Helen T. Yates

Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. Her research interests include understanding the wellness needs of people experiencing chronic illness, mental health or substance use from a client-centered perspective. Her recent research projects include developing and evaluating the Solution Focused Wellness for HIV Intervention for Women, examining solution focused wellness workshop effects on people experiencing substance use disorder and evaluating a residential community for people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders. Taylor has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented research and teaching abstracts at the annual meetings for the Council on Social Work Education, the Society for Social Work and Research, the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association and the North Carolina Public Health Association. Taylor is the co-chair of the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association’s Research Committee and a member of the Society for Social Work and Research. She teaches courses human behavior and research methods in the BSW and MSW programs.

Education

BSW in Social Work, University of North Carolina Wilmington
MSW in Social Work, University of Georgia
PhD in Social Work, University of Georgia

Specialization in Teaching

-Research methods for behavior intervention evaluation and program evaluation
-Human behavior in the social environment
-Human development over the lifespan
-Data analysis and visualization
-Introduction to social work and social welfare systems
-Advanced Solution Focused Brief Therapy
-Evidence-based mental health interventions for individuals and families
-Field education seminar

Research Interests

Research Interests:
-Wellness
-HIV and other chronic illnesses
-Substance use
-Mental health
-Women's wellness
Research Methods:
-Behavioral intervention research
-Surveys
-Program evaluation
-Phenomenology
-Focus groups

Professional Service

2024-present Faculty Senate (member)
2023-present Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work (Editorial Board Member and reviewer)
2023-present Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (reviewer)
2023-present UNCW Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society (Faculty Liaison)
2022-2024 UNCW College of Health and Human Services Rural Health Task Force (member)
2022-2024 UNCW College of Health and Human Services Dean’s Research Advisory Council (member)
2020-present UNCW School of Social Work MSW Committee (member)
2023-present Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association Research Committee (Co-chair)
2024-present Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association Annual Conference In-person Research Day (Co-Organizer)
2020-2023 Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association Annual Conference Virtual Research Day (Co-Organizer)
2015-present Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association Research Committee (member)

Community Engagement

2023-present The Healing Place of New Hanover County (program evaluation)
2021 Seeds of Healing, Inc. HIV Walk fundraiser (participant)

Honors & Awards

Seahawks Advancing Interdisciplinary Learning (SAIL) Grant (2024). Project Title: Incorporating Multicultural Social Work Perspectives into an Undergraduate Research Course: A Collaboration between the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Escuela de Trabajo Social. Total direct costs: $5000. Decision: awarded. Role: Team Leader

New Hanover County Alcohol Beverage Control (2024-2027). Project Title: Evaluating a Residential Recovery Program for Adults with Substance Use Disorders. Total direct costs: $400,000. Decision: awarded. Role: Co-investigator.

New Hanover Community Endowment (2022). Project Title: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in an Urban, Post-pandemic Community to Improve Multidimensional Wellness in a Sample of Young Adults. Total direct costs: $10,206. Decision: awarded. Role: Principal Investigator

UNCW College of Health and Human Services Funding your Passion (2021). Project Title: Community Engagement for Solution Focused Wellness for HIV Intervention for Women. Total direct costs: $640. Decision: awarded. Role: Principal Investigator

Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association (2018). Project Title: Randomized Controlled Trial of an SFBT Group Wellness Intervention for Women Living with HIV. Total direct costs: $2500. Decision: awarded. Role: Principal Investigator