Richard Sullivan, PhD.

Associate Professor

School of Social Work
University of British Columbia
RM 343 - 2080 West Mall
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2

Phone: 604-822-4278
Fax: 604-822-8656

D.S.W., University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Sullivan is a family and children's services social worker who has worked in family counseling, child protective services, residential treatment settings, juvenile correctional services, and employee assistance services.

His research focuses on interagency coordination and the development of service strategies with respect to high risk and marginalized groups, the development of operational measures for social service evaluation, the relationship between social policy and the developmental experience of families and children.

Current Courses:

SOWK 440G, Policy & practice in child welfare.
SOWK 501, Theoretical foundations of social work.
SOWK 572, Family Policy
SOWK 621, Social Theory, Ideology, and Ethics.

Current Research Projects

Evaluation of code white program

Evaluation of training intervention to reduce incidence of aggression and violence in hospitals.

Sponsored By: Justice Institute of British Columbia
Principal Investigators: Richard Sullivan, Ph.D.

The development of a framework for delivery of mental health services in the context of Canadian multiculturalism.

Sponsored By: Canadian Mental health Commission.
Principal Investigators: Monica Ruiz Cesare, Lucyna Lach, Cecile Rousseau, and Richard Sullivan

Reducing stigma, Promoting resilience: Population Health Interventions for LGBTQ Youth.

Sponsored By: CIHR.
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Saewyk

Recent Publications:

Sullivan, Richard & Charles, Grant (April 2010) Disproportionate representation and First Nations child welfare. Research to Practice Network, Federation of Community Social Services of B.C.

D’Angiulli, A. & Sullivan, R. (2010). Early specialized foster care, developmental outcomes and home salivary cortisol patterns in prenatally substance-exposed infants. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(3), 460-465.

Richard Sullivan and Margaret Harrington “The Politics and ethics of Same Sex Adoption” J. of GLBT Family Studies. August 2009. 5:235-246

Cadell, S. & Sullivan, R. (2006) Posttraumatic Growth in Bereaved HIV Caregivers: Where does it start and when does it end? Traumatology Vol. 12, Issue 1

Coates, J. & Sullivan, R. (2005) Achieving competent family practice with same-sex parents: Some promising directions. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 1(2), 89-114

Ellie Lathrop & Richard Sullivan (2004). Openess in adoption: Retrospective lessons and prospective choices. Children & Youth Services Review. Elsevier. Shannon Ireland. Vol. 26(4) pp. 393-411

Carol Cumming Speirs, Sydney Duder, & Richard Sullivan (2004) Mediated reunions in adoption: Findings from an evaluation study. Child Welfare. (in press)

Grad Students:

Ruppa Baga, Doctoral co-supervision with Sunera Thobani.A study of the intersections of race, class and gender in Canadian adoptions from Korea.

Margo Nelson, Doctoral Candidate, Social Work.A study of the role of social work practices to achieve cultural continuity for aboriginal children in foster care.

Ally Jamieson, Doctoral Student, Social Work.Child Traumatic Stress Responses in Foster Care

Lisa Cowie, MSW thesis supervision.Open Adoption as a Factor in Birth Mother Resolution of Grief & Loss

Dan Ji, MSW thesis supervision.Does Differential Response Accurately Distinguish Between Levels of Need & Risk?

The University of British Columbia