Grace Longwell Coyle Professor Emerita, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Elizabeth M. Tracy, PhD, is the Grace Longwell Coyle Professor Emerita in Social Work at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Dr. Tracy’s research focus has been the development and evaluation of social work practice models and methods which support families, make use of natural helping networks, and incorporate environmental helping strategies. Her scholarly work has focused on clinically useful ways to assess social support and social networks, the development of key practice skills for social network interventions, and the role of social network and other environmental helping strategies in program implementation. The body of her work on social networks and social support has been applied to family preservation programs, residential settings for youth, early intervention, community mental health case management programs and substance abuse treatment services for women. In addition to teaching and scholarship, Dr. Tracy has served as the chair of the Mandel School's doctoral program and as associate dean for research and training. A 2016 Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research, Dr. Tracy currently serves as a co-lead for the Eradicate Social Isolation Grand Challenge.
Why I Chose This Profession
My first working experiences after graduating from college were with children with developmental disabilities and their families. I realized early on that in order to work best with the children I needed to connect with their families. Yet the school districts at that time frequently discouraged contacts between teaching staff and families. When I returned to graduate school, my choice was between social work and special education. Ultimately I decided on a social work career because I felt, as I do now, that social work would allow me to impact people as well as the environments that people experienced and confronted. Much of my work as a social worker has revolved around practice models that support families, make use of natural helping networks, and include environmental helping strategies as an important component of clinical practice.
Courses Taught
- SSWM 549: Theories of Social Work Practice
- SASS 630: Seminar in Social Work Education
Research Interests
- Social Networks and Social Support
- Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders
- Women and Substance Use Disorders
Recent Grants
Organizational Culture and Mental Health Service Engagement
Faculty Mentor (Doctoral Dissertation Fellow: Hyun Soo Kim)
Ohio Department of Mental Health
$5,164
2011–2012
Role of Personal Social Networks in Post Treatment Functioning
Principal Investigator (Co‐Investigator: Meeyoung Min)
NIH – National Institute on Drug Abuse
$1,120,347
2009–2013
Fellowship with Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
Faculty Mentor (Doctoral Dissertation Fellow: Michael Vimont)
Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
$12,000
2010
Fellowship with Cuyahoga County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board
Faculty Mentor (Doctoral Dissertation Fellows: Tom Sherba and Lauren Stevenson)
Cuyahoga County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board
$43,130
2007–2010
Professional Memberships
- Member, National Association of Social Workers
- Member, Council on Social Work Education
- Member, Society for Social Work and Social Welfare
Recent Publications
Min, M. O., Tracy, E. M., Kim, H., Park, H., Jun, M., Brown, S., McCarty, C., & Laudet, A.. Changes in personal networks of women in residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2013 Oct;45(4):325-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.04.006. Epub 2013 Jun 5.
Brown, S., Jun, M., Min, M.O., Tracy, E.M. (2013) Impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support on quality of life among women in treatment for substance dependence. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 9(1), 61-71.
Piccola, T. & Tracy, E.M. (2013) "Family preservation and home based services." In. C. Franklin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Work On Line Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Allen, S.F. & Tracy, E.M. (2013). "Home based interventions." In. C. Franklin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Work On Line Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tracy, E., Kim, H., Brown, S., Min, M.O., Jun, M.K., & McCarty, C. (2012). Substance abuse treatment stage and personal social networks of women in substance abuse treatment. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 3(2), 65-79. PMC3358724
Tracy, E., Laudet, A., Min, M.O., Kim, H., Brown, S., Jun, M.K., & Singer, L. (2012). Prospective Patterns and Correlates of Quality of Life among Women in Substance Abuse Treatment 2012 Aug 1;124(3):242-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.01.010. Epub 2012 Feb 12.
Brown, S., Biegel, D. E., & Tracy, E. M. (2011). Likelihood of asking for help in caregivers of women with substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Journal of Case Management, 12(3), 94–100.
Tracy, E. M., & Brown, S. (2011). "Social networks and social work practice." In F. Turner, Social Work treatment (5th ed., pp. 447–459). New York: Oxford University Press.
Biegel, D. E., Katz, S., Meeks, D., Brown, S., & Tracy, E. M. (2010). Predictors of depressive symptomatology in family caregivers of women with substance use disorders or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Journal of Family Social Work, 13(2), 25–44.
Munson, M. R., Smalling, S., Spencer, R., Scott, L. D., Jr., & Tracy, E. M. (2010). A steady presence in the midst of change: Nonkin natural mentoring relationships among older youth exiting foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(4), 527–535.
Tracy, E. M., Munson, M., Peterson, L., & Floersch, J. (2010). Social supports: A mixed blessing for women in substance abuse treatment. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 10(3), 257– 282.
Allen, S. F., & Tracy, E. M. (Eds.). (2009). Delivering home-based Services: A social work perspective. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Brown, S. & Tracy, E. M. (2008), Building communities of practice to advance mental health services in schools. The Community Psychologist, 41(2), 46-48.
Piccola, T. & Tracy, E. M. (2008) "Family preservation and home based services" In Encyclopedia of social work (20th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 2000-2006). New York: Oxford University Press and NASW Press.
Tracy, E. M. (2008). "Working with and strengthening social networks." In A. R. Roberts (Editor-in-Chief), Social workers’ desk reference (2nd ed., pp. 710-714). New York: Oxford University Press.
Biegel, D. E., Katz, S., Tracy, E., & Townsend, A. (2007). Predictors of dyadic relationship quality of women in substance abuse treatment. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 3(1), 87-112.
Tracy, E. M., & Johnson, P. J. (2007) Personal social networks of women with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 7 (1/2), 69-90.
Tracy, E. M., & Martin, T .C. (2007) Children’s roles in the social networks of women in substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 32(1), 81-88.
Tracy, E. M., & Usaj, K. (2007). "School social work with individuals and groups." In L. Bye &M. Alvarez (Eds.), School social work: Theory to practice (pp.141-163). Belmont, CA:Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Books
Maluccio, A., Pine, B., & Tracy, E. (2002). Social Work Practice with Families and Children. Foundations of Social Work Knowledge Series. Columbia University Press, 2002, 351 pp. ISBN 0231-10766-8
Tracy, E., Whittaker, J., Kemp, S. (1997). Person-Environment Practice: The Social Ecology of Interpersonal Helping. Modern Applications of Social Work Series. New York, 1997, 263 pp. ISBN 0202‐36103‐9
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Washington
Master of Social Work, University of Washington
Bachelor of Arts, Radcliffe College