We would like to highlight Curtis Center Graduate Student Research Assistant & MSW Field Placement Student Reagan Warnock! Click the video below to hear Reagan talk about her experiences at the Curtis Center.

The Curtis Center co-sponsored the successful 34th Annual Health Science MLK Lecture: Rhythm, Processing, and the Anti-Racist Psychotherapy Perspective that featured social worker and family therapist David Archer, MSW, MFT.

We want to thank Dr. Daphne C. Watkins for her leadership over the Curtis Center for the last 5 years. We are thrilled that she will remain working with us as a Faculty Affiliate.

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, PhD

Curtis Center Faculty Affiliate,

University of Michigan, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and Professor of Social Work 

February is Black History Month, which is an annual commemoration of the remarkable achievements by African Americans and a dedicated period to recognize their pivotal role in U.S. History.

Here are a few different ways to get involved:

Read Black History Month: Dr. Marie Bernard Talks with Dr. Manu Platt

Attend an event hosted by The University of Michigan's Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs

Check out these events in Washtenaw County

Celebrate at a Local Metro-Detroit Event

The School of Social Work Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training, in partnership with Michigan Medicine's Healthcare Equity Month, is hosting a creative Art for Equity Contest for undergraduate students to showcase what health equity means to them. The goal of the contest is to engage undergraduate students across the University of Michigan in thinking about health equity in a meaningful and creative way. The Curtis Center Art for Equity Contest will educate and increase engagement with health equity, but also highlight how individuals define it in their own context. 

An initial webinar to introduce the contest will be held Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 at 12:30 pm. This webinar will explain the contest, the submission process and criteria, and serve as a Q & A session. This session will be recorded and shared.

Undergraduate students will be asked to submit a piece of art in the medium of their choice (video, poem, audio, photo book, painting, graphics, comic, etc.) that showcases what health equity means to them, by Monday, April 1st, 2024. Submissions will be accepted from both individuals and pairs. Along with their submission, students will be asked to provide a brief explanation of their piece and how it represents what health equity means to them. For more information on submission guidelines and the information session please visit here.

At the Healthcare Equity Month event on Friday, April 19th from 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Director of the Curtis Center, will define health equity in the context of Curtis Center research and training, as well as announce the top 3 winners! $1000 cash prizes will also be awarded to the top 3 submissions. You can register to attend the award ceremony here.

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins is one of the fifteen faculty from the University of Michigan School of Social Work who were named in Elsevier's 2024 list of the world's top 2% of scientists. Congratulations, Dr. Watkins!

Several of our Faculty Affiliates presented papers and moderated talks at the American Public Health Association 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo in Atlanta in November 2023, including Dr. Jade Burns and Dr. Fernanda Cross, as well as one of our External Advisory Board members, Dr. Derek Griffith.

Several of our team members presented at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 28th Annual Conference in Washington, DC, including our Associate Director Dr. Anao Zhang, Faculty Affiliates Dr. Fernanda Cross, Dr. Katie Schultz, and Dr. Ed-Dee Williams, and Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Nina Francis-Levin.

YBMenNT (delivered by Curtis Center Faculty Affiliate Dr. James Smith at Flinders University) has received an additional round of funding from Movember, which now supports moving from adaptation to implementation. Read more about this exciting announcement here.

Faculty Affiliate Dr. Daphne Watkins (founding director of the YBMen Project) and Executive Advisory Board Member Dr. Tanya Sharpe (founding director of The Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims) have collaborated to launch RISE YBMen Toronto. Read more about this incredible partnership here.

The Behavioral Health Collaborative of Black Men and Boys in Washtenaw County won the 2023 Washtenaw Health Initiative's Collective Impact Award!

The Behavioral Health Collaborative of Black Men and Boys is a collaboration between Packard Health and the University of Michigan School of Social Work Curtis Center for Health Equity’s Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project. Together, they developed a coalition of community organizations committed to services to address the behavioral health needs of young Black men and boys in Washtenaw County.

To read more about the coalition's success, visit here.

In the fall, the Curtis Center partnered with A2 Advance for the 8th Annual Winter Clothing Drive for Washtenaw County. This drive collected 1,704 items, including nearly $18K in purchases through an Amazon gift registry, for local community members in need.

Abdelaziz, F. B., … Smith, J. A. & et. al. (January 2024). Advancing the Geneva Charter for Well-Being – Practical strategies for change. Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

Adsul, P., …, & Griffith, D. M. (January 2024). Challenges and Opportunities for Paving the Road to Global Health Equity Through Implementation Science. Annual Review of Public Health.

Baker, P.,… & Griffith, D. M. (December 2023). Health Policies Must Consider Gender, Including Men. The Lancet Global Health.

East, P. L., Delva, J., & et. al. (January 2024). Associations Between Adolescent Alcohol Use and Neurocognitive Functioning in Young Adulthood. Applied Developmental Science.

Ellis, J. M., & Helaire, L. J. (September 2023). Self-Efficacy, Subjective Norms, Self-Regulated Learning: An application of the Theory of Planned Behavior with GEAR UP students. Education and Urban Society.

Fedina, L., … Schultz, K., & et. al. (September 2023). Intimate Partner Violence, Economic Insecurity, and Health Outcomes Among American Indian and Alaska Native Men and Women: Findings from a national sample. Violence Against Women.

Fossa, A. J., ... Zivin, K., & Adar, S. D. (February 2024). Residential Greenspace and Major Depression Among Older Adults Living in Urban and Suburban Areas with Different Climates Across the United States. Environmental Research.

Francis-Levin, N. (February 2024). Burning from the Outside In: Cancer patients in a hyperthermic world. Anthropology-news.org.

Francis-Levin, N.,… & Zhang, A. (October 2023). Exploring the Relationship between Self-Rated Health and Unmet Cancer Needs among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. Current Oncology.

Gale, A., … & Williams, E. D. (December 2023). A Review of School-Based Interventions for Black Boys’ School Success. The Urban Review.

Gibbons, J. B., McCullough, J. S., Zivin, K., et. al. (February 2024). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Access, Use, and Treatment Outcomes in Medicare. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

Goodwill, J. R. (January 2024). Measuring Hope and Joy Among Black Americans During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Journal of Positive Psychology.

Goodwill, J. R. (February 2024). Reasons for Suicide in Black Young Adults: A latent class analysis. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Goodwill, J. R., & Fike, K. J. (December 2023). Black in the Pandemic: Comparing experiences of mistrust, anxiety, and the COVID-19 vaccine among Black adults in the US. Social Science & Medicine.

Goodwill, J. R., & Hope, M. O. (January 2024). Religion and Suicide in Black Emerging Adults: Examining pathways through hope and meaning in life. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Griffith, D. M., & et. al. (November 2023). Cultural Sensitivity and Cultural Tailoring: Lessons learned and refinements after two decades of incorporating culture in health communication research. Annual Reviews of Public Health.

Griffith, D. M., & et. al. (December 2023). Tailor Made: A pilot virtual weight loss intervention individually tailored for African American men. Health Promotion Practice.

Hall, S. V., Zivin, K., & et. al. (December 2023). Association of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act on Severe Maternal Morbidity. General Hospital Psychiatry.

Hall, S. V., Zivin, K., Piatt, G. A., & et. al. (January 2024). The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Rates Among Michigan Medicaid Enrollees 2012–2018. BMC Health Services Research.

Ivanich, J.,…. Schultz, K.,… & Whitesell, N. R. (December 2023). The Indigenous Connectedness Framework for Understanding the Causes, Consequences, and Solutions to Substance Misuse in Indigenous Children’s Development. Adversity and Resilience Science.

Kim, H. M., … & Zivin, K. (December 2023). Autonomy in Work Location Decision and Burnout in Behavioral Health Providers: Lessons learned from COVID-19. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.

Krings, A.,... Hawkins, J., & Austic, E. (December 2023). How Early Social Work Faculty Experienced Support in their Doctoral Programs. Journal of Social Work Education.

Kuei, L. Y., …, Piatt, G. A., & et. al. (December 2023). Associations Between Hypoglycemia Awareness, Hypoglycemia Beliefs, and Continuous Glucose Monitoring Glycemic Profiles and Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Using Advanced Diabetes Technologies. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

Martinez Jr., R. R., & Ellis, J. M. (December 2023). A National Study Exploring Factors Promoting Adolescent College Readiness in Math and Science (STEM-CR). Educational Researcher.

Opozda, M.J., Galdas, P.M, Watkins, D.C., & Smith, J.A. (February 2024). Intersecting Identities, Diverse Masculinities, and Collaborative Development: Considerations in creating online mental health interventions that work for men. Comprehensive Psychiatry.

Opozda, M. J., … Smith, J. A., & et. al. (February 2024). Facilitators of, Barriers to, and Preferences for E-mental Health Interventions for Depression and Anxiety in Men: Metasynthesis and recommendations. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Petersen, J. M., …, Smith, J. A., & et. al. (January 2024). Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Young Males in Sporting Contexts: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise.

Pfeiffer, P. N., Ganoczy, D., Zivin, K., & et. al. (December 2023). Guideline-concordant Use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in the Veterans Health Administration. Sleep Health.

Rager, T. L.,… & Mmeje, O. (January 2024). “PrEPping” Women’s Healthcare Providers: Motivational interviewing to support ending the HIV epidemic. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Renn, T., Moore, J., Schultz, K., & Veeh, C.A. (March 2023). Comparing Behavioral Health Outcomes and Treatment Utilization of Justice-involved and Non-justice-involved American Indian and Alaska Native Adults. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Saulnier, K. G., … Zivin, K., & et. al. (November 2023). Depression Symptom Outcomes and Re-Engagement Among VA Patients Who Discontinue Care While Symptomatic. General Hospital Psychiatry.

Schultz, K., & et. al. (October 2023). Examining the Longitudinal Relationship Between Metacognitive Beliefs and Psychological Distress in an Adolescent Population: A Preliminary Analysis. Child Psychiatry & Human Development.

Schultz, K., & et. al. (May 2023). Exploring Strengths, Psychological Functioning and Youth Victimization Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in Four Southern States. Child Abuse & Neglect.

Tabb, K. M.,... & Zivin, K. (December 2023). Trends in Psychotherapy Utilization for Perinatal Mental Health 2008-2020. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

Tan, C. Y., Francis-Levin, N.,... Zhang, A.,... & Zebrack, B. (December 2023). Differentiating Gender-Based Reproductive Concerns Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients: A mixed methods study. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology.

Tuitt, N. R.,... Schultz, K., & et. al. (August 2023). Preliminary Findings on Social Networks of American Indian Parents Participating in a Family-based Substance Use Prevention Program with their Children. Journal of Child and Family Studies.

Vance, A. J., … & Zivin, K. (December 2023). Identifying Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) Admissions Using Administrative Claims Data. Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Zivin, K., & et. al. (November 2023). Relationship between Depression and Anxiety during Pregnancy, Delivery-Related Outcomes, and Healthcare Utilization in Michigan Medicaid, 2012–2021. Healthcare.

Assistant Professor Anao Zhang has been named to the 2023 cohort of the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program. Established by the Cambia Health Foundation in 2014, the program advances the next generation of palliative care leaders across a range of disciplines — including nursing, social work, pharmacy, communications, health systems, psychology, and spirituality — with a goal of increasing palliative care access, awareness and quality across the nation. Zhang will receive a two-year, $180,000 grant for his project “Developing and implementing an inclusive and equitable framework to integrate palliative care services in adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology programs.” [From 1/26/24 UM-SSW Friday News]

A research team from the University of Michigan (co-led by Dr. Anao Zhang) and University of Rochester are leading a project funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The purpose of this project is to identify facilitators and barriers to recruiting and engaging underrepresented adolescents and young adults with cancer.

By “underrepresented,” we mean those historically not included in research – specifically BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, plus) adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

If you have any or are interested in the study's eligibility, please reach out to the Project Team at michiganpcoriaya@umich.edu. More information can also be found on the project website here.

Aging Fast & Slow: Reshaping Systems of Discrimination

Explore how neighborhoods and the policies that govern those communities can reveal long-standing issues of racism within our society. This episode features, Dr. Odis Johnson, Jr. from Johns Hopkins University, who is an expert in multiple fields, including health policy, education, and sociology. The podcast discusses how past discriminatory policies still impact us today and why we need significant changes in our systems.



Podcast Description adapted from the Health Equity Podcast Channel