Research News
Baylor University has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) to drive transformative local initiatives aimed at bolstering food security, advancing sustainable agriculture and enhancing climate resilience in Waco’s underserved communities.
At this year's CSWE Annual Convention, members of our Garland School family had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City and present their research to the larger Social Work community. We are so proud of the research being done by GSSW faculty, students, and alumni, and we invite you to check out the important topics that they've been studying!
The Garland School was well represented at the 2024 NACSW Annual Convention this year. The gathering saw many GSSW faculty, students, and alumni present research on some of today's most significant topics in the field of social work. Much of the work that was demonstrated at the conference was centered around our 10th Competency - which we are so proud of! Come and explore the wide array of cutting-edge research topics that our Garland School community is bringing before social workers at the national level.
Before she came to know Baylor as a student, Lucy Huh, a doctoral candidate in Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, was first introduced to Baylor through the late Diana R. Garland – the namesake and inaugural dean of Baylor’s School of Social Work – and her pioneering research on clergy sexual abuse of adults.
Through U.S. Department of Education funding, Professor Carrie Arroyo, LCSW, alongside Mary Zane Nelson, LCSW, and Dr. Stephanie Boddie, launched the Partnering for Heart of Texas Mental Health project. This initiative focuses on improving mental and emotional well-being for Waco ISD and Transformation Waco students. Six MSW clinical interns are providing school-based mental health services, with a Clinical School Social Work certificate program in development. This project is positively impacting students, families, and the community by increasing access to holistic and culturally inclusive mental health care on school campuses.
Dr. Elissa Madden, contracted by the Texas Supreme Court Children’s Commission, evaluated the McLennan County Parent Advocacy Program (PAP), which provides child welfare-related legal services to help families navigate CPS investigations and prevent child removals. Madden’s evaluation found that the program served 51 clients and prevented 91 children from entering foster care. Through interviews and surveys, the evaluation highlighted the program’s success in addressing custody modifications, CPS defenses, and family law matters. Madden emphasized the need for similar programs in other communities to provide critical legal support to families facing CPS involvement.
Dr. Gaynor Yancey, with funding from Fellowship Southwest, selects and trains MSW students at Baylor to work with congregations, strengthening ministries, deepening faith, and fostering community transformation. The project enables students to conduct congregational research, raising awareness of resources available for congregational growth. Program Manager Erin Albin Hill highlights how students integrate faith with social work practice. Upon the project's completion in July 2024, 13 students will have participated, many now serving in roles supporting congregations and community development across the country.
Dr. Gaynor Yancey, leading the Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) at Baylor, collaborated with congregations on Accompaniment, Trauma Care, and LGBTQ+ Discernment through the Baugh Foundation’s Building Resilient Congregations initiative. This research pilot focuses on fostering belonging, resiliency, and strengths in spiritual communities using an evidence-based curriculum and peer-learning model. Early results from the 2023 mid-year evaluation indicate positive impacts, with congregations benefiting from humble curiosity, self-awareness, and strengths-based approaches in navigating challenging conversations.
In 2023, over 30,000 U.S. youth faced homelessness without a guardian, with 20% escaping domestic violence. Partnering with the Klaras Center for Families' Homeless Youth Safety Net Project, Dr. Cheryl Pooler evaluated the Chase House, a transitional housing facility in Central Texas. This program, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supports youth by fostering human connection, amplifying their voices in decision-making, and promoting high school graduation. Testimonials from Chase House youth highlight its transformative role in providing stability, life skills, and support during critical life transitions
Dr. Jinyu Liu, in collaboration with Dr. Clara Li, is studying the impact of immigration experiences on cognitive outcomes among older Chinese immigrants to the U.S., aiming to develop tailored interventions for Alzheimer's prevention.
A Texas initiative, led by Baylor University, trains professionals in Motivational Interviewing (MI) to support commercially sexually exploited youth. With 12 certified trainers statewide, the program helps victims heal and explore new life paths through specialized intervention techniques.
GSSW PhD Student and Research Fellow Heather Deal alongside Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM), is working together with Dr. Yancey to build an assessment tool for congregations and, ultimately, a curriculum that can be used to work towards creating an environment within their congregation that is one in which women in ministry are not only accepted but thriving.