Jennifer M Geiger
Biographic Data
| ID | 4556345 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jennifer M Geiger |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jennifer M |
| FAMILY NAME | Geiger |
| SIGNATURE | GEIGER J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Illinois Chicago |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5726-3475 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 171 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
The Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group
This paper provides an overview of the history and current activities of a group of researchers focused on the experiences of young people who “age out” of foster care in the United States. These transition-age youth (TAY) often have intersecting marginalized identities, as youth of color, queer youth, and youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented in care. Members of the Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group (TAY-SIG) condu…
Crossing the Finish Line
The Role of Trauma, Mental Health Symptoms, and Suicidality in College Adjustment among Young Adults with a Foster Care Background
College is associated with positive outcomes in adulthood. However, many students with foster care backgrounds face challenges transitioning into college settings. Young adults with foster care backgrounds also experience mental health conditions and suicidal ideation at a higher rate than their same aged peers. This study examined the relationship between trauma experiences, mental health symptomology, suicidal behaviors and college adjustment a…
How do Students Involved with a Campus Support Program for Students with a History of Foster Care, Relative Care, or Homelessness Fare After Graduation
Institutions of higher education and CSP should assist students with a history of foster care, relative care, and homelessness to ensure that after graduation, they have adequate money, employment, and support
Expanding our Understanding of Student Experiences and the Supports and Programs for College Students with Foster Care Experience
The Role of Court Appointed Special Advocates (Casas) in the Lives of Transition-Age Youth with Foster Care Experience
The Relationship Between Financial Aid and Postsecondary Completion Among Youth Formerly in Foster Care
Promoting Postsecondary Educational Success Among Young Parents in and Aging Out of Foster Care
I think there’s a lot of intersectionality”
Ensuring Authentic Representation and Collaboration Along with Research to Re-Design Child Welfare
In this invited paper, we critique Barth and colleagues’ (2021). “Research to Consider While Effectively Re-Designing Child Welfare Services” paper that presents 10 commonly held misconceptions in child welfare to provide a foundation for child welfare system reform. We argue that research alone cannot guide the reform of the child welfare system. Rather, we argue that people with lived expertise in the child welfare system and programs must be i…
The impact of Covid-19 on campus-based support programs serving students with foster care experience
Placement disruption in foster care
Technology and Dating Among Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Residential Foster Care
The aim of this study was to explore the role of technology in the dating and sexual experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls placed in residential foster care. Interviews with program staff ( N = 12; 50% Hispanic) and focus groups with adolescent foster youth ( N = 13; 46% Hispanic) were conducted to understand how technologies (e.g., cell phone, texting, and social media) influence youth’s dating lives, including how youth navigat…
Examining legal representation for foster youth
Conceptualizing effective legal representation for Foster youth
A descriptive analysis of programs serving foster care alumni in higher education
Readiness, Access, Preparation, and Support for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education
Research has shown that foster care alumni have poor educational outcomes and many do not enroll and/or graduate from a postsecondary institution. Many factors have been shown to promote and hinder a youth’s success in higher education and several programs and policies have been developed to address these issues. A literature review was conducted to identify and evaluate publications related to foster care alumni and higher education. A total of …
Experiences and outcomes of foster care alumni in postsecondary education
Increasing Competency, Self-Confidence, and Connectedness Among Foster Care Alumni Entering a 4-Year University
Research shows that few foster care alumni enroll and complete post-secondary education. For those who do enroll, many experience challenges associated with academic and social adjustment and are at risk of dropping out. Many college-based programs are being developed and are available to foster care alumni to support them during their post-secondary education. This study used pre-tests, post-tests, and journal entries of seventeen participants t…
An ecological systems approach to understanding social support in foster family resilience
Families who care for children in the foster care system often experience challenges related to the system, accessing services and supports, and managing relationships. Despite these challenges, many families thrive because of unique attributes and strengths that contribute to experiences of resilience. Using an ecological framework, this study examined social support among resilient foster families to better understand how foster caregivers expe…
Developing an on-campus recruitment and retention program for foster care alumni
The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers
Social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of the nature of their work and the contexts within which they work. Little attention has been paid to the factors within a social worker's control that may prevent burnout and STS and increase compassion satisfaction. Empathy, which is a combination of physiological and cognitive processes, may be a tool to help address burnout and STS. This arti…
Stopping the Cycle of Child Abuse and Neglect
Each year, a significant number of adolescents become pregnant in the United States, with more than half of these pregnancies resulting in live births. Adolescent parenting is associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk of child maltreatment. Youth “aging out” of the foster care system may be at greater risk of maltreating their children due to their experiences of child maltreatment, a lack of social support, and little preparation f…
Should I stay or should I go? A mixed methods study examining the factors influencing foster parents' decisions to continue or discontinue providing foster care
Examination of Known-Groups Validity for the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI)
This article reports the findings of a known-groups validity study of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a 20-item self-report instrument based on an emerging social cognitive neuroscience definition of empathy. A convenience sample formed 2 groups of study participants: social service providers (n = 197), and a group (n =453) of offender service recipients from community treatment agencies, receiving services for (a) sexual offenses (n…
The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers
Social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of the nature of their work and the contexts within which they work. Little attention has been paid to the factors within a social worker's control that may prevent burnout and STS and increase compassion satisfaction. Empathy, which is a combination of physiological and cognitive processes, may be a tool to help address burnout and STS. This arti…
Should I stay or should I go? A mixed methods study examining the factors influencing foster parents' decisions to continue or discontinue providing foster care
Developing an on-campus recruitment and retention program for foster care alumni
A descriptive analysis of programs serving foster care alumni in higher education
An ecological systems approach to understanding social support in foster family resilience
Families who care for children in the foster care system often experience challenges related to the system, accessing services and supports, and managing relationships. Despite these challenges, many families thrive because of unique attributes and strengths that contribute to experiences of resilience. Using an ecological framework, this study examined social support among resilient foster families to better understand how foster caregivers expe…
Stopping the Cycle of Child Abuse and Neglect
Each year, a significant number of adolescents become pregnant in the United States, with more than half of these pregnancies resulting in live births. Adolescent parenting is associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk of child maltreatment. Youth “aging out” of the foster care system may be at greater risk of maltreating their children due to their experiences of child maltreatment, a lack of social support, and little preparation f…
The Empathy Assessment Index (EAI)
Both historically and currently, social work and related fields have expressed considerable interest in the construct of empathy. However, the ability to define and ultimately measure empathy is limited. This project validates a revised version of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a measure rooted in a social cognitive neuroscience conceptualization of empathy. To evaluate the instrument’s psychometric properties, we administered the 5…
Ensuring Authentic Representation and Collaboration Along with Research to Re-Design Child Welfare
In this invited paper, we critique Barth and colleagues’ (2021). “Research to Consider While Effectively Re-Designing Child Welfare Services” paper that presents 10 commonly held misconceptions in child welfare to provide a foundation for child welfare system reform. We argue that research alone cannot guide the reform of the child welfare system. Rather, we argue that people with lived expertise in the child welfare system and programs must be i…
Increasing Competency, Self-Confidence, and Connectedness Among Foster Care Alumni Entering a 4-Year University
Research shows that few foster care alumni enroll and complete post-secondary education. For those who do enroll, many experience challenges associated with academic and social adjustment and are at risk of dropping out. Many college-based programs are being developed and are available to foster care alumni to support them during their post-secondary education. This study used pre-tests, post-tests, and journal entries of seventeen participants t…
Conceptualizing effective legal representation for Foster youth
Examination of Known-Groups Validity for the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI)
This article reports the findings of a known-groups validity study of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a 20-item self-report instrument based on an emerging social cognitive neuroscience definition of empathy. A convenience sample formed 2 groups of study participants: social service providers (n = 197), and a group (n =453) of offender service recipients from community treatment agencies, receiving services for (a) sexual offenses (n…
Examining legal representation for foster youth
The Empathy Assessment Index (EAI)
Both historically and currently, social work and related fields have expressed considerable interest in the construct of empathy. However, the ability to define and ultimately measure empathy is limited. This project validates a revised version of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a measure rooted in a social cognitive neuroscience conceptualization of empathy. To evaluate the instrument’s psychometric properties, we administered the 5…
Examination of Known-Groups Validity for the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI)
This article reports the findings of a known-groups validity study of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a 20-item self-report instrument based on an emerging social cognitive neuroscience definition of empathy. A convenience sample formed 2 groups of study participants: social service providers (n = 197), and a group (n =453) of offender service recipients from community treatment agencies, receiving services for (a) sexual offenses (n…
Stopping the Cycle of Child Abuse and Neglect
Each year, a significant number of adolescents become pregnant in the United States, with more than half of these pregnancies resulting in live births. Adolescent parenting is associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk of child maltreatment. Youth “aging out” of the foster care system may be at greater risk of maltreating their children due to their experiences of child maltreatment, a lack of social support, and little preparation f…
Should I stay or should I go? A mixed methods study examining the factors influencing foster parents' decisions to continue or discontinue providing foster care
The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers
Social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of the nature of their work and the contexts within which they work. Little attention has been paid to the factors within a social worker's control that may prevent burnout and STS and increase compassion satisfaction. Empathy, which is a combination of physiological and cognitive processes, may be a tool to help address burnout and STS. This arti…
An ecological systems approach to understanding social support in foster family resilience
Families who care for children in the foster care system often experience challenges related to the system, accessing services and supports, and managing relationships. Despite these challenges, many families thrive because of unique attributes and strengths that contribute to experiences of resilience. Using an ecological framework, this study examined social support among resilient foster families to better understand how foster caregivers expe…
Developing an on-campus recruitment and retention program for foster care alumni
Readiness, Access, Preparation, and Support for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education
Research has shown that foster care alumni have poor educational outcomes and many do not enroll and/or graduate from a postsecondary institution. Many factors have been shown to promote and hinder a youth’s success in higher education and several programs and policies have been developed to address these issues. A literature review was conducted to identify and evaluate publications related to foster care alumni and higher education. A total of …
Experiences and outcomes of foster care alumni in postsecondary education
Increasing Competency, Self-Confidence, and Connectedness Among Foster Care Alumni Entering a 4-Year University
Research shows that few foster care alumni enroll and complete post-secondary education. For those who do enroll, many experience challenges associated with academic and social adjustment and are at risk of dropping out. Many college-based programs are being developed and are available to foster care alumni to support them during their post-secondary education. This study used pre-tests, post-tests, and journal entries of seventeen participants t…
Conceptualizing effective legal representation for Foster youth
A descriptive analysis of programs serving foster care alumni in higher education
Placement disruption in foster care
Technology and Dating Among Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Residential Foster Care
The aim of this study was to explore the role of technology in the dating and sexual experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls placed in residential foster care. Interviews with program staff ( N = 12; 50% Hispanic) and focus groups with adolescent foster youth ( N = 13; 46% Hispanic) were conducted to understand how technologies (e.g., cell phone, texting, and social media) influence youth’s dating lives, including how youth navigat…
Examining legal representation for foster youth
Promoting Postsecondary Educational Success Among Young Parents in and Aging Out of Foster Care
I think there’s a lot of intersectionality”
Ensuring Authentic Representation and Collaboration Along with Research to Re-Design Child Welfare
In this invited paper, we critique Barth and colleagues’ (2021). “Research to Consider While Effectively Re-Designing Child Welfare Services” paper that presents 10 commonly held misconceptions in child welfare to provide a foundation for child welfare system reform. We argue that research alone cannot guide the reform of the child welfare system. Rather, we argue that people with lived expertise in the child welfare system and programs must be i…
The impact of Covid-19 on campus-based support programs serving students with foster care experience
Expanding our Understanding of Student Experiences and the Supports and Programs for College Students with Foster Care Experience
The Role of Court Appointed Special Advocates (Casas) in the Lives of Transition-Age Youth with Foster Care Experience
The Relationship Between Financial Aid and Postsecondary Completion Among Youth Formerly in Foster Care
How do Students Involved with a Campus Support Program for Students with a History of Foster Care, Relative Care, or Homelessness Fare After Graduation
Institutions of higher education and CSP should assist students with a history of foster care, relative care, and homelessness to ensure that after graduation, they have adequate money, employment, and support
The Role of Trauma, Mental Health Symptoms, and Suicidality in College Adjustment among Young Adults with a Foster Care Background
College is associated with positive outcomes in adulthood. However, many students with foster care backgrounds face challenges transitioning into college settings. Young adults with foster care backgrounds also experience mental health conditions and suicidal ideation at a higher rate than their same aged peers. This study examined the relationship between trauma experiences, mental health symptomology, suicidal behaviors and college adjustment a…
The Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group
This paper provides an overview of the history and current activities of a group of researchers focused on the experiences of young people who “age out” of foster care in the United States. These transition-age youth (TAY) often have intersecting marginalized identities, as youth of color, queer youth, and youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented in care. Members of the Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group (TAY-SIG) condu…
Psychology (22 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (21 works) · Foster care (18 works) · Medicine (15 works) · Nursing (13 works) · Political science (12 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (11 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Medical education (8 works) · Social Psychology (8 works)