David C. Turner III Receives 2025 Marie O. Weil Best Article Award Award recognizes Turner’s research on the lived experiences of Black youth and systems of punishment.

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David C. Turner III is an Assistant Professor of Black Life and Racial Justice in the Department of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. He is also a faculty affiliate with the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, and the faculty director of the Million Dollar Hoods Project on campus. Turner is this year’s winner of the Marie O. Weil Outstanding Scholarship Award, co-sponsored by the Association of Community Organizations and Social Administration (ACOSA) and Taylor & Francis Publishing.  

Turner’s article, “To Me, it Kind of Felt Normal”-Defining the Normalcy of Carcerality with Black Men, Boys, and Youth Workers,” draws on dozens of interviews with Black male youth activists and examines how Black boys and young men experience the normalcy of carcerality—the everyday presence of carceral power and control in their lives. 

Headshot of assistant professor David C. Turner III“This award is an incredible honor and a testament to the value of community-driven research. I’d like to thank the selection committee, and I’d especially like to thank the young people and community partners who participated in this project. Oftentimes, the experiences of Black male youth are told through the lens of others, especially with a framing that positions them as just “receiving” the impact of social institutions. This article, and my work more broadly, speaks to how important agency is in transforming the punishment-driven conditions that Black boys and young men who work to change their communities have declared as normal. Those young people and their peers are unnormalizing carceral culture every day.” 

The Marie O. Weil Outstanding Scholarship Award recognizes outstanding scholarship published in the Journal of Community Practice and is based on contributions to the field, scholarly approach, and promotion of macro practice values. 

Closing Gaps in Mental Health Care: Tamika Lewis MSW ’05 on Creating Healing Spaces for Women of Color UCLA Luskin alumna transforms personal loss into a mission-driven practice to empower women.

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by Peaches Chung

Walking into Women of Color Therapy (WOC Therapy), you feel a sense of peace, as if you’ve arrived somewhere that knows you. The living spaces, infused with color, texture and life, mirror the holistic approach Tamika Lewis MSW ’05 brings to her work: healing that honors both mind and soul, culture and community. 

Walk up the brick pathway and into a charming home, where a spacious living room centers around a grand fireplace. Colorful artwork adorns the walls, paying homage to ancestral heritage and healing. In the backyard, the garden serves as a gathering place for yoga retreats and healing workshops. 

This is WOC Therapy, the intentional, communal wellness center founded by Tamika Lewis. 

Women sit on the floor in the back garden of WOC Therapy and Wellness center, having a meditation session in the outdoor spaces.

As the founder and clinical director, Lewis leads a holistic practice dedicated to providing culturally competent mental health care for women and teens of color. Her approach blends evidence-based modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR and Somatic Therapy with ancestral healing, storytelling and movement. For Lewis, the mission of WOC Therapy is deeply personal.  

“The inspiration for WOC Therapy came from my own personal struggles with mental health,” Lewis says. “In college, two of my closest friends died by suicide. One of those students was Jennifer Paek, a fellow MSW student at UCLA. The grief of losing her made me ask hard questions.” 

That moment of loss became a catalyst for Lewis’ work. What was an experience of profound grief transformed into a calling.  

“I felt driven to create a space where women of color could put down the facade of perfection and show up authentically,” she says. “How can I be honest with myself about the mental health challenges I battled in secret? Why aren’t we talking about mental health in our communities?” 

Those questions became the framework for her work at WOC Therapy, located in the San Fernando Valley. “WOC Therapy was my answer to that gap — a space rooted in clinical excellence, as well as cultural wisdom, community and joy.”  

The wellness center feels more like a home than a clinic, where each room has been thoughtfully transformed into a space for conversation and community. Gone are the sterile walls of a traditional counseling office; in their place is a setting that feels familiar, inviting and safe. 

“Imagine being able to heal and release trauma that no longer belongs to you,” says Lewis — a guiding vision that shapes every corner of her practice. 

Headshot of Tamika Lewis MSW Alumna

Lewis’ path to social work began at Westmont College, where she studied English and sociology, and continued through her master’s in social work at UCLA. At UCLA Luskin, she was recognized with the National Association of Social Workers Student Award and the UCLA MSW Excellence Award, honors that highlighted both her academic dedication and her commitment to social equity.  

“My experience as an MSW student at UCLA shaped so much of who I am today,” she says. “I felt at home among my peers and professors, who welcomed my ambitious ideas and desire to drive change in my community. It was an empowering experience.” 

Launching her own wellness center, however, was not without challenges. Stepping away from a stable job as a school counselor, Lewis navigated the uncertainties of entrepreneurship while being a single mom. She credits the “Tiny Moves” approach — the focus of her upcoming book “Tiny Moves: The Defining Moments that Change Us” — for helping her make small, consistent steps toward her goals. “Success isn’t always about big leaps. It’s about staying true to your vision and action, even when fear is present.”

To current social work students at Luskin dreaming of creating community-centered practices, she advises: “Trust your body wisdom. Those quiet nudges you feel are often the beginnings of your most powerful work. Don’t wait until everything feels perfect — take tiny moves in the direction of your vision.” 

For Lewis, social work is not just a career but a responsibility — to her community and to the future of mental health equity. Through WOC Therapy, she has turned personal pain into a powerful purpose, proving that even in the wake of incredible loss, healing and hope are possible. 

Perception vs. Reality: UCLA Luskin’s Jorja Leap Talks Crime Coverage with ABC7

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Social Welfare Professor Jorja Leap was quoted in an ABC7 News story examining crime trends in Los Angeles. While data shows violent and property crimes are down 17% in the city, Leap explained that the rise of social media, true crime entertainment, and political rhetoric amplify fear, creating a perception of rising crime despite the statistics.

“I think we’ve got a collective PTSD, and I’m not being flippant,” Leap said.

“You go to divert yourself, and what do you watch? A murder mystery,” Leap added.

Firearm Suicides Are Increasing Among Older Women at an Alarming Rate

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While firearm suicides are higher among older men than older women, a new study found that this method of suicide is rising sharply among women 65 and older, underscoring the need for increased mental health support for older populations.

Older men are 13 times more likely to die by firearm suicide than women, but a new study by UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Boston University School of Public Health has found that suicides by gun are increasing rapidly among older women.

Firearms were involved in nearly 40 percent of suicides among older women from 2014-2023, up from 34.9 percent in 2014, according to the study in JAMA Network Open. Women represent nearly half of all new gun owners in the United States; as female gun ownership surges across many states, these findings highlight a need to better understand the immediate and long-term consequences of firearm suicides among older women, as well as develop tailored interventions to mitigate firearm suicides among all older adults.

“Based on the most recent decade of federal data on firearm mortality, we found alarmingly high proportions of firearm suicides to all suicides among both older women and older men, and the trend among older women outpaced that of older men,” says study lead and corresponding author Ziming Xuan, professor of community health sciences at BUSPH.

The research team, which included senior author Mark Kaplan, research professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and coauthor William Xuan, a student at Brookline High School in Brookline, Mass., analyzed firearm suicide data among older adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team calculated the ratio of firearm suicides to all suicides, by sex and by state, for each year between January 2014 and December 2023.

More than 90 percent of the 63,599 individuals ages 65 and older who died by firearm suicide in the US during this decade were men. For older women, the proportion of firearm suicides to all suicides increased by approximately five percentage points, to 38.5 percent, reversing a steady decline that had begun in 1991. Even though older men had substantially higher firearm suicide rates than older women, the rates among older men remained relatively stable throughout the study period.

This disparity in firearm suicides between men and women was surprising, says Kaplan, and the findings reflect the unique risks that older gun owners face. Firearm suicide is the leading method of suicide for adults 65 and older, and as the population of older Americans continues to increase, firearm suicide rates may remain high without proper interventions to reverse these trends. A combination of physical, mental, and social factors may influence gun ownership and suicidal ideation among this age group, such as chronic illness and pain, depression, stress, loneliness, financial concerns, and greater access to guns, among other reasons.

“Firearms have become a disturbingly common method of suicide for older adults, both men and women,” Kaplan says. “When firearms are involved, older adults are less likely to survive a suicide attempt, as the chances of rescue in these situations are significantly reduced.”

Notably, the researchers found that the proportion of firearm suicides to all suicides varied substantially by state, with southern states generally encompassing the greatest proportion of suicides by gun. Alabama and Mississippi maintained the highest proportions of firearm suicides for both men (92.7 percent and 91.3 percent, respectively) and women (68.1 percent and 68 percent, respectively).

“States with stricter firearm laws, such as New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and California, tended to have fewer firearm-related suicides among older adults,” Kaplan says.

Policies and programs that address the disproportionate rates of depression and other mental health conditions among this population should remain a public health priority, the researchers say. “Healthcare providers should engage older patients experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts by inquiring about their access to firearms,” says Kaplan. “Open discussions regarding firearm safety can be a crucial step in ensuring their well-being.”

The proportion of older adults in the US is expected to grow from 17.3 percent in 2022 to 21.6 percent by 2040, with women accounting for the largest share of this increase. “As older women account for the majority of an aging population in the United States, it is crucial to provide enhanced access to mental health care for older adults, particularly in states with high levels of firearm ownership,” Xuan says.

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About UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs brings together the fields of social welfare, urban planning, and public policy to advance solutions for society’s most pressing problems. With a strong focus on community engagement, equity, and research-informed action, the School plays a central role in shaping public discourse and practice in California and beyond.

About Boston University School of Public Health

Founded in 1976, Boston University School of Public Health is one of the top ten ranked schools of public health in the world. It offers master’s- and doctoral-level education in public health. The faculty in six departments conduct policy-changing public health research around the world, with the mission of improving the health of populations—especially the disadvantaged, underserved, and vulnerable—locally and globally.

 

UCLA MSW Student Francisco Villarruel’s Summer in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office Francisco Villarruel applied his social work training to policy and community engagement at his summer internship.

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by Francisco Villarruel

This summer, I had the privilege of serving as an intern at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Economic and Opportunity, under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Brenda Shockley. My primary role was to oversee the Early Childhood Education Student Advancement Program (ECE-SAP) for participants aged 50 and older. This work encompassed recruitment, outreach, data tracking, and cross-sector collaboration with both public and private partners. One highlight was coordinating the culmination ceremony for a graduating cohort—a celebration of perseverance and community impact.

The Mayor’s Office provided me with a front-row seat to the intersection of policy, systems thinking, and social work. Much of our work involves analyzing how local, national, and global models—such as theories of change and return on investment (ROI)—can be adapted to Los Angeles. A defining moment this summer was engaging in critical discussions about how to improve employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, including the push to revitalize California’s Clean Slate Act (SB 731). Another milestone was attending an all-staff meeting with Mayor Karen Bass, whose passion for defending democracy and serving Angelenos reaffirmed why I chose this field.

Beyond Los Angeles, I had the honor of representing UCLA Luskin’s MSW program at a global gathering in New York. Meeting delegates from across the world provided fresh perspectives and long-lasting connections. It was striking to hear how leaders from other countries view the challenges facing the United States, and how our own struggles compare with nations still ravaged by war.

I was particularly inspired by conversations about Mexico City’s innovative approach to reducing cartel recruitment. Before becoming President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo served as Mayor of Mexico City, leading policies that offered annual scholarships to students for each grade completed. This strategy dramatically decreased cartel recruitment among youth. As mayor, she also lowered the city’s homeless population to roughly 30,000—remarkable progress for a city of over 20 million residents. In contrast, Los Angeles, with a population of 3 million, faces over 43,000 unhoused individuals in the city and more than 72,000 across the county. These comparisons highlight the potential of evidence-based, people-centered policy to create lasting change.

This summer deepened my belief in being a multi-layered professional—combining policy work, community engagement, and future aspirations in clinical social work, forensic gang expertise, and global consulting. Whether in Los Angeles, New York, or learning from Mexico, the mission remains the same: to foster systems that uplift communities, dismantle barriers, and create sustainable opportunities for all.

Jorja Leap on Building Trust and Lasting Change in Watts 60 Years After the Riots Leap underscores the need for genuine respect and trust-building, rather than symbolic gestures alone.

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Nearly six decades after the 1965 Watts Riots, sparked by a routine traffic stop that spiraled into six days of violence and civil unrest, the South Los Angeles community has seen pockets of progress, from improved healthcare access to innovative community policing efforts. Yet, for many residents, deep challenges remain: fragile trust with law enforcement, persistent violence, and limited pathways to economic opportunity.

While demographics have shifted and some progress has been made, Watts continues to struggle with issues of poverty and underfunding, with local leaders emphasizing that real change requires sustained public investment,

UCLA Luskin social welfare professor Jorja Leap, who is on the board of the Watts Gang Task Force and Chair the Research and Evaluation Center, stresses that meaningful progress in Watts requires far more than community events like National Night Out or youth outings organized by law enforcement. For there to be meaningful change, “the LAPD and the Sheriff’s Department have to stop being badge-heavy,” Leap told the Los Angeles Daily News. “Day in and day out, they have to act as respectful partners. As long as we have people being stopped without cause, whether they are Black or Brown, we have a problem. And all the National Nights Out isn’t going to matter.”

Fernando Torres-Gil highlights systemic gaps in long-term elder Torres-Gil describes the U.S. long-term care system as “a huge for-profit industry."

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Fernando Torres-Gil, professor of social welfare and public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging, was quoted in a recent Los Angeles Times article examining the rising costs of in-home elder care — which can reach up to $18,600 per month in Southern California. Torres-Gil described the U.S. long-term care system as “a huge for-profit industry,” emphasizing that America remains “behind the curve” compared to other countries that offer universal long-term care support. He described the American care system as “a huge for‑profit industry,” noting that unlike many other developed nations, the U.S. lacks universal long-term care financing—a failure that has left “Americans behind the curve.”

UCLA Luskin Doctoral Student is Finalist in UCLA Health Equity Challenge Qianyun Wang is one of 15 finalists turning ideas into action in the 2025 competition.

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The UCLA Health Equity Challenge is a competition that provides UCLA graduate students the opportunity to turn their ideas into action. Entrants are invited to develop solutions to address health equity issues in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Participating students are asked to submit an idea to solve a health inequity that a community-based organization (CBO) can implement and up to 15 finalists are selected to turn their ideas into full project proposals and over the course of 15 weeks, work with a mentor and select a CBO to work with. Each of the 15 selected finalists also receive a $2,500 stipend.

The Health Equity Challenge is run by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and sponsored by The MolinaCares Accord (MolinaCares), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California (Molina), and the California Health Care Foundation.

Finalist Qianyun Wang is a third-year PhD in Social Welfare student at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her Health Equity Challenge project is an art therapy program that uses Photovoice techniques such as sharing photos and storytelling to help older Chinese immigrants express their experiences with grief and bereavement.

Each of the finalists prepared a description of their project. Read Qianyun Wang’s below.

Visions of Collective Healing: Using Photovoice as a Therapeutic and Advocacy Tool for Grief Adjustment among Older Chinese Immigrants

By Qianyun Wang

The past few years have reminded us, more than ever, of the collective and individual experience of grief, from the losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, to the trauma of wars, and the displacement caused by climate disasters. Yet, for some communities — particularly older immigrants — grief remains unspoken and unsupported, shaped by cultural factors and structural barriers. This broader context has made my proposal in the UCLA Health Equity Challenge especially meaningful.

My journey with the UCLA Health Equity Challenge program is deeply transformative, both professionally and personally. Participating in this initiative allows me to combine my academic interests, community engagement, and commitment to social justice in meaningful and practical ways. Specifically, the project I propose — utilizing Photovoice as a therapeutic and advocacy tool among older Chinese immigrants facing grief and bereavement — reinforces my belief in culturally responsive interventions and the power of community-based approaches.

This proposal is also deeply informed by my own community work, volunteering, and research experiences. I have had the privilege of working closely with older Chinese immigrants in both Canada and the United States. Through volunteer roles at community organizations such as the Chinatown Service Center in Los Angeles, I assist older Chinese immigrants in navigating social services, addressing housing issues, and accessing support. My research focuses on understanding their unique aging experiences, social and mental well-being, and their grief and bereavement adjustment. These firsthand interactions provide valuable insight into the strengths and needs of this population and ground my academic interest in real-world contexts.

Throughout my doctoral journey at UCLA in social welfare, I focus on addressing the mental health disparities and unique challenges faced by older immigrants. This focus stems not only from academic interest but also from personal resonance with issues of migration, aging, and cultural identity. As someone who has navigated multiple cultural landscapes, including China, Canada, and the United States, I recognize deeply the nuanced ways cultural context shapes experiences of loss and healing. Thus, the Health Equity Challenge presents a timely and vital opportunity to translate my passion into practice.

“One of the profound realizations guiding this proposal is the gap in culturally tailored mental health resources available for older Chinese immigrants. Despite significant advancements in mental health support broadly, older immigrants often remain underserved due to linguistic, cultural, and systemic barriers.”

“One of the profound realizations guiding this proposal is the gap in culturally tailored mental health resources available for older Chinese immigrants. Despite significant advancements in mental health support broadly, older immigrants often remain underserved due to linguistic, cultural, and systemic barriers.”

This proposal, which uses Photovoice techniques, is particularly significant to me because it aligns with principles of community empowerment, social justice, and culturally responsive mental health support — specifically, culturally tailored interventions such as Tai Chi sessions and Chinese medicine education workshops designed for older Chinese immigrants.

Photovoice, as a method, enables individuals to express their experiences and perspectives through photography and storytelling, and empowers participants by giving them agency to articulate their lived experiences through photography, narrative sharing, and community engagement. It challenges the traditional power dynamics often present in research and/or therapeutic interventions, allowing community members to drive their healing process actively. I admire this method for its ability to capture and communicate complex emotional landscapes and foster collective healing.

One of the profound realizations guiding this proposal is the gap in culturally tailored mental health resources available for older Chinese immigrants. Despite significant advancements in mental health support broadly, older immigrants often remain underserved due to linguistic, cultural, and systemic barriers.

Through the planned project, participants will be invited to share their experiences of grief and loss, articulating feelings that are often left unspoken. Moreover, the proposed organization of educational sessions and a community exhibition will reflect the powerful role of public advocacy. Participants will be seen, validated, and heard in ways that go beyond traditional therapeutic contexts. Their photographs and stories can serve as a collective call for systemic recognition and policy change, highlighting the intersectionality of aging, immigration background, socioeconomic challenges, and health disparities.

Reflecting on my experience with the UCLA Health Equity Challenge, I appreciate how the program supported me to actualize my passion in practical ways. The structured yet flexible environment allowed space for creativity, innovation, and authentic community engagement. This experience has been instrumental in shaping my future goals as an emerging researcher and social work professional. Moving forward, I am committed to expanding this work by exploring further interdisciplinary collaboration and advocating for policies that address health disparities among aging immigrant populations.

Read the full 2025 finalist release.

In Memoriam: James Duncan Lindsey The UCLA Luskin Social Welfare professor emeritus was a pioneering scholar of child welfare.

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James Duncan Lindsey, UCLA Luskin Social Welfare professor emeritus and pioneering scholar of child welfare, died May 18. He was 77.

Lindsey, who joined UCLA’s Social Welfare faculty in 1994, was the founding editor of “Children & Youth Services Review” (CYSR), one of the field’s most influential journals. Under his leadership — and working with his wife Deborah — the publication became the premier platform for research on child welfare practices and policies. CYSR was inaugurated by Pergamon Press in 1979 and later acquired by Elsevier in 1991.

Image of book "The Welfare of Children"Colleagues, friends and former students remember Lindsey as a passionate educator whose commitment to evidence-based practices transformed child welfare systems. His book “The Welfare of Children,” published by Oxford University Press in 1994 (with a second updated edition in 2003), helped reshape child welfare policies nationwide.

In a review of his 2008 book, “Child Poverty and Inequality: Securing a Better Future for America’s Children,” Duncan is described as one of the “leading voices on child welfare. He is not only a notable historian of the evolution of family policy in the U.S., but has particularly focused on the plight faced by vulnerable children, such as those growing up in foster care and poor families.”

Lindsey was the author of numerous scholarly works, including research for which he was awarded the ProHumanitate Medal, the highest award in the field, by a peer jury review.

Darcey Merritt, current editor of CYSR, was a former doctoral student of Lindsey. Merritt recalled Lindsey, who was also on her doctoral dissertation committee, as a true mentor throughout her studies and career. Merritt now serves as chief editor of the publication Lindsey founded and is a professor at the University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice. Merritt wrote in an obituary tribute that as chief editor of CYSR, she is “always mindful of his vision and intentions to disseminate rigorous research, mindful of systemic and structural biases that impact the most vulnerable children among us.”

In a CYSR online open access tribute to Lindsey and his impact, Merritt and colleagues — including Todd Franke, professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin — wrote:

Throughout the span of his conscientious leadership of the journal, Duncan has mentored and supported the growth of numerous scholars across all ranks, disciplines, and diverse identities, always with generous care. Those of us who knew him well, and perhaps even those who did not, honored his intention and shared his vision to disseminate rigorous, evidence-based research, always mindful of the many systemic and structural biases that impact our most vulnerable children. His tutelage and guidance were impeccable, and his kindness unparalleled. As an educator, Duncan guided his students with patience and a calm, supportive demeanor. He was highly regarded among many, not only for his brilliance, but also for the way he trained future scholars and practitioners. He has had an invaluable, positively meaningful, real-world impact in the field of child welfare.

Merritt, Franke, and colleagues said that Lindsey evinced a strong commitment to family-inclusive practice in his campaigning for social justice for children and their parents.

“His passion and persistence permeated his writing about children and families touched by the child protection system. His voice will be missed.”

“His passion and persistence permeated his writing about children and families touched by the child protection system. His voice will be missed.”

Prior to UCLA, Lindsey held academic posts at the University of Toronto and the University of Oregon. He also previously served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. Other faculty posts include: George Washington University, St. Louis; West Virginia University; and the University of West Florida.

His professional affiliations include membership in the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education.

He earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology from UC Santa Cruz in 1969 and completed an interdisciplinary doctorate in Sociology, Psychiatry, and Social Work from Northwestern University in 1973.

At UCLA, Lindsey held several leadership and administrative posts, including chair and vice-chair of UCLA’s Academic Senate, and chair of the UCLA Graduate Council. UCLA Luskin service included chair of the MSW admissions committee and member of the doctoral committee. For the University of California system, he served as a member of the Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs and was a member of the UC Academic Planning Counsel.

In the 1980s, during the early personal computer era, Lindsey co-founded Perfect Software, which for a time was one of the largest software companies in the U.S.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah McDaniel-Lindsey; his twin brother, Thomas “Buck” Lindsey; two children, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and Sierra Kos and their spouses; and his four grandchildren, Audun, Margrethe, Luka and Betty.

Private services were held.