Alicia Mendez

Research Assistant Professor

Specialties

• Intergenerational trauma

• Post-traumatic growth

• Child sexual abuse

• Child welfare services and policy

• Narrative inquiry

• First-generation college students

Alicia Mendez
areas of expertise:
Children, Youth, and Families|Program Evaluation Methods|Racial Justice|Trauma and Violence|
department: Macro Practice
email: mendezam@bu.edu
twitter: @alicitadelfina
download cv

faculty details

Bio

Alicia Mendez is a research assistant professor at Boston University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on intergenerational trauma, child sexual abuse prevention, and the child welfare system. She combines various qualitative methods with Attachment and Post-Traumatic Growth theories to explore how trauma impacts each member of the parent-child dyad over time, carefully focusing on strength and growth that occurs following a traumatic event. Related to this focus, she also explores parent-infant mental health practices and how policies are implemented at the organizational and client level within agencies that focus on trauma-informed care. By building partnerships with public and private agencies, her goal is to prioritize understanding and knowledge-sharing about policies and programs that can improve the well-being of families by centering their voices in the research.

Mendez is a proud social worker. Her passion to the field has kept her committed to advocacy and it guides her teaching philosophy. She served the Society for Social Work and Research’s (SSWR) Board of Directors as its Student-Director at Large from 2020-2022. Alongside SSWR’s Doctoral Student Committee, she co-led a national letter-writing campaign urging the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) to add Anti-Racist Education to its Educational Policy Accreditation Standards (EPAS). In July of 2022, these efforts were rewarded with CSWE’s final draft of their EPAS which includes the newest competency entitled Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice. Her academic service also includes co-facilitating and co-creating “Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education,” a series led by and created for doctoral students for The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work. These advocacy efforts directly impacted social work education. As an educator her teaching philosophy is rooted in relational and reflective processes. She is committed to pushing students to critically examine social work practice and research of the past, present, and future while providing students with the tools to engage in advocacy.

News & Media

3 BUSSW Faculty Awarded Small Research Grants

3 BUSSW Faculty Awarded Small Research Grants

BUSSW at SSWR: Presentations & Community-Building at 2025 Annual Conference

IRP Awards Profs. Mendez & Treitler $50k for Research on Families in Child Welfare System with Substance Use Disorder

Refinery29: Prof. Mendez on Why Latinas Are Overrepresented in the Foster Care System

read all Mendez news

Education

PhD (Social Work)

Rutgers University

MSW

Rutgers University

BA (Psychology & English)

University of Washington

Courses

Family Policy (SSW WP 720)
Foundations in Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice, Programs, & Policy (SSW IS 805)

Courses

Family Policy (SSW WP 720)
Foundations in Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice, Programs, & Policy (SSW IS 805)

Publications

Mendez, A., Bosk, E. A., Keller, A. Williams-Butler, A., Hardan, T., & MacKenzie, M. (2023). Expanding the trauma-informed care measurement toolkit: An evaluation of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-45) scale with SUD workers in PIMH. Behavioral Sciences, 13(6), 471-484. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13060471
DelJones, G M., Pomales, H., Rodriguez, E. Y., Mendez, A., Bosk, E., & MacKenzie, M. (2022). Vaccine hesitancy and trauma-informed care: Developing a sensitive organizational response. Zero to Three, 42(3), 11-18. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/4327-vaccine-hesitancy-and-trauma-informed-care-developing-a-sensitive-organizational-response

Bowden. C. F., Simmel, C., Mendez, A., Yu, M., Neese-Todd, S., & Crystal, S., (2022). The complexity of psychotropic medication prescription and treating trauma among youth in foster care: Perspectives from the lived experience. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01203-4

Tiderington, E., Bosk. E. A., & Mendez, A. (2021). Negotiating child protection mandates in Housing First for families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 115, 105014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105014

Williams-Butler, A., Golden, K., Mendez, A., & Stevens, B. (2020). Intersectionality and child welfare policy: Implications for Black women, children and families. Child Welfare, 98(4), 75-95. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48623697

Mendez, A. (2016). First-generation college students and adversity: Mechanisms of coping compared to continuing-generation college students. McNair Scholars Journal, 221-240. http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/JournalSummer2016-TS-CL.pdf?_ga=2.123224203.1265223923.1664485966-255349849.1664485966

Publications

Mendez, A., Bosk, E. A., Keller, A. Williams-Butler, A., Hardan, T., & MacKenzie, M. (2023). Expanding the trauma-informed care measurement toolkit: An evaluation of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-45) scale with SUD workers in PIMH. Behavioral Sciences, 13(6), 471-484. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13060471
DelJones, G M., Pomales, H., Rodriguez, E. Y., Mendez, A., Bosk, E., & MacKenzie, M. (2022). Vaccine hesitancy and trauma-informed care: Developing a sensitive organizational response. Zero to Three, 42(3), 11-18. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/4327-vaccine-hesitancy-and-trauma-informed-care-developing-a-sensitive-organizational-response

Bowden. C. F., Simmel, C., Mendez, A., Yu, M., Neese-Todd, S., & Crystal, S., (2022). The complexity of psychotropic medication prescription and treating trauma among youth in foster care: Perspectives from the lived experience. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01203-4

Tiderington, E., Bosk. E. A., & Mendez, A. (2021). Negotiating child protection mandates in Housing First for families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 115, 105014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105014

Williams-Butler, A., Golden, K., Mendez, A., & Stevens, B. (2020). Intersectionality and child welfare policy: Implications for Black women, children and families. Child Welfare, 98(4), 75-95. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48623697

Mendez, A. (2016). First-generation college students and adversity: Mechanisms of coping compared to continuing-generation college students. McNair Scholars Journal, 221-240. http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/JournalSummer2016-TS-CL.pdf?_ga=2.123224203.1265223923.1664485966-255349849.1664485966

Presentations

Mendez, A., Treitler, P. Kautz, S., Bosk, E., Bowden, C., & Crystal, S. (2023). Application of rapid analysis methods in qualitative social qork and health research. Poster presentation at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A., Berger-Cardoso, J., Boyd, R., Kim, M., Pryce, J., & Sarantakos, S. (2022). Perspectives on abolition: Social work’s role in and response to the abolitionist movement. Doctoral student symposium at the Annual Meeting for Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A., Bonds-Grocher, K., Taylor, M., & Washington, D. (2021). Anti-racist pedagogy in social work doctoral education: A series led by and created for doctoral students. Student and faculty session. Oral presentation and discussion virtually hosted by The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.

Mendez, A., Belkin-Martinez, D., Brade-Stennis, K., Khetarpal, R., & Walton, Q. (2021). Social work’s response to collective trauma. Doctoral student symposium at the Annual Meeting for Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A. (2021). First-Generation college students turned doctoral students: Support needed and received. Poster session at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A. (2021). Examining the health and wellbeing of racial and ethnic minority youth: The role of multiple contexts and experiences. Oral presentation at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Gale, A., & Mendez. A. (2021). Examining the effectiveness of a college access program for Black and Latinx youth. Symposium session at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Presentations

Mendez, A., Treitler, P. Kautz, S., Bosk, E., Bowden, C., & Crystal, S. (2023). Application of rapid analysis methods in qualitative social qork and health research. Poster presentation at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A., Berger-Cardoso, J., Boyd, R., Kim, M., Pryce, J., & Sarantakos, S. (2022). Perspectives on abolition: Social work’s role in and response to the abolitionist movement. Doctoral student symposium at the Annual Meeting for Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A., Bonds-Grocher, K., Taylor, M., & Washington, D. (2021). Anti-racist pedagogy in social work doctoral education: A series led by and created for doctoral students. Student and faculty session. Oral presentation and discussion virtually hosted by The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.

Mendez, A., Belkin-Martinez, D., Brade-Stennis, K., Khetarpal, R., & Walton, Q. (2021). Social work’s response to collective trauma. Doctoral student symposium at the Annual Meeting for Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A. (2021). First-Generation college students turned doctoral students: Support needed and received. Poster session at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Mendez, A. (2021). Examining the health and wellbeing of racial and ethnic minority youth: The role of multiple contexts and experiences. Oral presentation at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Gale, A., & Mendez. A. (2021). Examining the effectiveness of a college access program for Black and Latinx youth. Symposium session at the Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Grants

2021 - SECC Dissertation Research Funding Award, The Society for Research in Child Development

2016-2018 -Graduate School of Excellence Diversity Fellowship, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Grants

2021 - SECC Dissertation Research Funding Award, The Society for Research in Child Development

2016-2018 -Graduate School of Excellence Diversity Fellowship, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Professional Activities and Certifications

2020-2022 - Doctoral Student Director at Large Board Member, Society for Social Work Research, Washington, DC.

2020-2022 - Chair, Doctoral Student Committee. Society for Social Work Research, Washington, DC.

2020-2021 - The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, Co-Facilitator and Co-Creator of Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education: A series led by and created for doctoral students.

2020 - Contributor, Council for Social Work Education Task Force to Advance Anti-Racism, Alexandria, VA.

2019-2020 - Graduate Student Mentor, Ronald E. McNair, TRIO Programs, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Professional Activities and Certifications

2020-2022 - Doctoral Student Director at Large Board Member, Society for Social Work Research, Washington, DC.

2020-2022 - Chair, Doctoral Student Committee. Society for Social Work Research, Washington, DC.

2020-2021 - The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, Co-Facilitator and Co-Creator of Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education: A series led by and created for doctoral students.

2020 - Contributor, Council for Social Work Education Task Force to Advance Anti-Racism, Alexandria, VA.

2019-2020 - Graduate Student Mentor, Ronald E. McNair, TRIO Programs, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Awards and Honors

2022 - Award for Anti-Racist Leadership and Service, The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work,

2021 - Student Award for Leadership and Service, The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work,

Awards and Honors

2022 - Award for Anti-Racist Leadership and Service, The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work,

2021 - Student Award for Leadership and Service, The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work,
see more of our faculty
View all faculty