NEW BRUNSWICK (Oct. 30, 2019) — Kathleen J. Pottick, PhD, MSW, MA, LCSW, a core faculty member at Rutgers University’s Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research (IFH) and professor in the School of Social Work, has been selected as a Fellow ofthe American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW).

The academy is an honor society of distinguished scholars and practitioners that serves as a convener of thought leaders, recognizes fellows for their accomplishments that promote social good by advancing the fields of social work and social welfare.

Pottick, a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey, focuses on better understanding and removing the barriers to providing effective mental health services for children and adolescents, and disadvantaged populations. Among other topics, she has investigated racial and ethnic disparities in mental health service use for youths with serious emotional disorders in the United States. She also has analyzed outpatient mental health services for minority inner-city adolescents in Newark, New Jersey.

“I’ve always been interested in the paradox of programs and policies that are meant to help people, but sometimes do not,” Pottick said. “I am thrilled, and very honored to receive this recognition, for me, and for Rutgers.”

“We are extremely proud of Kathy for this remarkable achievement,” said IFH Director Dr. XinQi Dong, MD, MPH. “Her research has contributed greatly to the field of social work and the critical mental health services delivered by the workforce in New Jersey communities, and across the country.”

Pottick’s work has received funding from major government and foundation sources, such as the National Institute of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and has appeared in numerous publications, including Social Service Review, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and American Journal of Psychiatry. Pottick also is on the advisory board of the international social work journal, Ethics and Social Welfare.

Election to AASWSW is by confidential nomination and approval by a supermajority of all members.

Pottick and other newly-elected fellows will receive a medal and plaque during an induction ceremony at the Society for Social Work and Research’s annual conference on Jan. 17, 2020.