Travis Labrum

Travis Labrum, LCSW, earned undergraduate degrees and an MSW from the University of Utah and a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania. His primary research interests are issues affecting persons with psychiatric disorders and their families, including caregiving, conflict, and treatment services. He is particularly interested in research with implications for effectively supporting family members overcome challenges and support recovery among persons with psychiatric disorders. His secondary research interest is violence between adult family members, such as elder abuse.

Prior to becoming a researcher, he worked at a community-based mental health and substance use treatment center for 9 years, serving as a case manager, therapist, clinical supervisor, and field instructor for MSW students. He currently teaches courses in the Direct Practice specialization of the MSW program and is the coordinator of the Mental Health Certificate.  Having been a first-generation college student, he particularly enjoys witnessing students develop newfound confidence and surpassing their own expectations of growth. 

Research Interests

• Family relationships of persons with SMI
• Elder mistreatment

Funded Research Project

• Steven H. Sandell Grant Program, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (2021-2022). Perceptions of beneficiaries with mental illness and family representative payees regarding satisfaction and challenges (Principal Investigator).

Accepting Graduate Students: Yes 

Students working with me will be involved in projects examining family caregiving and representative payeeship for persons with psychiatric disorders.   

Representative Publications 

Jacobs, L. A., Branson, Z., Greeno, C. G., Skeem, J. L., & Labrum, T. (2022). Community behavioral health service use and criminal recidivism of people with mental, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. Psychiatric Services. Advance online publication. 

Labrum, T., Newhill, C., Simonsson, P., & *Flores, A. T. (2022). Family conflict and violence by persons with serious mental illness: How clinicians can intervene during the COVID19 pandemic and beyond. Clinical Social Work Journal, 50, 102-111.

Labrum, T., & Solomon, P. L. (2022). Serious mental illness and incidents between adult children and parents responded to by police. Psychological Medicine, 52, 102-111.

Jacobs, L. A., Fixler, A., Labrum, T., Givens, A., & Newhill, C. (2021). Risk factors for criminal recidivism among persons with serious psychiatric diagnoses: Disentangling what matters for whom. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12: 778399. 

Labrum, T., & Newhill, C. E. (2021). Perceived isolation among caregivers of persons with mental illness. Social Work, 66, 245-253.

Labrum, T., Zingman, M. A., Nossel, I., & Dixon, L. B. (2021). Violence by persons with serious mental illness toward family caregivers and other relatives: A review. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 29, 10-19.  

Labrum, T., Petros, R., Jacobs, L. A., & *Flores, A. (2021). Supportive and problematic interactions between sexual minorities with serious mental illness and non-intimate partner relatives. Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health, 8, 19-27.

Labrum, T., Newhill, C., *Smathers, T. (2020). Working with older caregivers of persons with mental illness during COVID-19: Decreasing burden, creating plans for future care, and utilizing strengths. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 63, 654-658. 

Labrum, T. (2020). Persons with serious mental illness help relatives: Rates and correlates of assistance. Journal of Mental Health, 29, 328-335.  

Labrum, T., Solomon, P. L., & Marcus, S. C. (2020). Victimization and perpetration of violence involving persons with mood and other psychiatric disorders and their relatives. Psychiatric Services, 71,498-501.