Garcia

Antonio Garcia

Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Kentucky
Chapter Member: Kentucky SSN
Areas of Expertise:

Connect with Antonio

(215) 898-1592

About Antonio

Garcia's research trajectory is informed and enriched by his wealth of experience as a former Child Protective Services Worker and Supervisor in Washington State. Since earning his doctoral degree in Social Welfare at the University of Washington in 2010, his research and publication record to date has focused on understanding epidemiological trends related to children of color’s experiences in foster care; and etiological explanations for their increased risk of out-of-home displacement, and lack of access to and use of effective mental health interventions as compared to their Caucasian counterparts. In addition, his research interests involve addressing the complexities of immigration and child welfare system involvements among Latino youth and families; and understanding how and under what conditions providers and system leaders in child-serving agencies father, interpret, and use to scale-up evidence-based practices. 

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Prepare Schools to Mitigate Trauma

Policy Recommendation,

To Counter Child Abuse, Administrators and Case Workers Need Support to Implement Evidence-Based Improvements

Key Findings Brief,

No Jargon Podcast

Episode 99:
Funding Foster Care

Publications

"Socio-Contextual Determinants of Research Evidence Use in Public-Youth Systems of Care" (with Kim Minseop, Lawrence Palinkas, Lonnie Snowden, and John Landsverk). Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health 43, no. 4 (2016): 569-578.

Underscores the need to identify the organizational and socio-political factors by which mental healths services and resources meet client demands that influence REU, and to recruit and retain providers with a graduate degree to negotiate work demands and interpret research evidence.

"Measuring Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Service Use among Children Referred to the Child Welfare System" (with Kim Minseop). Child Maltreatment 21, no. 3 (2016): 218-227.

Compares different approaches to measuring racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service use among a nationwide representative sample of children referred to the child welfare system and compare the magnitude and direction of potential disparities in mental health service use over time.

"Context Matters: The State of Racial Disparities in Mental Health Services among Youth Reported to Child Welfare in 1999 and 2009" (with Kim Minseop and Christina DeNard). Child and Youth Services Review 66 (2016): 101-108.

Argues that African American youths were less likely to receive services than their Caucasian counterparts, underscoring the need to develop and implement strategies to promote an organizational climate conducive to reducing racial disparities.

"Barriers and Facilitators to Delivering Effective Mental Health Practice Strategies for Youth and Families Served by the Child Welfare System" Children and Youth Services Review 52 (2015): 110-122.

Demonstrates that caseworkers are less likely to experience barriers and facilitators in delivering services to children and families of color at the micro, mezzo, and macro practice levels.