Dr. Maria Schweer-Collins is a Research Assistant Professor with the HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice and the Prevention Science Institute at the University of Oregon.

Dr. Schweer-Collins holds expertise in applied research methodology, with an emphasis on applying research synthesis methods to improve the timely translation of research into policy and action. She is also dedicated to developing open source methods that can improve the responsivity of research to applied contexts. Substantively, her research centers on eliminating the health and psychosocial disparities that youth involved with child welfare and juvenile justice-involved youth face. A thread of work is focused on improving scalable, mental health supports for parents who have experienced trauma and other early life adversities.

Prior to joining the University of Oregon faculty, Dr. Schweer-Collins completed her Ph.D. in Prevention Science at the University of Oregon in 2020 and an IES-funded postdoctoral fellowship also at the University of Oregon. Her research and teaching were shaped by her background working as a licensed mental health clinician in a variety of community-based and educational settings. As a former Doris Duke Fellow and founding and current member of the Child Well-Being Research Network, she is committed to conducting actionable research to promote equitable policies and practices to improve the lives of youth and families

PhD, 2020, University of Oregon
Major: Prevention Science
Specialization: Quantitative Research Methods

MS, 2019, University of Oregon
Major: Prevention Science

MA, 2013, Bethel University
Major: Couples and Family Therapy

BA, 2009, Bethel University
Major: Religion

2021                  Faculty Data Science Fellow, University of Oregon            

2020-2022          Society for Prevention Research Early Career Reviewer

2019                   Society for Prevention Research Early Career Prevention Network Travel Award

2018-2020          Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being, Chapin Hall, University of Chicago    

2018                   People’s Choice Poster Award, University of Oregon Grad Forum

2018                   Poster Award, University of Oregon Grad Forum

Full list of publications available at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=09ZErT4AAAAJ&view_op=lis... Papers listed below are especially representative of ongoing and upcoming research.

* = student mentee collaborator

Representative Publications:

Schweer-Collins, M. L., & *Alvarado, C. (in press). The role of interdisciplinary learning in the advancement of child sexual abuse prevention: An interview with Dr. Linda M. Williams, former president of APSAC (1994). The APSAC Advisor.

Leve, L. D., Schweer-Collins, M. L., & *Bates, E. (in press). Criminal offense charges in women: A 10-year follow-up of an RCT of Treatment Foster Care Oregon. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

*Metcalfe, R. E., Muentner, L. D., Reino, C., Schweer-Collins, M. L., Kjellstrand, J. M., Eddy, J. M. (in press). Witnessing parental arrest as a predictor of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms during and after parental incarceration. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma.

Schweer-Collins, M. L. & Lanier, P. (2021). Health care access and quality among children exposed to adversity: Implications for universal screening of adverse childhood experiences. Child and Maternal Health Journal, 25, 1902-1912. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03270-9

Tanner-Smith, E. E., Parr, N. P., Schweer-Collins, M. L., & Saitz, R. (2021). Effects of brief substance use interventions delivered in general healthcare settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15674

Parr, N., Schweer-Collins, M. L., Darlington, T., Tanner-Smith, E. (2019). Meta-analytic approaches for examining complexity and heterogeneity in studies of adolescent development. Journal of Adolescence, 77, 168-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.10.009

Sandage, S.J., Crabtree S., & Schweer, M. (2014). Differentiation of self and social justice commitment mediated by hope. Journal of Counseling and Development, 92, 67-74. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00131.x

Dr. Schweer-Collins’ research uses a prevention science framework to tackle issues surrounding child maltreatment, justice involvement, and substance use. Part of this work relies on applying research synthesis methods to better understand for whom and under what conditions programs and practices are most effective. In her role at the HEDCO Institute, she and collaborators partner with education practitioners to identify pressing needs that can be addressed through research syntheses and translated into practical recommendations and tools.

Dr. Schweer-Collins is also running a longitudinal study following the lives of women with histories in juvenile justice and child welfare and their children. Ultimately, this work seeks to identify the assets and positive factors that contribute to discontinued involvement in the justice and child welfare systems to enhance tailored supports for families affected by these systems. She and her collaborators use different methods to study these topics including administrative data, surveys, behavioral coding, and biospecimens. Her research has been supported by extramural funding from the National Institute of Justice, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.