Research at Jane Addams
The research conducted by our faculty not only addresses the needs of marginalized communities, it amplifies the voices of individuals and families in those communities, so that their lived experiences can inform social services and public policy.
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Research Highlights
Preventing Deaths from Opioid Overdoses
Professor James Swartz is working with the Illinois Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Illinois Department of Human Services) to prevent prescription drug opioid overdose related deaths and to gain better understanding of the pathways to opioid addiction. Learn More »
Helping Older Persons Transition Out of Institutional Living
Dean Creasie Finney Hairston and her team are working with the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health to interview persons with a serious mental illness residing in nursing homes, as well as people who have re-entered the community, about factors and supports that contribute to their successful transition from institutional care to community life. Learn More »
Improving Outcomes for Children in the Child Welfare System
Professor Sonya Leathers has been working with Illinois DCFS to evaluate the effectiveness of the team-based CIPP model for youth who are at risk of placement disruption. She has analyzed input not only from DCFS caseworkers, but also from the youth and their caregivers. Learn More »
Supporting Street Intervention Workers
Under a grant from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Assistant Professor Kathryn Bocanegra is examining trauma exposure among frontline workers in community violence prevention and how it impacts them as professionals, with a long-term aim of manualizing best practices so that organizations can better support their street intervention workers. Learn More »