Laurie Cook Heffron
Biographic Data
| ID | 88815 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Laurie Cook Heffron |
| GIVEN NAMES | Laurie Cook |
| FAMILY NAME | Heffron |
| SIGNATURE | HEFFRON L C |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at Austin |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3015-0176 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Clinical Social Work’s Place in Migrant Justice: A Call to Act on Our Ethical Commitments
Migrating people fleeing violence and persecution face narrowing options to seek safety through the U.S. immigration courts. Social work’s historical and ongoing commitment to immigrant health and immigrant justice supports an enlarged presence within asylum and other immigration processes. In the role of experts, social work clinicians can evaluate displaced people to collect evidence of harm, draft reports and affidavits for the lawyer, and may…
Immigration in Social Work Education: Student Knowledge and Perception of Risk of Detention and Deportation
Exclusionary immigration policies associated with family separation, detention, and deportation are linked to elevated stress and trauma. Social workers are well-positioned to address the detrimental effects of immigration enforcement–related harm. This study explores social work students’ knowledge and perceptions of stressors, needs, and services with immigrants at risk of detention and deportation, assessing students’ (n = 149) knowledge and p…
Mi Corazón se Partió en Dos”: Transnational Motherhood at the Intersection of Migration and Violence
In the recent Central American migrations spurred by violence, political instability, and economic insecurity, women grapple with whether and when to bring their children with them in pursuit of safety in another country, and with fulfilling their roles as mothers from afar. Drawing from the transnational motherhood literature and critical feminist theories, this interpretive qualitative study examined transnational motherhood grounded in the liv…
Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire: Extending Its Utility with Social Work Students
This study, a two-site, cross-sectional survey of university students (n = 321 at site 1; n = 201 at site 2), extends the development and utility of the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire by generating factor-based scales and scores to represent values for its three factors (Self-Appraisal of Knowledge/Skills, Worldview of Human Trafficking, and Help-Seeking Behavior/Personal Beliefs) in order to examine t…
We Weren’t Ready”: Provider Perspectives on Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Refugees and Immigrants in The United States
Where Is the Women’s Center Here?”: The Role of Information in Refugee Women’s Help Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence in a Resettlement Context
A qualitative study examined factors that hinder help seeking for intimate partner violence among women who resettled to the United States as refugees. A refugee resettlement agency recruited female clients ( n = 35) and service providers and stakeholders ( n = 53) in the metropolitan area. The study employed individual interviews and focus group discussions to collect data. An inductive and interpretive thematic approach guided the analytical pr…
Voluntary, Survivor-Centered Advocacy in Domestic Violence Agencies
Voluntary, survivor-centered advocacy is a model of practice used in domestic violence organizations; however, more information is needed from the perspective of survivors on how to best facilitate survivor-centered approaches in a voluntary service format. This qualitative study used a thematic analysis to uncover core advocacy approaches from 25 female-identified survivors dwelling in domestic violence emergency shelter and transitional housing…
Conceptualizations of Domestic Violence–Related Needs among Women Who Resettled to the United States as Refugees
Despite robust evidence of the myriad consequences associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), social services in the United States may not adequately account for and respond to variations in how women resettling as refugees conceptualize service and support needs. With this study, the authors sought to develop a more nuanced understanding of needs as expressed by women resettling to the United States as refugees. Researchers conducted in-de…
Human Trafficking: Applying Research, Theory, and Case Studies
This practical, interdisciplinary text draws from empirically grounded scholarship, survivor-centered practices, and an ecological perspective to help readers develop an understanding of the meaning and scope of human trafficking. Throughout the book, the authors address the specific vulnerabilities of human trafficking victims, their medical-psycho-social needs, and issues related to direct service delivery. They also address the identification …
Salía de uno y me metí en otro”: Exploring the Migration-Violence Nexus Among Central American Women
Increasing numbers of Central American women cross the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting social service providers, advocates, and policy makers to investigate motivations and appropriate responses. Drawing from a constructivist grounded theory study and in-depth qualitative interviews, this article explores women's experiences of domestic and sexual violence in relation to migration. Findings reveal interconnections across multiple and interconnectin…
Charting Directions for Research on Immigrant Children Affected by Undocumented Status
Three groups of children from Mexico and Central America are vulnerable to effects of U.S. immigration policies: (1) foreign-born children who entered the United States with undocumented immigrant parents; (2) unaccompanied children who entered the United States alone; and (3) U.S.-born citizen-children of undocumented immigrant parents. Despite the recent demographic growth of these youth, scholarship on their strengths and challenges is under-t…
Responding to Domestic Minors Sex Trafficking (DMST): Developing Principle-Based Practices
Over the last decade, modern slavery has emerged as a major social-justice issue. Many new organizations in the United States have begun serving survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), while others have expanded their services to include this vulnerable population in their mission. This qualitative study describes the principle-based practices that emerged from structured interviews with staff employed at five well-established organiz…
Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Social Work Students’ Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes About Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ): An Exploratory Study
Objective: This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students’ knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric properties were evaluated. Specifically, the factor structure and the internal consistency of the PKA-…
Unsettled integration: Pre- and post-migration factors in Congolese refugee women’s resettlement experiences in the United States
By 2019, the United States plans to resettle approximately 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges, risks, and strengths of adult Congolese refugee women resettled in the United States to help policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders prepare for the arrival of Congolese women and their families. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews and f…
A kaleidoscope: The role of the social work practitioner and the strength of social work theories and practice in meeting the complex needs of people trafficked and the professionals that work with th…
This qualitative research study explored responses to trafficking in persons. Fifty-five ( n = 55) interviews were collected and data were analyzed using qualitative iterative processes. The social worker and the utilization of social work perspectives provided a strong and effective framework for service delivery and effective interdisciplinary collaboration. The ecological, strengths-based, and victim-center approaches were a benefit to survivo…
Marital and Familial Strengths and Needs: Refugees Speak Out
This study describes the marriage and family relationships of refugees as they transition through resettlement. Through in-depth interviews with 31 refugees representing 12 countries, participants describe their lives and experiences in their own “voices.” The findings reflect two broad themes that either support or impede self-sufficiency: (1) the internal or intimate dynamics of refugee lives, and (2) external and systems dynamics. Qualitative …
Pathways to Self-Sufficiency: Successful Entrepreneurship for Refugees
This study examined the successes and challenges of refugee entrepreneurs by interviewing 50 refugees, service providers, and technical assistance providers. Qualitative data analyses revealed that successes and challenges occurred both at the individual and family levels as well as at the community and agency levels. The findings underscore the need to acknowledge the importance of the personal characteristics of the individual entrepreneurs, to…
Balancing Power Through Community Building: Setting the Research Agenda on Violence Against Women
This article presents a feminist model for collaboration by researchers, practitioners, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that focuses on balancing power and building community. Thirty-eight university researchers, survivors, and practitioners met to define and prioritize a research agenda on domestic violence and sexual assault, plan for continued collaboration, and evaluate the community-building process. This article presen…
Unsettled integration: Pre- and post-migration factors in Congolese refugee women’s resettlement experiences in the United States
By 2019, the United States plans to resettle approximately 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges, risks, and strengths of adult Congolese refugee women resettled in the United States to help policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders prepare for the arrival of Congolese women and their families. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews and f…
Salía de uno y me metí en otro”: Exploring the Migration-Violence Nexus Among Central American Women
Increasing numbers of Central American women cross the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting social service providers, advocates, and policy makers to investigate motivations and appropriate responses. Drawing from a constructivist grounded theory study and in-depth qualitative interviews, this article explores women's experiences of domestic and sexual violence in relation to migration. Findings reveal interconnections across multiple and interconnectin…
A kaleidoscope: The role of the social work practitioner and the strength of social work theories and practice in meeting the complex needs of people trafficked and the professionals that work with th…
This qualitative research study explored responses to trafficking in persons. Fifty-five ( n = 55) interviews were collected and data were analyzed using qualitative iterative processes. The social worker and the utilization of social work perspectives provided a strong and effective framework for service delivery and effective interdisciplinary collaboration. The ecological, strengths-based, and victim-center approaches were a benefit to survivo…
Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Social Work Students’ Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes About Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ): An Exploratory Study
Objective: This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students’ knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric properties were evaluated. Specifically, the factor structure and the internal consistency of the PKA-…
Pathways to Self-Sufficiency: Successful Entrepreneurship for Refugees
This study examined the successes and challenges of refugee entrepreneurs by interviewing 50 refugees, service providers, and technical assistance providers. Qualitative data analyses revealed that successes and challenges occurred both at the individual and family levels as well as at the community and agency levels. The findings underscore the need to acknowledge the importance of the personal characteristics of the individual entrepreneurs, to…
Where Is the Women’s Center Here?”: The Role of Information in Refugee Women’s Help Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence in a Resettlement Context
A qualitative study examined factors that hinder help seeking for intimate partner violence among women who resettled to the United States as refugees. A refugee resettlement agency recruited female clients ( n = 35) and service providers and stakeholders ( n = 53) in the metropolitan area. The study employed individual interviews and focus group discussions to collect data. An inductive and interpretive thematic approach guided the analytical pr…
Conceptualizations of Domestic Violence–Related Needs among Women Who Resettled to the United States as Refugees
Despite robust evidence of the myriad consequences associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), social services in the United States may not adequately account for and respond to variations in how women resettling as refugees conceptualize service and support needs. With this study, the authors sought to develop a more nuanced understanding of needs as expressed by women resettling to the United States as refugees. Researchers conducted in-de…
Marital and Familial Strengths and Needs: Refugees Speak Out
This study describes the marriage and family relationships of refugees as they transition through resettlement. Through in-depth interviews with 31 refugees representing 12 countries, participants describe their lives and experiences in their own “voices.” The findings reflect two broad themes that either support or impede self-sufficiency: (1) the internal or intimate dynamics of refugee lives, and (2) external and systems dynamics. Qualitative …
Charting Directions for Research on Immigrant Children Affected by Undocumented Status
Three groups of children from Mexico and Central America are vulnerable to effects of U.S. immigration policies: (1) foreign-born children who entered the United States with undocumented immigrant parents; (2) unaccompanied children who entered the United States alone; and (3) U.S.-born citizen-children of undocumented immigrant parents. Despite the recent demographic growth of these youth, scholarship on their strengths and challenges is under-t…
We Weren’t Ready”: Provider Perspectives on Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Refugees and Immigrants in The United States
Balancing Power Through Community Building: Setting the Research Agenda on Violence Against Women
This article presents a feminist model for collaboration by researchers, practitioners, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that focuses on balancing power and building community. Thirty-eight university researchers, survivors, and practitioners met to define and prioritize a research agenda on domestic violence and sexual assault, plan for continued collaboration, and evaluate the community-building process. This article presen…
Responding to Domestic Minors Sex Trafficking (DMST): Developing Principle-Based Practices
Over the last decade, modern slavery has emerged as a major social-justice issue. Many new organizations in the United States have begun serving survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), while others have expanded their services to include this vulnerable population in their mission. This qualitative study describes the principle-based practices that emerged from structured interviews with staff employed at five well-established organiz…
Balancing Power Through Community Building: Setting the Research Agenda on Violence Against Women
This article presents a feminist model for collaboration by researchers, practitioners, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that focuses on balancing power and building community. Thirty-eight university researchers, survivors, and practitioners met to define and prioritize a research agenda on domestic violence and sexual assault, plan for continued collaboration, and evaluate the community-building process. This article presen…
Pathways to Self-Sufficiency: Successful Entrepreneurship for Refugees
This study examined the successes and challenges of refugee entrepreneurs by interviewing 50 refugees, service providers, and technical assistance providers. Qualitative data analyses revealed that successes and challenges occurred both at the individual and family levels as well as at the community and agency levels. The findings underscore the need to acknowledge the importance of the personal characteristics of the individual entrepreneurs, to…
Marital and Familial Strengths and Needs: Refugees Speak Out
This study describes the marriage and family relationships of refugees as they transition through resettlement. Through in-depth interviews with 31 refugees representing 12 countries, participants describe their lives and experiences in their own “voices.” The findings reflect two broad themes that either support or impede self-sufficiency: (1) the internal or intimate dynamics of refugee lives, and (2) external and systems dynamics. Qualitative …
A kaleidoscope: The role of the social work practitioner and the strength of social work theories and practice in meeting the complex needs of people trafficked and the professionals that work with th…
This qualitative research study explored responses to trafficking in persons. Fifty-five ( n = 55) interviews were collected and data were analyzed using qualitative iterative processes. The social worker and the utilization of social work perspectives provided a strong and effective framework for service delivery and effective interdisciplinary collaboration. The ecological, strengths-based, and victim-center approaches were a benefit to survivo…
Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Social Work Students’ Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes About Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ): An Exploratory Study
Objective: This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students’ knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric properties were evaluated. Specifically, the factor structure and the internal consistency of the PKA-…
Unsettled integration: Pre- and post-migration factors in Congolese refugee women’s resettlement experiences in the United States
By 2019, the United States plans to resettle approximately 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges, risks, and strengths of adult Congolese refugee women resettled in the United States to help policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders prepare for the arrival of Congolese women and their families. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews and f…
Responding to Domestic Minors Sex Trafficking (DMST): Developing Principle-Based Practices
Over the last decade, modern slavery has emerged as a major social-justice issue. Many new organizations in the United States have begun serving survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), while others have expanded their services to include this vulnerable population in their mission. This qualitative study describes the principle-based practices that emerged from structured interviews with staff employed at five well-established organiz…
Charting Directions for Research on Immigrant Children Affected by Undocumented Status
Three groups of children from Mexico and Central America are vulnerable to effects of U.S. immigration policies: (1) foreign-born children who entered the United States with undocumented immigrant parents; (2) unaccompanied children who entered the United States alone; and (3) U.S.-born citizen-children of undocumented immigrant parents. Despite the recent demographic growth of these youth, scholarship on their strengths and challenges is under-t…
Human Trafficking: Applying Research, Theory, and Case Studies
This practical, interdisciplinary text draws from empirically grounded scholarship, survivor-centered practices, and an ecological perspective to help readers develop an understanding of the meaning and scope of human trafficking. Throughout the book, the authors address the specific vulnerabilities of human trafficking victims, their medical-psycho-social needs, and issues related to direct service delivery. They also address the identification …
Salía de uno y me metí en otro”: Exploring the Migration-Violence Nexus Among Central American Women
Increasing numbers of Central American women cross the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting social service providers, advocates, and policy makers to investigate motivations and appropriate responses. Drawing from a constructivist grounded theory study and in-depth qualitative interviews, this article explores women's experiences of domestic and sexual violence in relation to migration. Findings reveal interconnections across multiple and interconnectin…
Conceptualizations of Domestic Violence–Related Needs among Women Who Resettled to the United States as Refugees
Despite robust evidence of the myriad consequences associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), social services in the United States may not adequately account for and respond to variations in how women resettling as refugees conceptualize service and support needs. With this study, the authors sought to develop a more nuanced understanding of needs as expressed by women resettling to the United States as refugees. Researchers conducted in-de…
Where Is the Women’s Center Here?”: The Role of Information in Refugee Women’s Help Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence in a Resettlement Context
A qualitative study examined factors that hinder help seeking for intimate partner violence among women who resettled to the United States as refugees. A refugee resettlement agency recruited female clients ( n = 35) and service providers and stakeholders ( n = 53) in the metropolitan area. The study employed individual interviews and focus group discussions to collect data. An inductive and interpretive thematic approach guided the analytical pr…
Voluntary, Survivor-Centered Advocacy in Domestic Violence Agencies
Voluntary, survivor-centered advocacy is a model of practice used in domestic violence organizations; however, more information is needed from the perspective of survivors on how to best facilitate survivor-centered approaches in a voluntary service format. This qualitative study used a thematic analysis to uncover core advocacy approaches from 25 female-identified survivors dwelling in domestic violence emergency shelter and transitional housing…
Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire: Extending Its Utility with Social Work Students
This study, a two-site, cross-sectional survey of university students (n = 321 at site 1; n = 201 at site 2), extends the development and utility of the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire by generating factor-based scales and scores to represent values for its three factors (Self-Appraisal of Knowledge/Skills, Worldview of Human Trafficking, and Help-Seeking Behavior/Personal Beliefs) in order to examine t…
We Weren’t Ready”: Provider Perspectives on Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Refugees and Immigrants in The United States
Mi Corazón se Partió en Dos”: Transnational Motherhood at the Intersection of Migration and Violence
In the recent Central American migrations spurred by violence, political instability, and economic insecurity, women grapple with whether and when to bring their children with them in pursuit of safety in another country, and with fulfilling their roles as mothers from afar. Drawing from the transnational motherhood literature and critical feminist theories, this interpretive qualitative study examined transnational motherhood grounded in the liv…
Immigration in Social Work Education: Student Knowledge and Perception of Risk of Detention and Deportation
Exclusionary immigration policies associated with family separation, detention, and deportation are linked to elevated stress and trauma. Social workers are well-positioned to address the detrimental effects of immigration enforcement–related harm. This study explores social work students’ knowledge and perceptions of stressors, needs, and services with immigrants at risk of detention and deportation, assessing students’ (n = 149) knowledge and p…
Clinical Social Work’s Place in Migrant Justice: A Call to Act on Our Ethical Commitments
Migrating people fleeing violence and persecution face narrowing options to seek safety through the U.S. immigration courts. Social work’s historical and ongoing commitment to immigrant health and immigrant justice supports an enlarged presence within asylum and other immigration processes. In the role of experts, social work clinicians can evaluate displaced people to collect evidence of harm, draft reports and affidavits for the lawyer, and may…
Political science (14 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (9 works) · Criminology (8 works) · Qualitative research (8 works) · Intimate Partner and Family Violence (7 works) · Poison control (7 works) · Refugee (7 works)