Deborah Salem, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Email address: Deborah.Salem@ssc.msu.edu
Research Interest:
My research is driven by concern over how we, as a society, can better provide support to individuals who, because of individual differences (e.g., having a mental illness or a developmental disability) or contextual factors (e.g., living in poverty), are at high risk of being marginalized Our service delivery systems have been unable to adequately address the needs of these consumers. I believe that in large part this is due to the deficit oriented ideology that guides most traditional service delivery. Ideologies have a powerful influence on service delivery settings and the experiences of those who participate in them. In all of my work I am interested in the development of, maintenance of, and change of settings so that they draw on people's strengths and allow them to choose how to deal with the difficulties that they face. My current work focuses on mutual help and consumer run services for persons with serious mental illness. This work explores how these settings influence and support their members and assist them in recovery. It also focuses on how alternative settings are influenced by their environments, in particular how increasing involvement with the traditional service system impacts alternative settings.
Teaching Interest:
At the graduate level I teach courses in research methods, community practicum, and histories and theories of community psychology. At the undergraduate level I am currently teaching Psychology of Women.
Publications:
Nowell, B., & Salem, D. (2004). State level associations: An emerging trend in community mediation. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 21(4), 399-417.
Allen, N.E., Foster-Fishman, P.G., & Salem, D.A. (2002). Interagency teams: A vehicle for service delivery reform. Journal of Community Psychology, 30(5), 1-23.
Salem, D.A., Foster-Fishman, P.G., & Goodkind, J.R. (2002). Adoption of innovation in collective advocacy organizations. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(5), 681-710.
Foster-Fishman, P.G., Salem, D.A., Allen, N.A., & Fahrbach, K. (2001). Facilitating interorganizational exchanges: The contributions of interagency alliances. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29(6), 875-905.
Salem, D.A., & Bogat, G.A. (2000). Characteristics of an on-line mutual-help group for depression. International Journal of Self-Help and Self, 1(3), 229-247.
Salem, D.A., Reischl, T.M., Gallacher, F., & Randall, K.W. (2000). The role of referent and expert power in mutual help. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28 (3),303-324.
Chapters, Government Reports and Other Publications:
Weaver-Randall, K., & Salem, D.A. (2004). Mutual-help groups and recovery: How settings influence participants' experience of recovery In P.W. Corrigan & R.O. Ralph (Eds.) Recovery and mental illness: consumer visions and research paradigms. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.
Salem, D.A., Chinman, M.J., Gillum, T., Legaspi, A., Lewis, D.K., Seabrook, L., Scrimenti, K., & Tate, D.C. (2000). The Seventh Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action: A Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation. The Community Psychologist, 33, 18-29.
Campbell, R., & Salem, D.A. (2000). Concept mapping as a feminist research method: Examining the community response to rape. In E. B. Kimmel & M. Crawford (Eds.) Innovations in Feminist Psychological Research (pp. 65- 90). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Presentations:
Salem, D. (2004, June). The role of community narratives in mutual help groups. Paper presented at the tenth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Champaign, Illinois.
Salem, D. (2004, June). Voices from the Ground Up: The Role of Personal Stories in Recovery from Serious Mental Illness. Paper presented at a Festschrift in honor of Julian Rappaport, Champaign, Illinois.
Salem, D., & Hughes, B. (2003, June). The development of SA groups in forensic settings. Paper presented at the ninth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Nowell, B, & Salem, D. (2003, June). Mediation in special education: Parent's perceptions of relational impact. Paper presented at the ninth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Salem, D. (2002, April). Evaluation of SA: Past, present and future research. Paper presented at the National Schizophrenia Foundation: SA Leadership Development Conference, Novi, Michigan.
Salem, D., Reischl, T., & Randall, K. (2001, July). Schizophrenics Anonymous: Organizational expansion and member experience. Paper presented at the Schizophrenics Anonymous National Planning Conference, Novi, Michigan.
Salem, D., Reischl, T., & Randall, K. (2001, June). Organizational reciprocity in mutual help. Paper presented at
the eighth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Atlanta, Georgia.
Randall, K., Salem, D., & Reischl, T., (2001, June). Understanding recovery from schizophrenia in a mutual-help organization Paper presented at the eighth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Atlanta, Georgia.
Salem, D. (2001, June). Tribute to James Kelly. Invited presentation at the eighth biennial conference on Community Research and Action, Atlanta, Georgia.
Salem, D., Reischl, T., & Randall, K. (2000, September). Schizophrenics Anonymous: Organizational expansion and member experience. Paper presented at The Ethel & James Flinn Family Foundation 2000 Fall Symposium, Detroit, MI.
Professional Associations:
Fellow of the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA)
Division 27 of the American Psychological Association.
