Master of Social Work

One of my areas of research is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), otherwise known as concussion. Once believed to be a rite of passage, concussions are now understood to be serious injuries with potentially life-threatening consequences.

Presentations

• Buck, P.W., Kirzner, R., Sagrati, J. & Laster, R. (2012, March). The challenge of mTBI work: Exploring the experiences of rehabilitation professionals. Presentation at the International Brain Injury Congress, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
• Buck, P.W., & Pierce, S. (2011, October). Mild traumatic brain injury: A silent epidemic. Presentation at the meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
• Buck, P.W., Sagrati, J., & Plaisted, C. (2011, June). Voices from the field: Working with mild traumatic brain injury. Paper presented at the meeting of the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, Lancaster, PA.
• Buck, P.W. (2011, April). Concussions on campus: What faculty and staff in higher education need to know about this silent epidemic. Presentation at WCU Research Day, West Chester, PA.

Publications

• Buck, P.W., Sagrati, J., & Kirzner, R. (2013). Rehabilitation work with mild traumatic brain injury: A place for social work. Social Work in Health Care, 52(8), 741–751.
• Buck, P.W., Laster, R., Spencer, J.S., & Kirzner, R.S. (2012). Voices from the field: Working with mild traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, Special Issue-Mild Brain Injury.
• Buck, P.W. (2011). Mild traumatic brain injury: A silent epidemic in our practices. Health & Social Work, 36(4), 299-302.

Much of my current research is on humans' relationships with animals. I am studying how animal-assisted therapies are being utilized in treating children with autism and adolescent girls who are involved in the criminal justice system. West Chester University has granted me a semester-long sabbatical to develop a graduate certificate in Human-Animal Studies.

Presentations

• Buck, P.W., McDonald, S., Hoy, J., & Kim, C. (2016, November). Human-animal interactions: Implications for wellness and social work education. Panel discussion at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• Hoy, J., Vincent, A., Buck, P.W., & Strand, E.B. (2016, November). Humans and animals: An emerging and promising collaborative practice. Workshop presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• Buck, P.W., Adams, A., Brescia, L., & Green, L. (2016, November). Voices from the barn: Parent perceptions of animal-assisted activities for children with autism. Poster presented at WCU Research Day, West Chester, PA.
• Buck, P.W., Bamford, S., & Mendez, K. (2015, November). Integrating content on the human-animal dynamic into the MSW foundation curriculum. Presentation at the Veterinary Wellness and Social Work Summit, Knoxville, TN.

Publication

• Buck, P.W., Bean, N. & de Marco, K. Equine-assisted psychotherapy: An emerging trauma-informed intervention. Manuscript under review for Advances in Social Work Practice.

One area I focus on in my research is field education, a fundamental part of all accredited social work programs. The American Foundation for Research and Consumer Education in Social Work Regulations awarded me $10,000 to conduct a two-year mixed-methods study of unethical shortcuts in field education.

Presentations

• Buck, P.W., & Sowbel, L. (2015, October). The reality of hours and supervision in field practicum. Paper presented at Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
• Sowbel, L., & Buck, P.W. (2014, March). Gatekeeping for 21st-century social work. Pre-conference workshop at annual meeting of the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors, Louisville, KY.
• Buck, P.W., Robb, L., & Fletcher, P. (2013, November). Reports from field directors: Seeking the “good enough” balance. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
• Bradley, J., Laster, R., & Buck, P.W. (2012, November). The new social service environment, through a Field Director lens. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Washington, DC.
• Buck, P.W. & Robb, L. (2012, November 2012). The ethics of competing demands in field education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program meeting, Washington, DC.

Publications

• Buck, P.W. & Sowbel, L. Unethical shortcutting in social work: A workforce reality. Manuscript in progress.
• Bradley, J. & Buck, P.W. (2016). Roles and responsibilities of the field director. In C. Hunter, J. Moen, & M Raskin (Eds). Social work field directors: Foundations for excellence, Revised edition. Chicago: Lyceum Books.
• Buck, P.W. & Sowbel, L. (2016). The logistics of practicum: Implications for field education. The Field Educator, 6(1).
• Buck, P.W., Fletcher, P. & Bradley, J. (2015). Decision-making in social work field education: A “good enough” framework. Social Work Education, 35(4), 402-413.
• Bradley, J. & Buck, P.W. (2014). Roles and Responsibilities of the Field Director. In C.A. Hunter, J.K. Moen, & M. Raskin (Eds.). Social Work Field Directors: Foundations for Excellence(pp. 23-40) .Chicago: Lyceum Books.
• Buck, P.W., Bradley, J., Robb, L. & Kirzner, R.S. (2012). Complex and competing demands in field education: A qualitative study of field directors’ experiences. The Field Educator, 2(2).

 Presentations

• Buck, P.W., Tennille, J., & Holbrook, A. (2015, October). Beyond implicit and explicit curricula: A third dimension for social work education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
• Buck, P.W., & Sullivan, T. (2014, October). Social justice by design: Administrative and programmatic choices in social work education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• De Hope, E., & Buck, P.W. (2014, October). Infusing neuro-bio and social-neurology content into the social work curriculum. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Homonoff, E., & Buck, P.W. (2013, November). Field education scholarship. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
• Gregorio, E., Bartell, K., Holiday, B. & Buck, P.W. (2011, October). Raising voices and defining values: The development of a student-led, open-access journal. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Publications

• Buck, P.W., Tennille, J. & Holbrook, A. The practice of engaged research: building workforce capacity. Manuscript in progress.
• Buck, P.W. Anti-oppressive social work in an era of fiscal retrenchment. Manuscript in progress.
• Holbrook, A., Tennille, J., & Buck, P.W. Building capacity for evidence based practice together. Under review for Social Work in Public Health.

• Member, Council on Social Work Education Council on Field Education
• Consulting Editor, Health & Social Work
• Reviewer, The Field Educator
• Reviewer, Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting
• Consulting member, PAWS for People

• 100 Distinguished Alumni, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research -- 2015