Professional Interests 

• Group Methods
• Gender Oppression and Globalization
• Violence Prevention & Intervention
• Substance Dependence

Teaching

• Foundation Practice
• Human Behavior and the Social Environment 
• Practice in Corrections
• Practice with Women
• Practice Approaches (PhD seminar)
• Social Work Education (PhD seminar)
• Qualitative Methods (PhD seminar)

Practice Experience

Ten year's post-MSW working with battered women and their children in Kansas and Arkansas.

Selected Recent Publications

O'Brien, P., & Dakin, A. (2007). Mental health challenges for incarcerated African-American women. In S. L. Logan, R. Derby, & P. A. Gibson (Eds.), Mental Health Care in the African American Community (pp.93-111). Binghamton, NY: Haworth.

Bennett, L. W., & O'Brien, P. (2007). Effects of coordinated services for drug-abusing women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Violence Against Women, 13 (4), 395-411.

O'Brien, P. (2006). Maximizing success for drug- affected women after release from prison: Examining access to and use of social services during reentry. Women and Criminal Justice, 17 (2/3), 95-113.

O'Brien, P., & Young, D. S. (2006) Challenges for formerly incarcerated women: A holistic approach to assessment. Families in Society, 87 (3), 359-366.

O'Brien, P., & Lee, N. (2006). Moving from needs to self-efficacy: A holistic system for women in transition from prison. Women & Therapy. 29 (3/4), 261-284.

Schwartz, J., O'Brien, P., & Lurigio, A. (eds.) (2006). Drugs, Women, and Justice: Roles of the Criminal Justice System for Drug-Affected Women. West Hazleton, PA : Haworth.

O'Brien, P. (2001). Making it in the "Free World": Women in Transition from Prison. New York: SUNY Press.

Book Article in Progress

Social Work in correctional settings. ( Forthcoming, SAGE Press).

Reentry in the twenty-first century. (Forthcoming- Forensic Social Work Practice Lyceum Press).

Reentry pioneers (Forthcoming- Women Who are Making a Difference in the World Lyceum Press).

Affiliations, Associations & Consultations 

Board member, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers
Appointed member and Co-chair of Council on Social Work Education Women's Council on the Role and Status of Women

Editorial Reviews

O'Brien, P. (2007). A review of Doing time on the outside: Deconstructing the benevolent community by Maidment, M. R. Contemporary Sociology, 36(6), 380-381.