Professional Interests

• Foster care
• Child and Family Services
• Permanency Planning

Current Research

• Mental health services for children and adolescents in foster care
• Following foster youth into adulthood

Teaching

• Evidence-based mental health practice for children and adolescents (certificate program)
• Social work practice
• Child and adolescent mental health issues

Practice Experience

Eight years direct practice experience in child welfare settings

Selected Recent Publications

Leathers, S.J., Falconnier, L., & Spielfogel, J.E. (in press). Predicting Family Reunification, Adoption, and Subsidized Guardianship Among Adolescents in Foster Care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Leathers, S.J., Atkins, M.S., Spielfogel, J.E., McMeel, L.S., Wesley, J.M., & Davis, R. (2009). Context-specific mental health services for foster children. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 1289-1297.

Leathers, S.J., McMeel, L., Prabhughate, A., & Atkins, M.S. (2009). Trends in Child Welfare's Focus on Children's Mental Health and Mental Health Services from 1980-2004. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 445-450.

Affiliations, Associations & Consultations 

Member, Society for Social Work Research

Member, IL Division of Mental Health Committee on Evidence-based Practice for Children Initiative

Consultant, California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare

Editorial Reviews

Children and Youth Services Review