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Valire Copeland
- Professor (Sabbatical 22-23 AY)
Dr. Copeland, Professor, School of Social Work; Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, the University of Pittsburgh, Associate Director of the Public Health Social Work Training Program, a joint degree program between the Schools of Social Work and Graduate School of Public Health. She has served as Principal Investigator of federal and local grants. Dr. Copeland is an expert in the bio-psychosocial factors in racial disparities, social determinants of health with regards to health and mental health status outcome for African American women, children, and youth, and social work practice in health care settings. Dr. Copeland is also astanding member in the Healthcare System Research and Value Research (HSVR) study section for the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
BSW (1977) Livingstone College; MSW (1978), MPH (1988), PhD (1989) University of Pittsburgh; Paul Cornely Postdoctoral Fellow (1991) University of Michigan; and Management Certificate (2015) Harvard University.
Research Interests
- African American Women, Children, and Youth
- Health and Mental Health Disparities
- Social Determinants of Health
- Integrated Behavioral Health Care
- Social Work Practice in Healthcare Settings
Representative Publications
Pecukonis, E., Keefe, RH., Cuddeback, GS., Copeland, VC., Friedman, MS., Albert, SM., (2019). Educations the next generation of public health social leaders: Findings from a two-day summit. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 39:2,132-147.
Copeland, VC, Kim, Y., Eack, S. (2018). Effectiveness of Interventions for Breast Cancer Screening in African American Women: A Meta-Analysis. Health Services Research. Volume 53, #S1, p. 3170-3188
Pecukonis, E., Keefe, RH, Cuddeback, GS., Copeland, VC., Friedman, M, Albert, SM. (2018) Public Health Social Work: Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Summit, October 20-12, 2016. White Paper.
Copeland, VC, Newhill, C.E., Jackson Foster, LJ, Braxter, B.J., Doswell, WM, Lewis, & Eack, SM (2017). Major Depressive Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease in African-American Women, Journal of Social Service Research, 43:5, 624-634, DOI: 10.1080/01488376.2017.1370682
Copeland, V.C. & Wexler, SA. (2017). Health Disparities. Encyclopedia of Social Work, Oxford Press DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1254
Eunhee Choi, Fengyan Tang & Copeland, Valire Carr. (2017) Racial/Ethnic Inequality Among Older Workers: Focusing on Whites, Blacks, and Latinos Within the Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage Framework, Journal of Social Services Research, 43:1, 18-36, DOI: 10.1080/01488376.2016.1235068
Gallups, S., Copeland, V. C., Rosenzweig, M. (2017). Perceived financial hardship among patients with advanced cancer. Journal of Community and Supportive Oncology, 15 (3), e163-e169.
Copeland, Valire Carr (Ed). (2016) People of Color in the United States Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and Immigration Vol. 3. Health and Wellness. Santa Barbara, CA∙ Denver, CO: Greenwood.
Tang, F., Jang, H., Carr Copeland, V. (2015). Challenges and Resilience in African American Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Review of the Literature with Practice Implications. GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 2 (2).
Copeland, V.C. &. Lee, HJ. (2013). Maternal and Child Health. Encyclopedia of Social Work, 21th Edition. Oxford Press:
Daley, DC, Kelly, TM, Copeland, VC, Wells, EA. Guest Editors, Special Issue (2013). The Role of Social Work in the Preventions and Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders. Social Work in Public Health. Volume, 28, Number 3-4.
Burlew, A.K, Copeland, VC, Ahuama-Jonas, C., Calsyn, DA. (2013). Does cultural adaption have a role in substance abuse treatment? Social Work in Public Health, Volume 28, Number 3-4, 440-460.
Tang, F. & Copeland, VC, Wexler, S. (2012). Racial Differences in Late-life Volunteering: An Empowerment Perspective. Social Work Research, Volume 36, Number 2, 89-100.
Ai, A.L., Plummer, C. Lemieux, C.M., Heo, G., Simon, C.E., Taylor, P., Copeland, V.C. (2011). Racial Identity—Related Differential Attributions of the Inadequate Response to Katrina-Rita Disasters: A social identity perspective. Race and Social Problems, Vol.3, Issue 1,
Copeland, VC. Guest Editor, Special Issue (2011). Health Disparities in Women of Color. Social Work in Public Health, Volume 26, Issue 1.
Ley, C.E., Copeland, V.C., Flint, C.S., (2011). “Healthy Start Program Participation: The Consumers’ Perspective”. Social Work in Public Health, Volume 26, Issue 1, 19-34.
Copeland, V.C., & Snyder, K. A. (2011) “Barriers to Mental Health Treatment Services for African American Women who take their children for treatment services: An Ethnographic Investigation”. Social Work in Public Health, Volume 26, Number 1, 78-95.
Downs, J., Arslanian, S., Bruine de Bruin, W., Carr Copeland, V., Doswell, W., Herman, W., Lain, K., Mansfield, J., Murray, P., White, N., Charron-Prochownik, D. (2010) Implications of Type 2 Diabetes on Adolescent Reproductive Health Risk: An Expert Model. The Diabetes Educator
Conner, K.O., Copeland, V. C., Grote, N., Rosen, D., Albert, S., G., McMurray, M.L., Reynolds, C.F., Brown, C. (2010). Barriers to Treatment and Culturally Endorsed Coping Strategies for Depressed African American Older Adults. Aging and Mental Health, 14(8), 971-983.
Conner, KO, Copeland, VC, Grote NK, Rosen, D, Reynolds, CF, Brown, C. (2010) Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among Older Adults with Depression: The Impact of Stigma and Race. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (AJGP), 18(6):531-543.
Brown, C., Conner, K.O., Copeland, V.C., Grote, N., Beach, S., Battista, D., Reynolds, C.F. (2010). Depression, Stigma, Race, and Treatment Seeking Behavior and Attitudes. Journal of Community Psychology, Vol. 31, 3, 350-368.
