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Faculty Profile

Deborah K. Padgett

Professor of Social Work
Curriculum Vitae
BA Univ of Kentucky; MA Flordia State University; PhD University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee; MPH Columbia University
deborah.padgett@nyu.edu |

bio

Dr. Padgett has a doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and post-doctoral training in public health and psychiatric epidemiology at Columbia University and Duke University, respectively. She is nationally known for her advocacy and practice of qualitative and mixed methods in research. She is the editor of The Handbook of Ethnicity, Aging, and Mental Health (1995) and The Qualitative Research Experience (2004), author of Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research (1998; 2nd edition forthcoming in 2008), and co-author of Program Evaluation (4th ed., 2005). Dr. Padgett has published extensively on mental health needs and service use of the homeless mentally ill, older women, ethnic groups and children/adolescents.

Dr. Padgett was co-principal investigator on two NIMH-funded grants and an NCI-funded mixed methods study of African-American women and breast cancer screening; she was also national Co-Director of the Screening Adherence Follow-up (SAFe) project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1997-2001). She is currently Principal Investigator of The New York Services Study, a $1.4 million qualitative study of dual diagnosed homeless funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The NYSS (2004-2009) is designed to elicit consumer perspectives on recovery and services for homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse.

Dr. Padgett was a charter member of the National Program Committee of the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program. Her expertise in qualitative methods has led to invitations to speak at several NIH-sponsored training institutes and grant proposal reviews. Dr. Padgett has also been an active mentor of other researchers and has served on numerous journal editorial boards. Recently, she has been teaching courses on socio-behavioral health and qualitative/field methods in NYU’s Global Public Health program.

Dr. Padgett has been active in SSWR since its inception and served as a Board Member (2002-2007) and President (2004-2006). She received an unprecedented honor in 2006 when SSWR announced the “Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Fellowship” in recognition of her contributions.

selected recent publications

  • Padgett, D.K. (2008). Qualitative methods in social work research (2nd ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Royse, D., Thyer, B., & Padgett D.K. (2009). Program evaluation (5th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Cengage.
  • Padgett, D.K., Henwood, B., Abrams, C. & Davis, A. (2008). Engagement and retention in care among formerly homeless adults with serious mental illness: Voices from the margins. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 31(3), 226-233.
  • Padgett, D.K., Henwood, B.F., Abrams, C., & Drake, R.E. (2008). Social relationships among persons who have experienced serious mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness: Implications for recovery. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry ,78, 333-339.
  • Padgett, D.K. (2008). Advocacy Research. In The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
  • Padgett, D.K. (2008). Qualitative Methods. In the Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Ed., T. Mizrahi and L. Davis, Editors. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Vourlekis, B., Ell, K. & Padgett, D.K. (2005). Evidence-based assessment in case management to improve abnormal cancer screen follow-up. Health and Social Work, 30, 98-106.
  • Padgett, D.K., Gulcur, L., & Tsemberis, S.(2006). Housing first services for the psychiatrically disabled homeless with co-occurring substance abuse. Research on Social Work Practice, 16, 74-83.
  • Freundlich, M., Avery, R.J., & Padgett, D.K. (2007). Preparation of youth in congregate care for independent living. Child and Family Social Work, 12, 64-72.
  • Padgett, D.K., Hawkins, R.L., Abrams, C., & Davis, A. (2006). In their own words: Trauma and substance abuse in the lives of formerly homeless women with serious mental illness. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(1), 461-467.
  • Padgett, D.K. (2007). Ontological security in the third decade of the ‘homelessness crisis’ in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 64, 1925-1936.
  • Henwood, B. & Padgett, D.K.(2007) The self-medication hypothesis revisited. American Journal on Addictions, 16 (3), 160-165.
  • Freundlich, M., Avery, R.J., & Padgett, D.K (2007). Care or scare: The safety of youth in congregate care in New York City. Child Abuse and Neglect. 31(2), 173-186.
  • Padgett, D.K. (in press). Qualitative Methods. In the Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Ed., T. Mizrahi and L. Davis, Editors. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Padgett, D.K. (in press). Advocacy Research. In The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

presentations

  • Padgett, D.K. (March, 2009). Substance use among dual diagnosed homeless clients in treatment first vs. housing first programs. Integrating Services, Integrating Research for Co-Occurring Conditions: A Need for New Views and Action, Bethesda, MD.
  • Padgett, D.K. (February 2009). In pursuit of social justice: Research, practice and advocacy with homeless mentally ill adults. Keynote speech, Silver School Professional Development Day for First-Year MSW and BSW Students, New York, NY.
  • Padgett, D.K. (January 2009). Qualitative and mixed methods in intervention research. Post-Doctoral Training Program in HIV/AIDs, Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY.
  • Padgett, D.K. (January 2009). Substance abuse as the "missing piece" in outcomes related to housing first: Findings from the New York Services Study. Symposium Organizer and Presenter. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, New Orleans, LA.
  • Padgett, D.K. (January 2009). Doing qualitative research: Balancing flexibility, ethical and practical considerations. Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Pre-Conference Half-Day Workshop, New Orleans, LA.
  • Padgett, D.K. (December, 2008). Writing and doing qualitative research: Experiences from the field. Faculty Development Colloquium, Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY.
  • Padgett, D.K. (October, 2008). Services for dual diagnosed homeless: Implications for dual recovery. American Psychiatric Association, Annual Psychiatric Services Institute, Symposium on Co-Occurring Disorders, Chicago, IL.
  • Padgett, D.K. (May 2008). Recovery among the homeless mentally ill: Findings from the New York Services Study. Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, Dartmouth University Medical School, Hanover, NH.
  • Padgett, D.K. (March 2008). Cumulative adversity and recovery over the life course. Center on Mental Health and Aging, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.