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DSW Showcase Student Presentation

Dora Hall

MSW, LCSW, CSAYC, DSW Candidate

Successful Family Reunification: Understanding the Challenges for Child Welfare Involved Parents.

Concentration -

  • Monday, April 28, 2025 -
  • 4:00 pm
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Abstract

The child welfare system’s treatment model includes interventions aimed at supporting children in foster care, their foster parents, and their biological parents. Both foster parents and children participate in trauma-informed interventions to improve the quality of life for the children. In comparison, biological parents complete specific tasks to reunify with their children, often with minimal guidance. These parents face numerous barriers in fulfilling these tasks and may not receive effective, evidence-based treatment to help them prepare for reunification. Biological parents striving for reunification need access to effective mental health and parenting programs. Families that reunify must establish a strong foundation built on the shared experiences of all family members. The biological parents play a critical role in grounding this family foundation, and they must learn solid parenting skills and trauma-informed interventions to maintain stability within the family. This capstone presentation focuses on successful family reunification, particularly for the biological parents involved in the child welfare system. The systematic literature review underscores the necessity for evidence-based interventions tailored for parents working toward reunification. The conceptual paper suggests integrating the Bowen Family Systems Theory and Attachment Theory to understand the complexities of child-parent relationships and the factors influencing reunification efforts. Lastly, the practice application paper outlines a framework for a proposed comprehensive program to address the mental health and parenting skills designed for parents engaged with the child welfare system.

Biography

Dora Barnett Hall is a licensed clinical social worker based in Central Kentucky. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kentucky. She is also a social work doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2025. Dora is a clinical supervisor for the National Youth Advocate Program’s Kentucky office for foster care and behavioral health programs. Dora is also an instructor at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, teaching policy and research in the master’s program. Dora’s research interests include child welfare issues, the impact of foster care on families, and bridging service gaps for parents. This research interest stems from Dora’s work in the foster care setting with parents who struggle to navigate the child welfare system. Her capstone project focuses on parental needs and factors that influence successful family reunification after children placed in foster care return to their family of origin. Finally, Dora is an advocate for children and families in her community, where she serves as an elected official on the district school board and is a mentor in the local intermediate school.