Faculty and Staff Profiles

Laura C Taylor, PhD, LCSW
, Social Work Susan Neely Barnes
Email: lctylor1@memphis.edu
Office Location: 113 Mccord Hall
Profile

Dr. Laura C Taylor has been a faculty member with the University of Memphis Department of Social Work since 2011. She served as the Director of BA Field Placements from May of 2011 to June of 2015. Dr. Taylor also served as Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of MSW Field Placements in June of 2015 to July of 2017. In August of she 2017, she was promoted to Assistant Professor. Dr. Taylor’s research interests involve social determinants of health that influence how African Americans seek out and experience mental health care. Her research also includes projects on integrated behavioral health. In addition, Dr. Taylor has five published peer-reviewed articles and has been an invited speaker locally and nationally. Lastly, Dr. Taylor has 22 years of professional experience as a social worker. She runs a small clinical practice providing the following services: individual psychotherapy with a specialization in African American women and mental health; supervision (with a concentrated focus on deepening the understanding and practice of clinical process and technique) to master’s level social workers pursuing clinical licensure; and consultation to practitioners and agencies.

Education
  • PhD Clinical Social Work - Institute for Clinical Social Work - 2017
  • Master's Social Work - Loyola University - Chicago - 1997
  • Bachelor's Sociology - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 1995

Work Experience

  • Assistant Professor, Social Work - University of Memphis - 8/2017 – present
  • MSW Field Coordinator, Social Work - University of Memphis - 7/2015 – 8/2017
  • Director of Undergraduate Field Placement and Community Outreach, Department of Social Work - University of Memphis, Memphis, TN - 5/2011 - 7/2015
Honors/Awards
  • National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) Fellowship - University of Denver’s Butler Institute for Families at the Graduate School of Social Work – Alcohol and Other Drugs Education Program (ADEP) - 2018
  • Phi Alpha Honor Society - (Epsilon Upsilon Chapter) University of Memphis - 2011

Teaching Experience

  • SWRK 7948 - Social Work Clinical Process & Technique - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7065 Social Work Clinical Process & Technique - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7005 Psychopathology - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7016 Advanced Practice with Children & Youth - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7056 Integrative Field Seminar II - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7055 Integrative Field Seminar I - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7052 Field Placement II - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 7051 Field Placement I - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4831 Field Instruction Social Work II - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4841 Integrative Field Seminar II - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4830 Field Instruction Social Work I - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4840 Integrative Field Seminar I - University of Memphis

Support

  • INTEGRATE grant – Interprofessional Teams Grounded in Apprenticeship, Telehealth, and Evidence - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce, Education, and Training (BHWET) Program - $1.89 million - 2021 - 2025
  • Midsouth Integrated Behavioral Health Training Initiative (MIBH-TI) - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program grant. - $1,917,762 - 2017 - 2021
  • Early Infant Mental Health - University of Memphis- Le Bonheur- Project Launch- Infant Mental Health Grant. - $135,000 - 2016 - 2021
  • Tennessee Board of Regents - University of Memphis Department of Social Work. Free Lunch Graduates: What Happens When They Come to College? - $40,000 - 2016 – 2017
  • Summer Faculty Research Grant - Maternal Mental Health Program Evaluation - University of Memphis College of Arts & Sciences - $6498 - Summer 2021

Outreach

  • Let's Talk About Mental Health - Panel Respondent - Community Mental Health Providers - May 2019 - University of Memphis, Case Management Inc., TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  • LMSW Exam Preparation Workshop - University of Memphis School of Social Work Graduate Students - May 2016 - University of Memphis School of Social Work
  • LMSW Exam Preparation Workshop - University of Memphis School of Social Work Graduate Students - October 2014 - University of Memphis School of Social Work
  • Participant on panel discussion regarding the impact of traumatic/disruptive pre-placement and/or foster care experience on development of young children and adolescents - Shelby County Child Welfare Providers - February 2014 - Goodwill Homes
Service
  • University of Memphis - Strategies & Tactics for Recruiting to Increase Diversity & Excellence (STRIDE) Committee Member - Spring 2020 - present
  • University of Memphis - Faculty Advisor for African American, Latino/Latina, Asian American, Native American Psychology Group (ALANA) - Fall 2020 – Spring 2021
  • University of Memphis - Search Committee for Assistant Professor - Fall 2020
  • University of Memphis - College of Education Faculty Research Grant Review Committee - Spring 2020
  • University of Memphis - Search Committee for Assistant Professor - Spring 2020
  • University of Memphis - Member of Alliance Healthcare Services Individual Placement and Support Steering Committee - Spring 2019 - present
  • University of Memphis - Search Committee for Assistant Professor - Spring 2019
  • University of Memphis - Search Committee for Instructor/Coordinator - Spring 2018
  • University of Memphis - Senate Faculty Representative - Spring 2017 - Spring 2019
  • University of Memphis - Member of Integrated Behavioral Health Consortium for a Community Stress and Wellness Clinic - 2017 to Spring 2019
  • University of Memphis - Board Member for Restore-Corps, a non-profit organization - 2017 - 2020
  • University of Memphis - Search Committee for Instructor/Coordinator - Spring 2017
  • University of Memphis - NASW-TN West Branch Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (CNLI) Representative - 2015 - 2017
  • University of Memphis - Served as consultant for Shelby County Breast Feeding Coalition on grant funded research - 2014
  • University of Memphis - Advisor for registered student organization - 2012 - 2019
  • University of Memphis - NASW-TN Ethics Committee - 2012 - 2018
  • Social Work in Healthcare - Invited Referee - Fall 2020
  • Social Work in Healthcare - Invited Referee - Spring 2019
Consulting
  • Methodist Living Well Network - June 2019 - Ocotber 2019
Journal Articles
  • Elswick, S., Casey, L., Delgado, D., Crutchfield, J., Cuellar, M., Seemann, D. Taylor, L., Rudd, L., Simmons, L. (2021). Using a Multi-tiered Systems of Supports Framework as the Foundation for Overlaying Trauma-Informed Practices: A Pilot Study in One Urban School District. School Social Work Journal.
  • Taylor, L.C., Delavega, E., Jin, S.W., Neely-Barnes, S., & Elswick, S.E. (2019) The Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Students at a Multi-Campus University, Journal of Poverty, DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2019.1656141
  • Neely-Barnes, S. L., Kirk, B. G., Elswick, S. E., Taylor, L. C., Delavega, M., Pettet, F., & Landry, M. (2019). Training second-year MSW students to improve cultural and linguistic competence. Research on Social Work Practice. doi: 10.1177/1049731519874397
  • Taylor, L.C. (2018) The Experience of Infertility Among African American Couples. Journal of African American Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-018-9416-6
  • Delavega, E, Neely-Barnes, S.L., Elswick, S.E., Taylor, L.C., Pettet, F.L., & Landry, M. (2018). Preparing social work students for interprofessional team practice in health care settings. Research on Social Work Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731518804880
  • Simmons, L., Taylor, L., Anderson, K., & Neely-Barnes, S. (2018)Comparative experiences of first generation and continuing generation social work students. Journal of Social Work Education. doi: 10.1080/10437797.2018.1434436
Presentations
  • April 2021 Taylor, L. “A Model of Social Work Supervision” Presentation at annual Symposium of the University of Memphis School of Social Work, Memphis, TN.
  • November 2020 Panel Respondent. “Ethical Clinical Engagement Addressing Social Injustice and Social Change” Panel discussion at Virtual Ethics Conference hosted by the National Association of Social Workers – Illinois.
  • October 2020 Panel Respondent. “Graduate Professional Development Seminar.” Panel discussion hosted by University of Memphis Graduate Student Association, Memphis, TN.
  • October 2020 Taylor, L. “Misdiagnosis in the African American Population.” Instagram Live Presentation. October 5, 2020.
  • July 2020 Taylor, L. “A Conversation About Healing Racism.” Virtual Continuing Education Unit Presentation to the National Association of Social Workers – Northeast Illinois Chapter.
  • April 2020 Taylor, L. "Wellness, Self-Care and Coping In A Pandemic." Virtual Presentation at the monthly meeting of the Memphis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
  • November 2019 Taylor, L., Delavega, E., Landry, M., & Neely-Barnes, S. “Evaluating Supervision in an Interdisciplinary Behavioral Health Training Program” Poster Presentation at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO.
  • May 2019 Panel Respondent. “Let’s Talk About Mental Health.” Panel discussion hosted by University of Memphis, CMI Healthcare Services, and TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Memphis, TN.
  • November 2018 Malone, C., Taylor, L., Delavega, E., & Neely-Barnes, S. “The Challenges in Designing Training for Field Supervisors in Interprofessional Education” Poster Presentation at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Orlando, FL.
  • April 2018 Delavega, E., Hirschi, M., & Taylor, L. “A Conversation on Ethics and Evidence-Based Practice” Presentation at the annual Symposium of the University of Memphis School of Social Work, Memphis, TN
  • April 2017 Gordon, N. & Taylor, L. “Social Work Supervision: Criteria to Ensure Competency and Reinforce Life-Long Learning” Presentation at annual Association of Social Work Board conference, Henderson, NV.
  • April 2017 Shelton, B. & Taylor, L. “Infertility and Birth Trauma” Presentation at the annual Symposium of the University of Memphis School of Social Work, Memphis, TN.
  • November 2016 Simmons, L, Anderson, K., Neely-Barnes, S., & Taylor, L. “Comparative Experiences of First Generation and Continuing Generation Social Work Students” Poster Presentation at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA.
  • 2014 - Licensed Master's Social Work Exam Preparation Workshop, University of Memphis School of Social Work

Appendix A - Teaching Experience

  • SWRK 7949 - Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
  • SWRK 7065/7948 - Social Work Clinical Process & Technique
  • SWRK 8075 - Reflective Supervision
Appendix B - Student Advising/Mentoring
  • Doctoral Committee for Chanda Dunn, 2021. A Narrative of Black Women’s Experiences of Mental Health and Spiritual Healing. Anticipated Graduation Fall 2021. Committee member.
  • Doctoral Committee for Terry Mackey, 2021. Sex Trafficking and the Church. Memphis Theological Seminary. Graduated Spring 2021. Committee member.