Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez

Assistant Professor

Specialties

• Latinx, Immigrant, and LGBTQ+ populations

• Social determinants of health

• Community resistance and liberation

• Community-informed research and solutions

• Culturally responsive mental health approaches

• Diversity training in social work education

faculty details

Bio

Dr. Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez is originally from Puerto Rico, where he started his studies in social work. He completed a BSW from Dalton State College and an MSW with a Clinical Concentration and a PhD in Social Work, both from the University of Georgia. He also has had the opportunity to engage in global social work experiences in various Latin American countries.

Dr. Alvarez-Hernandez’s research focuses on the social determinants of health of Latinx, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities with a particular attention to the liberatory experiences of people living at the intersections of these identities. His teaching and research are informed by over 10 years of experience as a bilingual (English and Spanish) clinical social worker in mental health and healthcare settings, and by critical and feminist theories. Dr. Alvarez-Hernandez teaches courses on direct practice with individuals, families, and groups.

Education

PhD (Social Work)

University of Georgia

Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Graduate Certificate

University of Georgia

MSW (Clinical Practice)

University of Georgia

BSW (Children & Families Concentration)

Dalton State College

Courses

Substance Use Disorders: Assessment and Intervention (SSW CP 809)
Social Work Theory and Practice with Immigrant and Refugee Populations. (SSW HB 743)

Courses

Publications

Publications

Presentations

Presentations

Grants

2024-2025 Multiple Principal Investigator ($250,000)
Project: Advancing Health Equity Through Linguistic Inclusion in Clinical Trials (MPI: Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez)
Funding Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE)

2023-2024 Qualitative Analysis Team Lead ($14,135 Subaward)
Project: South Texas CEAL: Leveraging Community Engagement Strategies to Respond to Emerging Health Related Misinformation and Promote Chronic and Behavioral Health in Underserved Communities in South Texas
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Texas Community Engagement Research Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities

2022-2023 Co-Investigator, Qualitative Aim Team Lead ($390,478)
Project: Community Engagement Strategies for COVID-19: Prevention and Response in Underserved Communities in South Texas
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Texas Community Engagement Research Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities

2022-2023 Principal Investigator ($25,000)
Project: Stigma and Social Support Among HIV+ Latinx LGBTQ+ Individuals and Their Families in South Texas
Funding Source: Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS)- Community Health Initiated Research Partnership (CHIRP) Fellowship, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

2021-2023 Co-Investigator, Qualitative Expert ($85,322)
Project: CEAL Supplement Project 11- Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among High-Risk Hispanic Communities
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Texas Community Engagement Research Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities

Grants

Professional Activities and Certifications

Editorial Board Member, Social Work in Health Care Journal (2024-2026)

Editorial Advisory Board, Routledge Resources Online: Qualitative Methods, Gender and Sexuality section (2021-Present)

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Massachusetts, USA

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Georgia, USA

Professional Activities and Certifications

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