Child Welfare Expert Teams Up with FSU Social Work to Enhance Child Welfare Research

Dr. Bart Klika

Dr. J. Bart Klika joined Florida State University College of Social Work in the spring of 2019 as a Research Faculty member to promote collaborations with faculty and to facilitate opportunities for students at FSU in child welfare.

As the Chief Research and Strategy Officer at Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, Dr. Klika oversees research and evaluation across the organization including its 50 state chapter network and the evidence-based home visiting program, Healthy Families America. 

In order to achieve its mission of preventing the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children, PCAA focuses on promoting healthy child development in the focus areas of programs, research, policy and public awareness. In his work with PCAA, Dr. Klika also leads the strategic planning and direction of PCAA. One of his priorities is disseminating of research and connecting research to practice and policy.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Klika as part of our research faculty,” Jim Clark, dean of the FSU College of Social Work explained. “He brings enormous expertise in child welfare as well as a national perspective that will enrich our work. In additional I welcome the connection with PCAA, which is a crucial research and advocacy organization dedicated to making a significant social impact.”

Dr. Klika received his doctorate from the University of Washington where he also received a Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-being. Prior to his joining PCAA, Dr. Klika was an Assistant Professor at the University of Montana.  His commitment to child maltreatment prevention was evident there in his involvement at the state level, serving on the Governor’s Protect Montana Kids Commission and on the Board of Directors for Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Montana. He worked closely with the Montana Children’s Trust Fund on evaluating projects to improve prevention systems within the state.

“I am so honored to join the FSU College of Social Work as a research faculty,” Dr. Klika explained. “Over the past few years, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to connect with many of the faculty within the College.  I look forward to continuing these relationships and for the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Over the last several years, Dr. Klika worked with FSU College of Social Work Assistant Professor, Dr. Lisa Schelbe, on research projects focused on the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and health care for children in foster care. He co-authored an article with Dr. Machelle Madsen Thompson, a researcher and adjunct professor at the College of Social Work. Through APSAC he worked with Dr. Mike Hanley, a College of Social Work adjunct professor, and a member and Division Director for Prevention and Interventions in the Florida Department of Health, Children's Medical Services. Dr. Kilka has also worked with several FSU College of Social Work graduate students.

On the national level, Dr. Klika serves on the Board of Directors of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). He was recently the senior editor of the 4th edition of the APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment.  He also consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working with program officers along with national and international child abuse expert researchers to investigate the role of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships in breaking intergenerational patterns of child maltreatment.

The contributions Dr. Klika has made to the literature on child maltreatment prevention are substantial. Recently, Dr. Klika served as a guest editor on a special issue of the APSAC Advisor on Trauma Informed Care and more recently, a special issue of the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal focusing on social norms and violence against children and youth.

Monday, April 8, 2019 - 03:13 PM
Last updated: Thu, 03/28/2024 - 04:16 PM