Victor Groza is the Grace F. Brody Professor of Parent-Child Studies at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. He is a licensed social worker and has a doctorate in Sociology. His research in child welfare focuses on three areas: (1) an examination of the trauma from institutional care of children, ways to improve the care of children who must reside in institutions, and the short- and long-term impacts on child and family development from early trauma; (2) family, children and service system issues in domestic, older-child adoption and international adoption, all who bring to their family a trauma history; and (3) child welfare workforce issues including managing secondary trauma.
Since 1991 he has been involved in various child welfare technical assistance, research and training projects in Romania, India, Ukraine, Guatemala & Ethiopia. His research, training and technical assistance has been use to change public policy, develop social services and improve the quality of the workforce globally. Dr. Groza holds an honorary doctorate from the West University of Timisoara, Romania.
Biosketch
Curriculum Vitae
Google Scholar
Twitter: @VictorKGroza
Why I teach
I teach to create the next generation of social workers who will provide services, lead organizations and create a better world for children and families.
Why I chose this profession
I started my professional journey pursuing theology because I wanted to serve people. Social Work with a better path for me to pursue my desire to serve others.
Research Information
Research Interests
- Child welfare
- Institutional care
- Adoption
- Child well-being
Publications
Books
Bosco-Ruggiero, Stephanie; Wassell, Gloria Russo; Groza, Victor. Adopting Older Children: a Practical Guide to Adopting and Parenting Children over Age Four. New Horizon Press, 2014.
Groza, Victor K.; Rosenberg, Karen F.. Clinical and Practice Issues in Adoption--Revised and Updated: Bridging the Gap Between Adoptees Placed as Infants and as Older Children. Praeger, 2001.
Groza, Victor K.; Irwin, Ivor; Ileana, Daniela. A Peacock or a Crow? Stories, Interviews and Commentaries on Romanian Adoptions. Lakeshore Communications, 1999.
Groza, Victor K. Successful Adoptive Families: A Longitudinal Study of Special Needs Adoption. Praeger, 1996.
Groza, Victor K., Rosenthal, James. Special-Needs Adoption: A Study of Intact Families. Praeger, 1992.
Reports
- Year One Evaluation Report Diligent Recruitment Project (2009)
- Partners for Forever Families Year Two Evaluation Report (2010)
- Partners for Forever Families Year Three Evaluation Report (2011)
- Partners for Forever Families Year Four Evaluation Report (2012)
- Partners for Forever Families Year Five Evaluation Report (2013)
- Clinical Attachment Project (CAP) (2003)
- Minority Adoption Project (MAP) The Adoption Center for Minority Children (2002)
- Kinship Adoption (2001)
Romania
- Practice with Adoptive and Birth Families (In Romanian) (2012)
- An Organizational Assessment of Children’s Social Service Agencies in Romania (2004)
- Romania: Thoughts and Impressions (2003)
- The Evolution of a Discipline: Re-creating Romanian Social Work (2003)
- Romanian Final Report in English (2001)
- A Follow-up Study of Romanian Families who Adopted Romanian Children (1999)
- US Policy Promotes Institutionalization of Children in Romania (1999)
- Street Children Project (1998)
- Assessing Children at the Camin Spital in Videle, Romania (1991)
- Assessing Children at Saca, Romania (1992)
- Romania (2003)
- Romania (2002)
- Romania (2001)
- Romania (2000)
India
- A Study of Adopt Adoptees in India (2012)
- A Study of Indian Families Adopting Indian Children (2002)
- India (2001)
- The Adoption of Indian Children by Norwegian Parents — Appendices (2004)
Belize
- Belize (2000)
Dissertations Chaired
- 2018 Cristina Nedelcu, “Attachment and the Transition to Early Adulthood for Romanian Adoptees."
- 2016 Jamie Cage, "Educational Attainment for Youth who were Maltreated in Adolescence."
- 2016 Kelly Davis, “Perspectives of Professionals on Treatment Care Success."
- 2015 Maureen Riley-Behringer, “Effects of Prenatal Risk and Early Life Care on Behavioral Problems, Self-Regulation, and Modulation of Physiological Stress Response in 6 to 7 Year-Old Children of Intercountry Adoption (ICA)”.
- 2012 Zoe Breen Wood, “Public Child Welfare Adoption: The adoptive Parent and Adolescent Adoptee Perception of Adoption Outcomes.”
- 2012 Felicia Fago, “Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Pre-adoption Placement on School-Age Functioning of Inter-country Adopted Children.”
- 2010 Marisa Allen, “Steeping the Organization’s Tea: Examining the Relationship between Evaluation Use, Organizational Context and Evaluator Characteristics”
- 2010 Lindsey Houlihan, “Attachment at Adoption and Three Months”
- 2008 Melody Stewart, “An outcomes study of juvenile diversion programs on non-serious delinquent and status offenders”
- 2007 David Chenot, “Organizational culture and retention in public child welfare services”
- 2006 Curtis Proctor, “Behavioral indicators as attachment difficulties in children Adopted From Romania”
- 2004 Colleen Friend, “Helping public child welfare workers learn interviewing skills”
- 2001 Scott Douglas Ryan, “Caregivers of children infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS”
- 1999 C. Joan Hiefner, “An Identification of the capacity for institution building within the civil society sector of Romania”
Presentations
Select Presentations
Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Adoption Mental Health with the West University of Timisoara, Romania (2013–14)
Foster care to adoption in Romanian and English
Intervention with adoptees and their family Part 1
Adoption Search & Reunion by Bellini
Clinical Issues in adoption for mental health professionals by Zoe Wood
Interventions with adoptees & their families Part 2
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum by Fago
Child Centered Recruitment -Romanian & English
Probleme medicale si psihologice ale copilului adoptat
Changing Shoes- in Romanian and English
Presentations in Spanish (2011)
Abuso Fisico, Sexual y Negligencia
Directrices para el perfil de la Evaluacion infantil
El Mapa de la Red Social
Ensenando Patrones de Crianza
Fortalecimiento Familiar y Empoderamiento
Genograma
La Sociologica de la Adolescencia y Juventud en los anos 90
Preparacion del Nino para su ubicacion y reunificacion
Principios Claves de Proteccion Enfantil
Presentations in Ethiopia (2010)
An Institution is No Place to Go Home For Ethiopia Training for MOWA by Victor Groza
Effects of Trauma on Children
Improving Institutional Care by Victor Groza
Steps Towards Deinstitutionalization
An Alternative to Institutional Care by Scott Wilkes
Ethics by Scott Wilkes
Models and Levels of Care by Scott Wilkes
The Foster Care Process by Scott Wilkes
Meeting the Needs of Children and Families by Scott Wilkes
Child Protection Model by Zoe Wood
The Child Protection System by Zoe Wood
Presentations in Kazakhstan (2009)
Overview of International Adoption for Kazakhstan (In Kazak)
Overview of International Adoption for Kazakhstan (In Russian)
Presentations in Ukrainian (2006–08)
Abandonment, Separation and Loss
Adopting Children with Special Needs
Assessment of Competencies for Fostering
Attachment and Attachment Disorders
Building a Strong Domestic Adoption Program
Child Assessment for Adoption or Placement
Child Specific Recruitment
Effects of Trauma on Children
International Adoption Professional Standards
Matching Parents and Children for Adoption
Overview of Adoption
Overview of Permanency Planning
Overview of Program Evaluation
Permanency Planning Teams
Preparing Children for Adoption or Placement
Recruiting, Training and Retaining Resource Families
Towards Deinstitutionalization
Education
Additional Information
Concentration
- Children, Youth and Families