Faculty & Research

Residential care settings have long been a critical component of child welfare and mental health services, and, broadly defined, encompasses group homes, residential treatment centers, statewide inpatient facilities, and emergency shelters. These settings provide 24-hour care and treatment for children with complex needs.

Children in residential care often present with high acuity or specialized needs, requiring a greater level of services due to severe behavioral, emotional, or mental health problems, developmental disabilities, and chronic medical conditions.

Florida State University College of Social Work professor Dr. Lisa Schelbe collaborated with Amanda Preston, a social worker, foster parent, and adoptive parent, in writing Foster Parent Collaboration: A Guide for Social Workers and Other Professionals.

Education is widely recognized as a strong predictor of cognitive health in aging. However, a recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences explores how occupational experiences before age 60 mediate the relationship between education and cognitive function in adults aged 65 and older.

Jessica Greil-Burkhart, an assistant teaching professor with the FSU College of Social Work, was awarded a 2024-25 University Teaching Award for Innovation in Teaching from the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. The award honors faculty who invest considerable time and effort into transforming the learning experiences they provide for their students.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named four Florida State University faculty members as 2025 NAI Senior Members. FSU’s 2025 inductees are Hoyong Chung, Yaacov Petscher, Prashant Singh and Branko Stefanovic. The university now has five Senior Members among its faculty.

Child welfare professionals and Florida State University College of Social Work students often face challenges in developing the necessary skills for effective observation and interviewing in real-world settings.

This year Dr. Shalay Jackson, an associate teaching professor at the College of Social Work, was named the new chair of the Association for Community Organizing and Social Action (ACOSA). Elected by ACOSA’s board, she will hold the position for two years through December 2026.

The College of Social Work recently named Dr. Lisa Schelbe its Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare. The professorship is awarded to a faculty member whose scholarly and educational pursuits demonstrate dedication and focus on child welfare issues.

Keithen Mathis, MSW associate dean for Culture and Community Engagement and teaching professor at the College of Social Work, was awarded the 2025 FSU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Distinguished Service Award. Awards were presented on Tuesday, January 14th, at the MLK Awards and Golden Torch Lecture Series, presenting Ziwe Fumudoh, a Nigerian American author and comedian, during FSU’s 37th annual MLK Week.

FSU College of Social Work (FSU CSW) participated in the 2025 Society for Social Work and Research Conference in Seattle, Washington. From January 15-19, faculty and doctoral students and affiliates from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare presented more than 40 presentations and sessions at the conference (listed below with FSU CSW participants).