Research projects at the UT School of Social Work are administered through The Center for Social Work Research (CSWR). The Center was founded in 1974 to provide an environment that facilitates interdisciplinary, scientifically rigorous research endeavors. CSWR has since expanded to a state-wide and nationally recognized research center whose faculty members and researchers are known for their expertise in the areas of substance abuse, child welfare, poverty and welfare reform, domestic violence, mental and behavioral health, and related topics.
CSWR currently administers more than 70 research and training projects funded by various federal, state and foundation sources. CSWR staff provide an array of services to assist faculty and graduate students in the School of Social Work with securing and managing funded research. Services to researchers range from consultation on study design and methods, statistics, data management, and protection of human subjects, to assistance with proposal preparation, budget development, and post-award management.
CSWR Director Dr. Mary M. Velasquez, Associate Dean for Research, is an internationally known NIH-funded behavioral health researcher and trainer. Dr. Velasquez leads the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute at CSWR, which specializes in the development, testing and implementation of interventions addressing behavior change using the Transtheoretical Model and motivational interviewing. Dr. Carol Lewis, Associate Director, has been with CSWR since 1993. Her research involves the evaluation of support services for pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families.
Other institutes at CSWR include the Addiction Research Institute; Child & Family Research Institute; Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Institute for Community Development: US & Abroad; Institute for Grief, Loss, and Family Survival; Institute for Organizational Excellence; Inter-American Institute on Youth Justice; Institute on Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue; and The Texas Institute on Excellence in Mental Health.