Associate Professor
West Chester University
Dr. Kerrie Ocasio is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Social Work Department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The purpose of her research is to: 1) understand the effects of foster care and legal or relational permanency on children and families, 2) improve the quality of services provided by child welfare agencies and related systems, and 3) contribute to racial and economic justice in the child welfare system. Dr. Ocasio utilizes implementation science and help-seeking behavior theories, models, and frameworks (TMF) to understand intervention delivery and participation as running sub-themes in her research. She uses quantitative and qualitative methods as appropriate to the research question, often engaging in a mixed methods approach, and has conducted non-experimental, quasi-experimental, and experimental studies. Dr. Ocasio’s research is informed by her work in child welfare practice and policy, including early childhood home visiting, school-linked services, child protection and family drug court services, as well as program development and strategic planning. She holds an MSW from Fordham University and obtained her Ph.D. in Social Work from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Prior to joining the faculty at West Chester University, she was an Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers University.
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