Drs. Patricia Logan-Greene &
Mickey Sperlich
In this episode, our guests Drs. Patricia Logan-Greene and Mickey Sperlich describe their work exploring social work practice and our ability to decrease gun violence. With calls to “send in the Social Workers rather than the police” filling the national dialogue related to racial disparities in policing, our guests discuss why the Social Work profession might be best suited to prevent gun violence.
Patricia Logan-Greene, PhD, MSSW is an, associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. Taking a trauma-informed approach to crime, child maltreatment, and the justice system, Logan-Greene’s teaching interests include research methods, interpersonal violence, and forensic social work. Her research projects include a partnership with a juvenile court to examine childhood traumas and adversities among youth on probation, the examination of the effects of childhood maltreatment on aggression, delinquency, and health and mental health outcomes throughout the lifespan. Recently, she has shifted her attention to the prevention of gun violence, especially how social workers can leverage their knowledge and skills to intervene with those most at risk of injury.
Mickey Sperlich, PhD MSW, MA, CPM, is an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. She studies the effects of trauma and mental health challenges on women’s childbearing, postpartum experiences and early parenting outcomes. Sperlich is co-developer of a psychosocial intervention for pregnant survivors of abuse; the Survivor Moms’ Companion, and is dedicated to developing and evaluating trauma-specific approaches to interrupt cycles of violence and vulnerability.
Interviewer: Adair Finucane
