The Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has an extensive cross-disciplinary research program. The school serves students with interests in social work and/or criminal justice and offers the only criminal justice PhD program in the state of Wisconsin.
Research conducted by faculty often involves multidisciplinary collaboration through partnerships with researchers on campus and nationwide. The Department of Social Work includes fourteen faculty who are tenured-tenure track and eleven clinical faculty members. The Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology includes seven faculty who are tenured-tenure track and two lecturers.
Extramural funding at the school is close to $5 million annually. All faculty have access to the Shared Office for the Administration of Research (SOAR). SOAR assists faculty with applying for and managing sponsored funding. HBSSW provides this administrative infrastructure to support faculty in their pursuit of interdisciplinary, scientifically rigorous social and behavioral research.
Active Funded Projects
| Investigators | Project Title | Funding Agency | Project Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danielle Romain Dagenhardt | Human Trafficking Project Evaluation | Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., U.S. Department of Justice | 10/16/18- 9/30/20 |
| Tina Freiburger | Assessment of Performance Measures for MCADTC | SAMHSA | 5/31/19- 5/30/24 |
| Tina Freiburger | Enhanced Milwaukee County Circuit Court Diversion & Deferral Programs to Meet Participants' Mental Health Needs | Milwaukee County U.S. Department of Justice | 4/1/19- 12/31/19 |
| Tina Freiburger | Eviction Defense Project Evaluation | Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. Legal Services Corporation | 10/1/18- 9/30/20 |
| Tina Freiburger | Infrastructure Development Research for Milwaukee Wraparound | Milwaukee County | 7/1/19- 12/31/19 |
| Tina Freiburger; Co-PI: Melinda S. Kavanaugh | System of Care (SOC) Expansion and Sustainability Evaluation and Infrastructure Development: Milwaukee Wraparound | Milwaukee County, SAMHSA | 8/31/19- 8/30/23 |
| Tina Freiburger | System-Level Diversion Project | Waukesha County CJCC | 10/1/18- 9/30/21 |
| Colleen Galambos | MOIQ Phase 2 Year 3 | Univ of Missouri-Columbia | 10/1/19- 9/30/20 |
| Colleen Galambos | Univ of Wisconsin- Milwaukee Bader (Helen) Foundation | 7/1/2019- ongoing |
|
| Colleen Janczewski; Co-Investigator: Joshua Mersky | The Community Response and Prevention Social Work Evaluation | Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation | 1/1/19- 12/31/21 |
| Melinda S. Kavanaugh | Caregiving | National Institutes of Health | 1/15/19- 11/30/20 |
| Melinda S. Kavanaugh | Caregivers in South Africa | ALS | 1/1/19- 12/31/20 |
| Melinda S. Kavanaugh; Co-Investigator: Yura Lee | Fortaleciendo Puentes: A Community-Based Continuum of Dementia Capable Care for Latinos | United Community Center/Dept Health and Human Services/Administration for Community Living | 9/30/18- 9/29/21 |
| Gwat-Yong Lie | Milwaukee Housing First Project | Milwaukee County Housing Division (Sponsor); SAMHSA (Prime Sponsor); Collaborating Agencies: Center for Veterans’ Independence, Guest House, Wisconsin Community Services, Crisis Resource Center, SET Ministries, IMPACT 211 | 9/29/17- 9/28/20 |
| Joshua Mersky; Co-Investigator: Colleen Janczewski | 2019 Home Visitation Formula Grant | WI Department of Children and Families/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA | 10/1/19- 12/31/21 |
| Joshua Mersky | Family Connects Racine | State of Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Board | 1/1/19- 6/30/20 |
| Joshua Mersky | Family Connects Racine Family Centered Systems: A two generation strategy | Racine County | |
| Joshua Mersky | Formula Grant | DCF / HRSA | 1/1/18- 12/31/19 |
| Joshua Mersky | Trauma and Recovery (MCWP Training) | WI Dept. of Children & Families / SAMHSA | 10/1/18- 09/30/20 |
| Joshua Mersky; Co-Investigator: James Topitzes | Family-Centered Systems: A Two Generation Strategy Focused on Single Mothers in Racine | Higher Expectations for Racine County/Strive Together | 10/1/18- 10/1/21 |
| Joshua Mersky | Trauma and Recovery Project Year | WI Dept. of Children & Families / SAMHSA | 10/1/18- 9/30/20 |
| Joshua Mersky; Co-Investigators: James Topitzes and Colleen Janczewski | Smart Scale Up II: Promoting Family Engagement, Health and Mental Health | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA | 1/1/17- 12/21/21 |
| David J. Pate Jr. | Re-Cast Year 4 | City of Milwaukee, SAMHSA | 1/1/17- 9/27/20 |
| David J. Pate Jr. | Sullivan Spaights Endowment Fund | UW-Milwaukee Foundation | 9/1/14- ongoing |
| Susan Rose | Center for Adoption Support and Education Training for Adoption Competency | Center for Adoption Support & Education | 11/2/15- 3/31/20 |
| James Topitzes; Co-Investigators:Joshua Mersky and David J. Pate Jr. | Healthy Worker, Healthy Wisconsin | UW-Madison (WPP) | 1/1/17- 12/31/21 |
| James Topitzes | Racine County Family Connects | Racine County | 10/1/18- 12/31/19 |
| James Topitzes | Trauma-Informed Employment | UW-Milwaukee Foundation / Bader Foundation | 1/1/19- ongoing |
| James Topitzes | Smart Reentry | 10/2017- 9/2019 |
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| Trina Salm Ward | Sleep Baby Safe | American SIDS Institute | 9/1/17- 2/20/20 |