Master of Social Work

My areas of scholarship include ageism, the needs and well-being of older adults with low income and end of life care and grief/bereavement support. Additional areas of interest include disability and ableism, animal assisted interventions and elder abuse and neglect.

Presentations

• Thomas Steward, A., Lavery, A. & Moody, H. (October, 2019). Approaches to Infusing Critical Gerontology Across Social Work Curricula. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO.
• Lavery, A., Chiarelli-Helminiak, C. & Myers, W. (November, 2018). Utilizing Photos for Deeper Learning: Human Rights and Specialized Practice. Presented at the annual conference for the Council on Social Work Education, Orlando, FL.
• Hasche, L. & Lavery, A. (November, 2018). Service Needs Among Older Adults at Risk for Financial Elder Abuse. Presented at the annual conference for the Gerontology Society of America, Boston, MA.
• Lavery, A., Kattari, S., Hasche, L. & McQueen, J. (October, 2017). Using a Social Model of Disability in Social Work and Gerontology Education. Panel presented at the annual conference of the Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, TX.
• Lavery, A. (November, 2016). Liminality and Loss: Waiting for Affordable Housing. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Council on Social Work Education in Atlanta, GA.
• Teixeira, S., Nicotera, N., Kao, D. & Lavery, A. (January, 2016). Using innovative mixed methods to map context in social work research. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.
• Lavery, A. (2015, November). A place with a patio: Using qualitative interviews and photos to expand views of aging. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Gerontological Society of America, Orlando, FL.
• Hasche, L. & Lavery, A. (2015, January). Mental health correlates and service utilization among older adults at risk for elder mistreatment. Electronic poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work Research, New Orleans, LA.
• Solms, J., Lavery, A., & Shafer, A. (2013, December). Sexuality and late adulthood. Panel discussion at the Jewish Family Services Lunch and Learn Workshop. Denver, CO.
• Hasche, L. & Lavery, A. (2013, January). Structure and feasibility of care management across aging services. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work Research, San Diego, CA.

Publications

• Lavery A. (2021). COVID-19: A Reminder that Addressing Ageism is Essential. Mental Health: NASW Practice Specialty Practice Section: Spring/Summer 2021, 5-6.
• Lavery, A. L., Hasche, L. K., DePrince, A. P., Gagnon, K., Srinivas, T. & Boyce, E. (2020). Mental health consequences and service utilization among older adults at risk for financial exploitation. Social Work Research, 44(4), 257-265.
• Bowen, M.E., Gaynor, B., Phillips, L. Orsega-Smith, E., Lavery, A., Mitchell, A., & Basehore, H. (2020). Factors associated with health service utilization among older adults in a Mobile Veterans Program. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(5), 15-22.
• Buck, P. & Lavery, A. (2020). Animal-assisted activities for children on the autism spectrum: Parent insights. Human Animal Interaction Bulletin, 8(1), 78-89.
• Kattari, S., Lavery, A. & Hasche, L. (2017). Applying a social model of disability across the lifespan. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 1-16.
• Hasche, L.K. & Lavery A. (2015). "As needed" case management across aging services in response to depression. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 58(3), 272-288.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My practice experience includes hospice social work, bereavement care/grief counseling, and work with survivors of crime, as well as conducting substance use assessments and developing pre-trial community support plans for those facing felony sentencing. I have facilitated caregiver and grief support groups in senior center and hospice settings. Prior to entering the PhD program at the University of Denver I was the Assistant Director of the Wyoming Geriatric Education Center. In 2008 I was certified in thanatology through the Association of Death Education and Counseling, and I became a Fellow in Thanatology in 2015.

Presentations

• Solms, J., Lavery, A. & Shafer, A. (December, 2013). Sexuality and late adulthood. Panel discussion at the Jewish Family Services Lunch and Learn Workshop. Denver, CO.
• Lavery, A. (February, 2010). Hold Your breath: Cultural competency and the American health care system. Campuswide presentation. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
• Lavery, A. & Priest, R. (November, 2009) Self-Care for caregivers.Presentation at the Young at Heart Senior Center, for the Alzheimer’s Assocition. Rock Springs, WY.
• Ecker, M. & Lavery, A. (September, 2009). Disability etiquette. Presentation at the National Association of Social Workers (Wyoming Chapter) Annual Conference, Riverton, WY.
• Lavery, A. (August, 2009). Cultural competency and health care. Presentation at the 2009 Annual Medicare Patrol Training for Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc. Casper, WY.
• Fleming, D. & Lavery, A. (May, 2009). Aging etiquette. Presentation at the 2009 Conference on Aging, Cheyenne, WY.
• Grubbs, L. & Lavery, A. (May, 2009). Hold your breath: Cultural competency at end of life. Presentation at the 2009 Annual Wyoming Hospice Organization Conference, Sheridan, WY.

• Advisory Council Member: Resource Pantry, January 2018 – Present

• Community Service - Board Member: Barclay Friends, April 2018 – Present

• Member, Gero Curricular Guide Development Task Force, Council on Social Work Education, 2016
• Membership Committee, Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, 2014 – 2016

• Outstanding Advisor, West Chester University, University College & Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, 2019
• Dissertation Support Award, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work -- 2013
• Gerontological Social Work Pre-Dissertation Award, Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, 2011 Cohort