Social Work faculty, alumnus present at Society for Social Work and Research conference

A poster by Program Evaluation Center faculty and staff was presented at a Society for Social Work and Research conference.

Associate Professor Michael Clarkson-Hendrix, lead evaluator in the Program Evaluation Center (PEC), and Cassidy Heinen, a project aide there and SUNY Fredonia alumna, compiled the electronic poster. Dr. Clarkson-Hendrix, of the Department of Sociocultural and Justice Sciences, presented the poster virtually during the society’s 29th annual conference.

It's one of social work's most competitive conferences and submitting a proposal to attend does not guarantee it is accepted.” – Dr. Michael Clarkson-Hendrix

Their presentation, "Recent Mental Health Emergency Room Usage in Treatment-Seeking, Adult Consumers in One Rural, Community-Based, Outpatient Clinic: Role of Nights Spent Homeless," found that as nights spent being homeless increased, recent emergency room usage also increased for participants in the study.

The study also concluded that rural mental health clinics might want to house consumers experiencing nights spent homeless to support rapidly reduced mental health-related emergency room usage.

Clarkson-Hendrix will incorporate research that they compiled in courses that he teaches.

Heinen joined the PEC as a student research assistant and continues to serve after receiving B.S. in Social Work, with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, in 2023. Heinen is also a full-time student at the State University at Buffalo, seeking a Master of Social Work degree.
“Strengthening Social Impact through Collaborative Research” was the theme of the conference, held Jan. 15 to 19 in Seattle, WA. 

The Society for Social Work and Research is a non‐profit, professional membership organization that supports social workers, social welfare professionals, social work students and social work faculty and researchers in related fields.

“It's one of social work's most competitive conferences and submitting a proposal to attend does not guarantee it is accepted,” Clarkson-Hendrix said.