Child Welfare Practice and Policy. ResilienceCon 2020, Nashville, Tennessee (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).  
  67. *Clark, S. L., McCall, S., Akin, B.A., *Gomez, M., Byers, K. (2021, April 11-13). Amplified: A Poetic Inquiry of Voices in Child Welfare. ResilienceCon 2020, Nashville, Tennessee  (Virtual Conference) (Refereed). Awarded Best Poster of the ResilienceCon 2021 conference.
  1. Carlson, J. & Akin, B. A. (2021, March 5). What’s Your Data? Oral presentation at the Virtual Conference of the Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare, All of Us, Every Family, (Virtual Conference) (Invited).
  2. White Starr, R., Mota, W., Carlson, J. & Akin, B. A. (2021, March 3). Advancing Equity. Oral presentation at the Virtual Conference of the Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare, All of Us, Every Family, (Virtual Conference) (Invited).
  3. Akin, B. A. (2021, January 21). Stable Reunification: Long-term Follow-up on a Randomized Study of a Parenting Intervention for Families of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  4. *Liming, K., Brook, J., & Akin, B. A. (2021, January 21). Influence of Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences on Reunification for Children in Foster Care. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  5. *Wright, K., Akin, B. A., McCall, S., & Weber, K. (2021, January 21). Pursuing Justice with Collaborative Institutional Research: Examining the Collective Process of Addressing Racial Disparity in Child Welfare Research. Roundtable at the 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  6. Carlson, J., Akin, B. A., Kepple, N., & *Banda, L. (2021, January 22). Team Work Makes the Dream Work: Implementing Blameless Retrospective Practice in Research Teams. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  7. *Liming, K., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2021, January 22). The Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Placement Setting Type and Placement Stability for Children in out-of-Home Placement. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  8. *Wright, K., Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S., Byers, K., *Clark, S. & McCall, S. (2021, January 22). Parents' and Professionals' Perceptions of the Court and Legal System. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  9. Byers, K. & Akin, B. A. (2021, January). Geographic Barriers to Achieving Timely Permanency: A Survival Analysis. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  10. *Dunkerley, S., Palmer, A., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2021, January). Parent and Worker Perspectives on the Helping Relationship. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  11. *Clark, S., Byers, K., Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S., *Wright, K. & McCall, S. (2021, January). Child Safety and Family Preservation: Investigating the Relationships between Tenure, Type of Employment, and Values Influencing Decision Making Among Child Welfare Professionals. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  12. *Dunkerley, S. & Akin, B. A. (2021, January). Engaging Foster Care-Involved Parents: An Exploratory Study on Parent Engagement and Placement Stability. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  13. *Banda, L., Akin, B. A., Carlson, J., Holmes, C. & *Diaz, A. (2021, January). Early Testing Mechanisms for Assessment of Initial Implementation Outcomes on Adult & Child Survivor-Centered Approach. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  14. *Diaz, A., Holmes, C., Kepple, N., Carlson, J. & Akin, B. A. (2021, January). Assessing Perceptions of Collaboration Among Diverse Stakeholders in Implementation Teams: Preliminary Results from a Project-Developed Collaboration Survey. 25th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Social Work Science for Social Change. (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  15. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., *Clark, S. L. & *Wright, K. (2020, November 20). Foster Care-Involved Parents’ Views on Court and Legal Practices. Council on Social Work Education 66th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  16. *Clark, S. L., McCall, S., Akin, B. A. (2020, November 19). Lessons Learned from Facilitating Youth Directed, Participatory Action Research in a State-Wide Study of Child Welfare Services. Council on Social Work Education 66th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  17. *Dunkerley, S., Palmer, A., Akin, B. A. & Brook, J. (2020, November 17). Parent and Worker Perspectives on the Helping Relationship in Foster Care. Council on Social Work Education 66th Annual Program Meeting, Leading Critical Conversations: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, (Virtual Conference) (Refereed).
  18. *Wright, K., *Carr, K., & Akin, B. A. (2020, November 13). Social Work’s Racialized Foundations: Recreating a more Equitable History of the Field. 2020 Racial Justice Symposium; Reckoning with Our History, Interrogating Our Present, Re-Imagining Our Future, Virtual Symposium, University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. (Refereed).
  19. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., Palmer, A., & *Dunkerley, S. (2020, June 7). Trauma Informed Assessment and Foster Care Placement Stability. 7th World Congress, World Association for Infant Mental Health, Creating Stories in Infant Mental Health: Research, Recovery, and Regeneration, Brisbane, Australia. (Refereed) (Conference canceled).
  20. *Clark, S., *Wright, K., & Akin, B. A. (2020, April 17). A future of strength: The strength perspective and developing social workers. Social Work Day Conference, Lawrence, KS. (Refereed) (Conference canceled).
  21. *Schuetz, N., Mendenhall, A., Cornwell, P., Pfannenstiel, A., & Akin, B. A. (2020, March 17). Developing a Universal Survey to Measure Agency-Wide Impact: One Instrument Across Diverse Programs, Services and Clients. 33rd Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health, Tampa, Florida. (Refereed) (Conference canceled).
  22. Akin, B. A. & Byers, K. (2020, March 4). Summary Results of SOAR Analysis for Kansas Strong for Children and Families. Paper presentation for the Strengthening Child Welfare Systems Grantee Meeting, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  23. Akin, B. A., White Starr, R., Mota, W., & Carlson, J. (2020, January 17). Collaboration and Racial Equity in Domestic Violence and Child Welfare: Exploring the Development and Use of a Racial Equity and Anti-White Supremacy Infused Measure of Collaboration.Roundtable at the 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  24. *Clark, S. L., Palmer, A., Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S. & Brook, J. (2020, January 18). Investigating the Relationship between Trauma Symptoms and Placement Instability for Children in Foster Care. 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  25. Palmer, A., Akin, B. A., *Dunkerley, S. & Brook, J. (2020, January 18). Collaboration in a Public-Private-University Partnership for Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Services. 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  26. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A. & Brook, J. (2020, January 19). An Examination of Parent Engagement and Parent Challenges Early in Foster Care Involvement. 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  27. Mendenhall, A., *Grube, W., *Jeong, M., Davis, S., Kepple, N. J. & Akin, B. A. (2020, January 19). Using Standardized Assessments for Service Eligibility & Delivery in the Children's Behavioral Health System: Observations & Recommendations from a Midwestern State.24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  28. Moon, D., Johnson-Motoyama, M. & Akin, B. A. (2020, January 19). Trauma-Informed Integrated Primary Care: Rural Healthcare Innovation through Community Partnership. 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  29. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2019, October 24). Parent Reports of Engagement and Challenges Early in Their Foster Care Involvement. Council on Social Work Education 65th Annual Program Meeting, Social Work Education: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Denver, Colorado. (Refereed)
  30. Moon, D., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Nelson, E., Wright, S. D., & Akin, B. A. (2019, September 14). Rural Primary Care Organizational Change Toward Trauma-Informed Integrated Primary Care through Community Partnerships. 5th Biennial Society for Implementation Research, Where the Rubber Meets the Road: The Intersection of Research, Policy, and Practice, Seattle, Washington. (Refereed).
  31. Akin, B. A., Bass, L., & McArthur, V. (2019, September 17). Where Do We Go From Here? Lessons on Sustaining a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Initiative. Global Implementation Conference, Implementation for Impact, Glasgow, Scotland. (Refereed).
  32. Akin, B. A., Carlson, J., Mota, W., & White Starr, R. (2019, September 17). Lessons Learned from Developing and Using a Measure of Collaboration Informed by a Racial Equity Lens. Global Implementation Conference, Implementation for Impact, Glasgow, Scotland. (Refereed).
  33. Barton, J. & Akin, B. A. (2019, September 17). Implementation Drivers as Practical Measures of Data-Driven Decision-Making in Early Childhood Programs. Global Implementation Conference, Implementation for Impact, Glasgow, Scotland. (Refereed).
  34. Carlson, J. M., & Akin, B. A. (2019, September 17). Cultivating a Suite of Implementation Tools for a Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Intervention. Global Implementation Conference, Implementation for Impact, Glasgow, Scotland. (Refereed).
  35. Akin, B. A., Bass, L. H., & McArthur, V. (2019, August 20). Reunification Outcomes of Families of Children with Mental Health Problems: A Randomized Study. 2019 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  36. *Clark, S. L., *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., & Palmer, A. (2019, August 21). Making Data Digestible: How a Study on Early Parent Engagement in Foster Care is Shaping Child Welfare Practice in Kansas. 2019 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  37. Palmer, A., Heimbach, L. H., & Akin, B. A. (2019, August 20). Trauma-Informed Evaluation in Child Welfare: Lessons Learned from the Statewide Integration of Trauma Assessment Data and Child Welfare Administrative Data. 2019 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  38. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2019, April 25). Parent Reports of Engagement and Challenges Early in Their Involvement with Foster Care. 21st National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Striving and Thriving Families, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  39. Akin, B. A., Strolin, J., & Collins-Camargo, C. (2019, April 24). Implementing with Science: Developing Trauma-Informed, Data-Driven Child Welfare Systems with the Integration of Research and Practice. 21st National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Striving and Thriving Families, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  40. *Palmer, A., Akin, B. A., Dunkerley, S., & Brook, J. (2019, March 3). Collaboration in a Public-Private Partnershipfor Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Services. 32nd Annual Research & Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health, Tampa Conference, Tampa, Florida. (Refereed).
  41. Kepple, N. J., Johnson-Motoyama, M., & Akin, B. A. (2019, January 20). Resilient Parenting Project: Exploring the Role of Ob/Gyn Clinics in the Prevention of the Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  42. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Paceley, M., & Davis-Groves, S. (2019, January 19). Parent Perspectives of a Parenting Intervention as Program Start and Completion: Considering the Views of Parents Involved in Child Welfare and Affected by Substance Use. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  43. Brook, J., Lloyd, M. H., & Akin, B. A. (2019, January 19). A Propensity Score Analysis of Reunification Outcomes Among Families Affected by Substances and Served by the Strengthening Families Program. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  44. Kim, J., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2019, January 19). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to Improve Child Well-Being and Family Functioning Outcomes with Substance Using Parents in the Child Welfare System. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  45. Akin, B. A., Carlson, J., *Conrad, A., Rose, J., Taggart, S., Davis, L., & Zinn, A. (2019, January 17). Collaboration at the Intersection of Domestic Violence and Child Welfare: The Views of Stakeholders from Multiple Systems. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  46. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., & Lloyd, M. H. (2019, January 17). Community Challenges and Barriers to the Delivery of Behavioral Health Services. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  47. Yan, Y., Akin, B. A., & McDonald, T. (2019, January 17). Does PMTO Moderate the Change of Child and Family Functioning within Families with Children in Foster Care with Serious Mental Health Problems: A Latent Profile Transition Analysis. 23rd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ending Gender-Based, Family and Community Violence, San Francisco, California. (Refereed).
  48. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & Johnson-Motoyama (2018, May 23). Working with Families in Child Welfare Affected by Substance Use: Lessons for Engagement from Evidence-Based Parenting Interventions. 2018 International Conference on Working with Involuntary Clients, Monash University, Prato, Italy. (Refereed).
  49. Roberts, C., Akin, B. A., Song, S. (2018, May 7). Hello from the Other Side: A Guide to Working with Biological Parents of Foster Youth. American Psychiatric Association 2018 Annual Meeting, Building Well-Being through Innovation, New York, New York, USA. (Refereed).
  50. Bass, L. & Akin, B. A. (2018, July 31). Implementing EBPs for Reunification and Sustained Permanency. Webinar for Child Welfare League of America, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  51. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., & Lloyd, M. H., (2018, June 1). Reunification Findings from the Iowa Regional Partnership Grant. In Murphy, J., Nicodimos, S., Thomas, M., Owens, W., & Lloyd, M. H. (Panel Presenters), Strengthening Families and Supporting Success. 24th National Association of Drug Court Professionals Annual Training Conference, Houston, Texas. (Refereed).
  52. *Dunkerley, S., Akin, B. A., *Romero, A., Bruns, K., & Brook, J. (2018, January 14). Initial Implementation of a Trauma-Informed Data-Driven Case Planning Approach in Child Welfare. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  53. Lloyd, M. H., Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & Chasnoff, I. (2018, January 14). The Policy to Practice Gap: Factors with Practitioner Knowledge of CAPTA 2010 Mandates for Identifying and Intervening in Cases of Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure. S 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  54. *Dunkerley, Akin, B. A., *Romero, A., Bruns, K., & Brook, J. (2018, January 14). Driving Organization and System Change: Child Welfare Supervisor and Administrator Perspectives of Initial Implementation. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  55. Akin, B. A., & McDonald, T. (2018, January 13). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Parent Management Training Oregon Model in Foster Care: Reunification Outcomes. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  56. Carlson, J., *Willard, M., *Moon, J., *Conrad, A., *Sanders, I., Akin, B. A., Rose, J., Davis, L., Taggart, S., & Zinn, A. (2018, January 13). What Is the Problem? Child Welfare Involved Families Experiencing Domestic Violence: Perceptions of Stakeholders across Multiple Systems. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  57. Lloyd, M. H., Akin, B. A., & Brook, J. (2018, January 13). Parental Drug Use and Permanency for Young Children in Foster Care: A Competing Risks Analysis of Reunification, Guardianship, and Adoption. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  58. Akin, B. A., *Yan, Y., McDonald, T., Lang, K., & Little, T. (2018, January 12). PMTO for Children in Foster Care with Serious Mental Health Problems: Follow-up Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  59. *Moon, J., Akin, B. A., *Yan, Y., & McDonald, T. (2018, January 12). Parenting Practice Changes during Parent Management Training Oregon Model with Parents of Children in Foster Care: A Growth Curve Analysis. 22nd Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  60. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., *Lloyd, M., & McDonald, T. (2017, January 15).Effect of a Parenting Intervention on Foster Care Re-Entry Among Substance-Affected Families. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  61. Akin, B. A., Collins-Camargo, C., & Strolin, J. (2017, January 13). Symposium on Implementing with Science: Integrating Research and Practice to Develop Trauma-Informed, Data-Driven Child Welfare Systems. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  62. Akin, B. A., Lang, K., McDonald, T., *Yan, Y., & Little, T. (2017, January 12). A Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Evidence-Based Parent Training for Children with Serious Mental Health Problems: Six Month Child Well-Being Outcomes. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  63. Akin, B. A., *Romero, A., *Bhattarai, J., & Lieberman, A. (2017, January 13). Using a Cross-System, Multi-Informant Approach to Develop Trauma-Informed, Data-Driven Child Welfare System. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  64. Brook, J., Akin, B. A., *Lloyd, M. H., *Bhattarai, J., & McDonald, T. (2017, January 14). Examining Response Shift in the Evaluation of Self-Reported Program Impact within Child Welfare Settings. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  65. Kim, J., Brook, J., & Akin, B. A. (2017, January 15). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Substance Using Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  66. *Lloyd, M., Akin, B. A., Brook, J., & McDonald, T. (2017, January 13). The Hidden Influence of Social Desirability Bias: Assessing the Validity of a Parenting and Family Skills Assessment to Measure Change over Time in Child Welfare. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  67. *Romero, A. & Akin, B. A. (2017, January 13). Cross-system Views on the Supports and Challenges of Adoption from Foster Care. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  68. Akin, B. A. (2017, June 21). Put Me in Coach: How to Build Positive Coaching Practices in Child Welfare. Global Implementation Conference, Expanding Implementation Perspectives: Engaging Systems, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Refereed).
  69. Akin, B. A. & Brook, J. (2017, June 20). Community Engagement and Collaboration in the Implementation of a Statewide Child Welfare Initiative: Key Supports and Challenges. Global Implementation Conference, Expanding Implementation Perspectives: Engaging Systems, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Refereed).
  70. McArthur, V., *Dunkerley, S. N., & Akin, B. A. (2017, June 7). PMTO Model for Kansas Youth in Foster Care with Emotional and Behavioral Problems. International PMTO Conference in Europe, PMTO In Diversity, Aarhus, Denmark. (Invited).
  71. McArthur, V., *Dunkerley, S. N., & Akin, B. A. (2017, June 8). Practitioners Measurement of Parent and Child Progress with the Parent-Child Checklist: Implementation and Results. International PMTO Conference in Europe, PMTO In Diversity, Aarhus, Denmark. (Invited). 
  72. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., *Lloyd, M. H., & Johnson-Motoyama, M. (2017, January 24). A Study in Contrasts: Supports and Barriers to Successful Implementation of Two Evidence-Based Interventions in Child Welfare. Webinar for Practice and Research Together, Toronto, Canada. (Invited).
  73. Chasnoff, I. J., Brook, J., Barber, G., Akin, B. A., & *Lloyd, M. H. (2016, September 1). Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Substance Exposed Infant: A Failure to Launch. 20th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Building Community, Building Hope, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  74. Bess, R., Gabel, G., & Akin, B. A. (2016, August 31). Lessons from the Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII): Using Data to Inform, Adjust, and Strengthen Practice. 20th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Building Community, Building Hope, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  75. *Romero, A., & Akin, B. A. (2016, August 31). Cross-System Views on the Supports and Challenges of Adoption from Foster Care. 20th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Building Community, Building Hope, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  76. Brook, J., *Lloyd, M., Akin, B. A., & Johnson-Motoyama, M. (2016, August 1). Implementing EBPs Across Systems and Settings to Enhance Services for Substance-Abuse affected Families: Process, Outcomes, and Cost Savings. Child Welfare League of America 2016 National Conference: Advancing excellence in practice and policy: What works for families affected by substance use, Anaheim, California. (Refereed).
  77. Akin, B. A. (2016, April 12). Lessons Learned from Implementing a Parenting Intervention to Improve Permanency Among Children with Serious Emotional and Behavioral Problems. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Task Force on Timely Permanency in Foster Care, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  78. Akin, B. A., Brook, J., *Lloyd, M. H., & *Byers, K. (2016, January 17). Front Line Perspectives on Implementation of Evidence-Based Interventions in Child Welfare Settings. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Grand Challenges for Social Work: Setting a Research Agenda for the Future, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  79. Akin, B. A. (2016, January 17). Coaching as a Key Implementation Strategy for Evidence-Based Interventions: Core Functions and Critical Features. 20th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Grand Challenges for Social Work: Setting a Research Agenda for the Future, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  80. McDonald, T. P., *Bhattarai, J., & Akin, B. A. (2016, January 17). Predictors of Consent in a Randomized Field Study in Child Welfare. 20th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Grand Challenges for Social Work: Setting a Research Agenda for the Future, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  81. Strolin-Goltzman, J., Collins-Camargo, C., & Akin, B. A. (2015, October 18). Community Assessment Data and the Development of Trauma-informed, Data-driven Child Welfare Systems. Symposium at the Council on Social Work Education 61st Annual Program Meeting, Social Work on the Frontiers of Change, Denver, Colorado. (Refereed).
  82. Akin, B. A., Bass, L., & McArthur, V. (2015, September 8). Kansas Intensive Permanency Project: Implementation Processes, Early Outcomes, and Cost Considerations. Federal Site Visit, U.S. DHHS, Administration for Children and Families, Region VII, Kansas City, Missouri. (Invited).
  83. Akin, B. A., Blase, K., Bryson, S., McArthur, V., & Bass, L. (2015, May 28). Scaling-Up an Evidence-Based Intervention: Successes and Setbacks in Developing and Sustaining an Implementation Infrastructure. Global Implementation Conference, Implementation for Impact, Dublin, Ireland. (Refereed).
  84. Akin, B. A., & *Byers, K. (2015, January 18). Placement Stability and Emotional Well-Being: Examining Key Measures in a Formative Evaluation of Evidence-Based Parenting for Children in Foster Care. 19th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  85. Akin, B. A., & *Gomi, S. (2015, January 18). Non-Completion of Evidence-Based Parent Training: An Empirical Examination among Families of Children in Foster Care. 19th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  86. *Lloyd, M., & Akin, B. A. (2015, January 18). The Disparate Impact of Alcohol, Methamphetamine and Other Drugs on Family Reunification. 19th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  87. Mariscal, S., Akin, B. A., & Lieberman, A. (2015, January 18). A Multi-Informant View on the Supports and Challenges for Adoptive Families of Children with Mental Health and Trauma-Related Needs. 19th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Refereed).
  88. Bryson, S., & Akin, B. A. (2014, August 27). A Case Example of the ACYF's Well-Being Framework: KIPP. Webinar on Integrating Safety, Permanency and Well-Being Series by the U.S. Department Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  89. Akin, B. A., Mariscal, S., Bass, L., McArthur, V., *Bhattarai, J., Bruns, K., et al. (2014, June 11). Multidimensional Approach to the Implementation of an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care: Practitioner, Administrator, and Researcher Perceptions of Key Facilitators and Challenges. Third International Conference on Practice Research, Building Bridges Not Pipelines: Promoting Two-Way Traffic Between Practice and Research, New York, New York. (Refereed).
  90. Akin, B. A., Bass, L., Mariscal, S., McArthur, V., *Bhattarai, J., & Bruns, K. (2014, January 19). Implementing an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Long-term Foster Care: Practitioner Perceptions of Key Challenges and Supports. 18th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Research for Social Change: Addressing Local and Global Challenges, San Antonio, Texas. (Refereed).
  91. Akin, B. A., McDonald, T., & Testa, M. (2014, January 19). Formative Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care: Assessing Readiness for Rigorous Impact Evaluation. 18th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Research for Social Change: Addressing Local and Global Challenges, San Antonio, Texas. (Refereed).
  92. Lieberman, A., & Akin, B. A. (2013, December 17). Kansas Adoption Permanency Project: Introduction and Overview. Trauma III Cluster Grantee Meeting, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  93. Akin, B. A., Bass, L., McArthur, V., & Long, P. (2013, October 29). Scaling Up an Evidence-Based Intervention: An Implementation Discussion. Webinar by the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Organizational Improvement, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine. (Invited).
  94. Bryson, S., Akin, B. A., & *Gomi, S. (2013, January 20). Inpatient Psychiatric Care for Children and Youth: Precipitants of Admissions and Readmissions. 17th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Social Work for a Just Society: Making Visible the Stakes and Stakeholders, San Diego, California. (Refereed).
  95. DePanfilis, D., Bright, C., Akin, B. A., Freeman, P., & Bryson, S. (2013, January 20). Measuring the Implementation of Social Work Interventions: Options and Examples. Workshop at the 17th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Social Work for a Just Society: Making Visible the Stakes and Stakeholders, San Diego, California. (Refereed).
  96. Akin, B. A., & McDonald, T. (2012, December 12). Defining a Target Population and Selecting an Intervention to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care. Webinar by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  97. Akin, B. A., & Bryson, S. (2012, May 1). Lessons Learned from Usability Testing an Initial Implementation of an Evidence-Supported Intervention. Webinar by the Permanency Innovations Initiative Peer Learning Network, Washington, DC (Invited).
  98. Akin, B. A., Bryson, S., McDonald, T., & Walker, S. (2012, January 15). Using Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to Explore Barriers to Permanency for Children with SED and Their Parents. 16th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference: Research that Makes a Difference - Advancing Practice and Shaping Public Policy, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  99. DePanfilis, D., Akin, B. A., & Webster, D. (2012, January 15). Exploring case and service characteristics of children in long-term foster care to guide organizational decision-making for implementing practice and system reforms. Symposium at the 16th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference: Research that Makes a Difference - Advancing Practice and Shaping Public Policy, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  100. Akin, B. A. (2011, December 8). Kansas Data Mining: Identifying a Target Population for the Kansas Intensive Permanency Project. Webinar by the National Resource Center on Child Welfare Data and Technology, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  101. Akin, B. A. (2011, November 30). Data Mining Strategies to Better Target Grantee Interventions. Webinar by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and Children's Bureau. (Invited).
  102. Sedlak, A., Judkins, D., Akin, B. A., & Webster, D. (2011, August 31). Identifying and Refining the Target Populations for a National Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care Population. National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit 2011, Washington, DC. (Refereed).
  103. Akin, B. A., & Bryson, S. (2011, January 16). Psychotropic Medication Patterns among Child and Youth Medicaid Beneficiaries. 15th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference: Emerging Horizons for Social Work Research, Tampa, Florida. (Refereed).
  104. Bryson, S., Akin, B. A., & McDonald, T. (2010, November 29). Kansas Intensive Permanency Project: Introduction and Overview. Permanency Innovations Initiative Grantee Meeting, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, Washington, DC. (Invited).
  105. Akin, B. A., & Boerth, A. (1999). Designing and Implementing a Common Intake Database in a Human Services Collaborative. National Family Based Services Annual Conference, San Diego, California. (Refereed).
  106. Akin, B. A. (1996). Responding to Substance Abusing Parents: The Parent's Perspective of What Works. National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect, Eleventh National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Washington, DC. (Refereed).

Awards & Honors —

Gene & Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Kansas School of Social Welfare 2021

Best Poster Award of 2021 the ResilienceCon National Conference, 2021

SSWR Fellow, Society for Social Work & Research 2020

Suzanne & Harry Statland Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship, University of Kansas School of Social Welfare 2019

Kansas Governor's Conference Award for Exemplary Service to Children and Families, 39th Annual Governor's Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect 2015

KU Leading Light Award, University of Kansas, 2014

Grants & Other Funded Activity —

Grants and/or Other Funded Projects

Funded Proposals

University of Kansas

  1. Naemi Jimenez, P. (Principal), Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), McCall, S., Carr, K., Dupree, S., Fry, A., & Turner, B. Kansas Bravely Raising and Activating Voices for Equity (KS BRAVE). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $2,500,000, Awarded September 2023 (October 1, 2023 – September 29, 2028). (Refereed/Competitive)
  2. Naemi Jimenez, P. (Principal) & Akin, B. A. Evaluation of THRIVE, A Promising Sexual Health Intervention for Youth in Out-of-Home Care, Their Caregivers, and Child Welfare Professionals. University of Texas at Austin, Flow through from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, $350,000, Awarded August 2023 (September 15, 2023 – September 14, 2028). (Refereed/Competitive)
  3. Byers, K. (Principal), Cizek, M. (Co-Principal), Akin, B.A. (Co-Principal), Mendenhall, A. (Co-Principal), Garstka, T. (Co-Principal), Barton, J. (Co-Principal). Community Resource Centers. Kansas Department for Children and Families $500,000, Submitted February 2023 (Awarded June 2023). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  4. Byers, K. (Principal), Cizek, M. (Co-Principal), Akin, B.A. (Co-Principal), Mendenhall, A. (Co-Principal), Garstka, T. (Co-Principal), Barton, J. (Co-Principal). Family First Prevention Services Act – Kansas Evaluation (FFPSA). Kansas Department for Children and Families $849,016, Submitted May 2023 (Awarded July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  5. Byers, K. (Principal), Cizek, M. (Co-Principal), Barton, J. (Co-Principal), Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), Garstka, T. (Co-Principal) & Mendenhall, A. N. (Co-Principal). Evaluation Services for the Kansas Family First Prevention Services. Kansas Department for Children and Families $802,998. Awarded July 2022 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023). (Invited/Extension)
  6. Akin, B. A. (Principal), Brown, A., & Byers, K. Kansas Investing in Families: An Initiative to Prepare and Support Kinship Caregivers and Promote Shared Parenting. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $2,500,000, Awarded September 2021 (October 2021 – September 2026). (Refereed/Competitive)
  7. Byers, K., (Principal), Barton, J., Grube, W., Akin, B. A., & Cizek, M. Family Strong: An Initiative to Promote Family Support and Primary Prevention. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $3,750,000, Submitted July 2021 (October 2021 – September 2026). (Refereed/Competitive)
  8. Mendenhall, A. (Principal), Kepple, N. (Co-Principal), Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), & Riquino, M. (Co-Principal). Kansas SED Waiver Assessment & Evaluation Services. Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Service $287,250. Awarded January 2021 (January 2021 – December 30, 2021). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  9. Barton, J. (Principal), Byers, K. (Co-Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Impact Evaluation of the Saint Francis Ministries’ Fatherhood FIRE Initiative (Family-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, & Essential). Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) contract with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance $867,857. Awarded October 2020 (October 2020 – September 2025). (Refereed/Competitive)
  10. Byers, K., (Principal)., Barton, J. (Co-Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Examination of Predictors of Youth Absent from Foster Care. TFI Family Services $69,930. (September 2020 – August 2021). (Invited Sole Source Contract).
  11. Mendenhall, A. N. (Principal) & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Assessment of Client Functioning Across Populations and Programs. Saint Francis Community Services $63,820. Awarded July 2020 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  12. Byers, K. (Principal), Akin, B. A. (Proposal Principal/Co-Principal), Garstka, T. (Co-Principal), Mendenhall, A. N. (Co-Principal), & Counts, J. Evaluation Services for the Kansas Family First Prevention Services. Kansas Department for Children and Families $2,204,743. Awarded October 2019 (October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2022). (Refereed/Competitive)
  13. Mendenhall, A. N. (Principal) & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Assessment of Client Functioning Across Populations and Programs. Saint Francis Community Services $55,215. Submitted June 2019 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  14. Akin, B. A. (Principal), Byers, K. (Co-Principal, January 2020 – September 2023), & Brook, J. (Co-Principal, October 2018 – December 2019). Kansas Strong for Children and Families. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $8,049,941, Awarded September 2018 (October 2018 – September 2023). (Refereed/Competitive)
  15. Mendenhall, A. (Principal), Kepple, N. (Co-Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Kansas SED Waiver Assessment & Evaluation Services. Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Service $255,304, Submitted October 2017 (September 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  16. Mendenhall, A.N. (Principal) & Akin, B. (Co-Principal). Assessment of Client Functioning Across Populations and Programs. Saint Francis Community Services. $54,000 (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  17. Brook, J. (Principal), Mendenhall, A. (Co-Principal) & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Evaluation Services for the Oklahoma Regional Partnership 3 Grant to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children Affected by Substance Abuse. Oklahoma Partnership Child Well-Being Initiative Phase 3, OPI-3 contract with Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $675,000, Submitted July 2017 (October 2017 – September 2022). (Refereed/Competitive)
  18. Akin, B. A. (Principal). Evaluation for the Kansas Parent Management Training Oregon Model (KS-PMTO) in Child Welfare. KVC Kansas, Olathe, KS; and Saint Francis Community Services, Salina, KS $116,852 (July 2017 – June 2019). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  19. Zinn, A. (Principal), Carlson, J. (Co-Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Evaluation for the Quality Improvement Center on Child Welfare Involved Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $2,677,745, Submitted July 2016 (October 2016 – September 2021). (Refereed/Competitive)
  20. McDonald, T. P. (Principal), Byers, K. (Co-Principal), Mariscal, S. (Co-Principal), Brook, J. (Co-Author), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Author). Kansas Serves Substance Affected Families. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $2,900,000, Submitted June 2014 (October 2014 – September 2019). (Refereed/Competitive)  Note: Co-authored, did not serve as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator.
  21. Akin, B. A. (Principal), Lieberman, A. (Co-Principal), & Brook, J. (Co-Principal). Promoting Well-Being and Adoption After Trauma (Kansas Assessment Permanency Project). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $2,425,000, Submitted August 2013 (October 2013 – September 2018). (Refereed/Competitive)
  22. Brook, J. (Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Evaluation Services for the Iowa Regional Partnership Grant to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children Affected by Substance Abuse. Contract with Iowa Children's Justice; Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $436,527, Submitted July 2012 (October 2012 – September 2017). Refereed/Competitive)
  23. Brook, J. (Principal), & Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal). Evaluation Services for the Oklahoma Regional Partnership Grant to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children Affected by Substance Abuse. Oklahoma Partnership Child Well-Being Initiative Phase 2, OPI-2 contract with Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $502,623, Submitted July 2012 (October 2012 – September 2017). (Refereed/Competitive)
  24. Akin, B. A. (Principal), & McDonald, T. (Co-Principal). Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care (Kansas Intensive Permanency Project). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families $13,313,116, Submitted August 2010 (October 2010 – September 2016). (Refereed/Competitive)
  25. Johnson-Motoyama, M. (Principal), Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), & Brook, J. (Co-Principal). Evaluation Services for the Iowa Drug Court Expansion Project. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration $175,500, Submitted April 2013 (August 2013 – July 2016). (Refereed/Competitive)
  26. Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), & McDonald, T. (Principal). Evaluation Services for the Permanency Innovations Initiative, Kansas Intensive Permanency Project. Westat, Rockville, MD $881,000 (October 2011 – June 2016). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  27. Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), & Moore, T. (Principal). Data Analysis and Reporting for Mental Health Outcomes. Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, Division of Mental Health Services, $75,000 (July 2013 – June 2014). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  28. Akin, B. A. (Principal). Multi-Level Analysis of Children's Psychiatric Hospitalization. Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, Division of Mental Health Services $100,000 (2012). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  29. Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), Bryson, S. A. (Co-Principal), & Moore, T. (Principal). Medicaid Children's Mental Health Research Project. Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Division of Disability and Behavioral Health Services $600,000 (2009 – 2011). (Invited Sole Source Contract)
  30. Akin, B. A. (Co-Principal), & McDonald, T. (Principal). Best Practices in Risk Assessment for Child Protective Services. Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Children and Family Services $35,000 (2009 – 2010). (Invited Sole Source Contract)