Shelly Ben-David | Assistant Professor | Social Work |
shelly.ben-david@ubc.ca | 250-807-9434
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Research interests include: youth mental health (e.g. clinical high-risk to psychosis, first-episode psychosis, anxiety, depression); early intervention in mental health; identity development and mental illness; cultural, relational, and community-based approach to early psychosis; digital divide among youth; mental health service use decision-making equity; and youth engagement in research.
Shirley Chau | Associate Professor | Social Work |
shirley.chau@ubc.ca | 250-807-8739 | Arts 149
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Dr. Chau also conducts research with individuals and communities in transition that experience social marginalization and social exclusion due to race and ethnicity, racialized identities, and racism, class (e.g., homeless populations), and other factors that influence their access to services in the health and social care systems in “large”, “midsized”, and “small” cities in Canada. As well, youths at risk of becoming homeless/houseless, including youths transitioning out of care (child prote
Courses & Teaching: Dr. Chau has taught/teaches graduate-level courses: Direct Social Work Practice (Interviewing and Assessment), Theories of Direct Social Work Practice, Social Work Practice with Immigrants (2016 Summer Elective), Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Practice in Clinical Social Work (2016/17 Winter Elective), and Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice (formerly taught HINT 501: Health Interprofessional Evidence-Based Practice for students in MSN and MSW programmes). Central to her teaching approach is the anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens for clinical practice and social and organizational change, and the profession’s accountability in response to the recommendations from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Dr. Chau’s cl
Sarah Dow-Fleisner | Assistant Professor | Social Work |
sarah.dow-fleisner@ubc.ca | ART135
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Development trajectories and resilient functioning of children and families in high-risk contexts; Parent-child and sibling relationships in families experiencing parental mental illness and substance use; Intervention and prevention programs for families and children; Utilization of advanced statistical methodology to examine complex social phenomenon.
Courses & Teaching: Courses:
SOCW525: Human Development for Clinical Social Work
SOCW553: Research Methods and Evidence in Clinical Social Work Practice
SWK382: Social Work Research Methods II
SWK707: Research for Social Work Practice
Directed Studies:
SOCW541: Directed Studies in Human Development in the context of forced family separation
SOCW541: Directed Studies in Research Methods and Statistical Analysis in Child Welfare Research
PSYO509: Directed Studies in Applied Mixed Methods Research
HMKN 545: Special Topics in Health and Exercise Sciences: Resilience and quality of life among survivors of intimate partner violence related brain injury
Judy Gillespie | Associate Professor | Social Work |
judy.gillespie@ubc.ca | 250-807-8745
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Child welfare and the role of community in child and family well-being;
Mutli-sector collaboration to enhance Indigenous well-being;
Interprofessional expertise for child welfare practice;
The role of place in well-being;
The role of attachment to place in professional retention;
Place-based practice.
Courses & Teaching: The role of community in the promotion of child welfare
Sustainable community development
Interactions of people and place; the role of place in well-being
Expertise for interprofessional child welfare practice
University-community collaboration
John Graham | Professor | Social Work |
john.graham@ubc.ca | 250-807-8738
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: social policy, diversity and social work, spirituality and social work, multicultural social work, and employee well being/ subjective well being (happiness), homelessness prevention research
Courses & Teaching: social policy, international social work, homelessness, research.
Shereen Ismael | Adjunct Professor | Social Work |
shereen.ismael@ubc.caResearch Interests: Dr. Ismael has published extensively on poverty, inequality and social policy nationally and internationally. As poverty and inequality increase within developed and developing counties her research aims to not only document the depth of poverty among vulnerable populations but to assess the effectiveness of policies in reducing poverty.
Courses & Teaching: Between 1997 and 2013, Dr. Ismael taught over 40 courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She worked with students as a Field Education Coordinator and as an educator in all three pillars of our profession; practice, policy and ethics. She retired form Carleton University as a tenured Associate professor in 2013 to open a private practice working with seniors and their families. She has missed working with students and is excited to work, re-engage and grow with students.
Jeffrey More | Assistant Professor of Teaching | Social Work |
jeffrey.more@ubc.ca | ART 166
Research Interests: Jeffrey integrates his research and teaching to provide optimum learning experiences for students. Ultimately, his research contributions intend to support the search for practice excellence in inclusive clinical social work, child protection and work with Indigenous peoples and communities. Informing anti-colonial practice is significant to his research interests.
Courses & Teaching: In the fall of 2017, Jeffrey began a transition from over 25 years of clinical and consulting practice involving rural and isolated communities, children, families, complex trauma, intergenerational trauma, posttraumatic stress, grief, and child welfare. His primary concentration is now on disseminating knowledge from his practice experience to post-secondary social work programs. A significant component of his pedagogy is to model fundamentals of an anti-colonial approach.
Mary Ann Murphy | Associate Professor | Social Work, Sociology |
mary-ann.murphy@ubc.ca | 250.807.8705 | ART 153
Graduate student supervisor
Courses & Teaching: Constitutional/Charter Litigation & Social Policy
Policy and Practice Issues Affecting an Older Population
Social Policy and Comparative Family Policy
Social Welfare Law and Human Rights: International Human Rights & Aging
Aging/Gerontological Social Work
Intergenerational Relationships
Visual Sociology
Brian Rasmussen | Professor Emeritus | Social Work |
brian.rasmussen@ubc.caResearch Interests: Research and teaching interests: Clinical social work theory and practice; contemporary psychodynamic theory; supportive psychotherapy; clinical supervision.
Dixon Sookraj | Associate Professor | Social Work |
dixon.sookraj@ubc.ca | 250-807-8703
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Participatory research to promote health and wellbeing
Policies and processes of social service delivery systems in responding to the needs and aspirations of marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples.
Courses & Teaching: Social Work Theory and Practice, Organizational Practice, Community Practice, Child and Family Welfare Policy, Research and International Social Work.
Susan J. Wells | Professor Emerita | Psychology, Social Work |
susan.wells@ubc.ca | 250.807.8163 | ASC 453
Research Interests: Investigates the possible causes of overrepresentation of African American children in the United States’ out-of-home care; re-entry into out-of-home care after reunification with family; stability of out-of-home care placements; explores child welfare case types to identify characteristics that more closely represent the complexity of cases seen in the field.
Courses & Teaching: Child welfare services and policy; program evaluation; research methods.