April 1: Social Work Research Presentation Series

March 26, 2009

The School of Social Work research presentation series concludes for the spring 2009 semester with a lecture scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 2.132, School of Social Work. The lecture will be held in conjunction with the school's doctoral colloquium. Interested social work faculty, students and staff are encouraged to attend.

Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker

On Wednesday, April 1, Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, will present her NIH K01 research and research trajectory, with a discussion of her R21, in a lecture entitled "Saving Two Birds with One Stone: High Risk Youth Culturally Adapting Evidence-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Programs."

This NIH funded research (1 K01 DA017276-05) investigated the twofold benefits of having high risk youth in community settings (i.e., a juvenile justice day program, a homeless shelter, a variety of alternative schools, low-income housing programs, an LGBTQ youth center, and a youth group on the Texas- Mexico border) systematically make cultural adaptations to an evidence based curriculum. Older youth (N=202) who have already initiated their drug use utilized their personal experiences in the re-creation of scenarios and videos in order to have a better "fit" with their communities.

Holleran Steiker was an addictions therapist for over a dozen years and during her doctoral program she transitioned to research on adolescent substance abuse and prevention. She helped design and evaluate the model Drug Resistance Strategies Project's "keepin' It REAL" curriculum and is presently working on a K01 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of culturally grounded adaptations of that curriculum for high risk youth in community settings.

She received her M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. from Arizona State University School of Social Work. Holleran Steiker joined The Dr. Lori Holleran SteikerDr. Lori Holleran Steiker University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work faculty in 2000. She will be the BSW Program Director as of June 2009. Holleran Steiker is co-editor of the book, "Substance Abusing Latinos." She is also the recipient of the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award given by the Society for Social Work and Research.

For more information, contact: Linda Solomon at the Center for Social Work Research, 512-471-7019, lsolomon@austin.utexas.edu