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Namkee G. Choi, Ph.D.Professor |
School of Social Work: |
Professional Interests
Social Policy for older persons (Social Security and Supplemental Security Income); Social gerontology (long-term care; service utilization; minority aging); Program evaluation.
Education
- Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley
- MSW, University of Minnesota
- MA, Ewha Women's University, Seoul, Korea
- BA, Ewha Women's University, Seoul, Korea
About
Dr. Namkee Choi is a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Choi is a gerontologist and Scholar of the Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Her current research focuses on depression in late life and the development and evaluation of effective psychosocial interventions for depressive symptoms among both community-dwelling and institutionalized older adults. Dr. Choi's other areas of research include disparities in health status and healthcare utilization, program evaluation, minority aging, and social policy for the aging population. Dr. Choi teaches social policy and research methods at the graduate level.
Dr. Choi serves on the editorial board the Journal of Gerontological Social Work and Journal of Poverty and as an expert reviewer for several professional journals in gerontology and social work. She is the author/co-author of two books and editor of two books and has published extensively in gerontology journals. Dr. Choi is active as a member of the National Advisory Committees of the Hartford Geriatric Doctoral Fellowship Program and the Hartford Faculty Scholars Program. She is also a national research mentor for the latter program.
Dr. Choi is originally from Korea where she had her master's degree in social work and worked at the Planned Parenthood of Korea and was a part-time lecturer for undergraduate social work students. Since she came to the United States in 1981, Dr. Choi received her MSW degree from the University of Minnesota and Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley. While she was at UC Berkeley, Dr. Choi worked for the Mental Health Research Group for three years as a research assistant. Dr. Choi's social work practice experience in the United States has included advocacy for and direct work with long-term care residents and homebound older adults. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Meals on Wheels and More program as a grocery shopper for homebound older adults and for a local food pantry in Austin.
Teaching
Office Hours:
Visit the School's Electronic Classroom for course list and syllabi.
Research Projects
Completed projects have the year of completion.
- Understanding Long-term Care Planning Behavior of Baby-Boom Aged Adults: Hartford Fellowship in Geriatric Social Work (2010)
- A Feasibility Study of Short-Term Depression Treatment for Homebound Older Adults (2009)
- Autonomy in the Face of Depression in Nursing Homes: What Do Nursing Home Residents and Staff Have to Say about the Residents' Depression and Intervention Needs? (2007)
- Mental Health Needs of Low-Income Older Texans: A Pilot Study of Assessment of Depressive Symtomatology and Preferred Treatments (2006)
- The Adult Protective Services Client Assessment and Risk Evaluation Form (APS CARE form) Validation Study (2006)
- Assessment of Depression Needs of Low-Income Older Adults: Informal Caregivers' and Social Service Providers' Perspectives (2005)
- Practitioners' Perspectives on Retention Problems among Geriatric Mental Health Clients (2004)
Selected Refereed Journal Articles
Choi, N. G. & Kim, J. (2007). Age Group Differences in Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults with Functional Impairments. Health & Social Work, 32.
Choi, N. G. & McDougall, G. (2007). Comparison of Depressive Symptoms between Homebound Older Adults and Ambulatory Older Adults. Aging & Mental Health, Vol. 11 (3), 310-322.
Choi, N. & Morrow-Howell, N. (2007). Older Adults' Attitudes Toward Depression Treatment: Within-Group Differences. Aging & Mental Health, Vol. 11 (4), 422-433.
Choi, N. G., Burr, J. A., Mutchler, J. E. & Caro, F. G. (2007). Formal and Informal Volunteer Activity and Spousal Caregiving among Older Adults. Research on Aging, 29 (2), 1-26.
Choi, N, G., & Bohman, T. M. (2007). Predicting the changes in depressive symptomatology in later life: How much do changes in health status, marital and caregiving status, work and volunteering, and health-related behaviors contribute? Journal of Aging and Health 19 (1), 152-177.
Burr, J. A., Choi, N. G., Mutchler, J. E. & Caro, F. G. (2005). Caregiving and Volunteering: Are Private and Public Helping Behaviors Linked? Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 60B (5), S247-S256.
Choi, N. G. & Gonzalez, J. (2005). Barriers and Contributors to Minority Older Adults' Access to Mental Health Treatment: Perceptions of Geriatric Mental Health Clinicians. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 44 (3/4), 115-135.
Choi, N. G. & Gonzalez, J. (2005). Geriatric Mental Health Clinicians' Perceptions of Barriers and Contributors to Retention of Older Minorities. Clinical Gerontologist, 28 (3), 3-2
Choi, N. G. & Smith, J. (2004). Reaching out to Racial/Ethnic Minority Elders for the Elderly Nutrition Programs.Ê Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly. 24 (1), 89-104.
Choi, N. G. (2004). Living Arrangement Transitions among Older Persons: The Influence of Housing Characteristics. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 18 (2), 69-89.
Choi, N. G. (2003). Coresidence between Unmarried Aging Parents and Their Adult Children: Who Moved in with Whom and Why? Research on Aging 25 (4), 384-404.
Choi, N. G. (2003). Determinants of Self-Assessment of Changes in Health Status among Pre- and Early-Retirement Populations.Ê International Journal of Aging and Human Development 56 (3), 195-220.
Choi, N. G. (2003). Predictors of Stability and Changes in Self-Reported Work Disability among Pre- and Early-retirement populations. Journal of Aging and Social Policy, 15(1), 11-31.
Choi, N. G. (2002). Asian American Elderly Participants in Congregate Dining Programs: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly 21(3), 1-13.
Choi, N.G. (2002). Self-Defined Retirement Status and Engagement in Paid Work among Older Working-Age Women: Comparison between Childless Women and Mothers. Sociological Inquiry 72(1), 43-71.
Choi, N. G. (2001). Frail Older Persons in Nutrition Supplement Programs: A Comparative Study of African American, Asian American, and Hispanic Participants. Journal of Gerontological Social Work 36 (1/2), 187-207.
Choi, N. G. & Schlichting-Ray, L. (2001). Predictors of Transitions in Disease and Disability Among the Pre- and Early-Retirement Populations. Journal of Aging and Health. 13(3), 379-409.
Choi, N. G. (2001). Relationship between Postretirement Employment and Life Satisfaction Among Older Women. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 52(1), 45-70.
Book Publications
Choi, N. G. (Ed., 2002) Social Work Practice with the Asian American Elderly. Binghamton, NY: Haworth
Choi, N. G. (Ed., 2001). Psychosocial Aspects of the Asian American Experience: Diversity within Diversity. Binghamton, NY: Haworth.
Choi, N. G. & Snyder, L. J. (1999). Homeless Families with Children: The Subjective Experience of Homelessness. New York: Springer.
Mui, A., Choi, N. G., & Monk, A. (1998). Long-Term Care and Ethnicity. Westport, CN: Auburn House.