Christina Erickson

Associate Professor, Field Education Coordinator

Deep learning requires hard work on the part of students and faculty, but the work is fulfilling.  In every class I teach, from Social Work Practice with Groups and Families to Environmental Justice and Social Change there are a few key elements I hope students take away.  A recognition of their personal selves as change agents is most important.  A willingness to face their flaws, embrace them, and then push forward into continued learning is also rewarding.

Augsburg College offers an academic home that allows me to explore the interface of humans and our world.  Research, community collaborations, and most of all – being with students and teaching -  creates a wonderful space for learning, growing and changing over the life span.

Education

• BS, University of Minnesota
• MSW, University of Minnesota, Duluth
• PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago

Research and Grants

• 2012-2014, Co-Principal Investigator: New York Community Trust Fund – National Macro Social Work Licensing Study. Research partners include faculty from Catholic University of America, University of St. Thomas, University of St. Catherine and the University of South Florida. Two year grant totaling $47,500.
• 2008 – 2011, Principal Investigator: Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education – selected through a national, peer-reviewed process to implement an innovative field and community partnership program to develop gerontology social work specialists. Three year grant totaling $75,000.
• 2006- present, Research Partner: Wakanheza – a partnership of the Ramsey County-St. Paul Department of Public Health, the St. Paul Public Schools, the Minnesota Department of Education and numerous community organizations. Wakanheza is a program using evidence based practices to change the cultural climate of organizations and communities. These practices decrease behaviors that fall on the continuum of violence and encourage practices of pro-social behavior among members.

Research Interests

• Macro social work
• Community peace producing initiatives
• Environmental social work
• Gerontology education

Teaching

2004-present – Augsburg College, Department of Social Work

• Social Work 210:  Environmental Justice and Social Change
• Social Work 301:  History and Analysis of Social Policy Social Work 307/317: Field Seminar
• Social Work 316:  Methods with Families and Groups
• Social Work 506: Practice II: Methods with Families and Groups
• Social Work 515: Theories of Families
• Social Work 516: Community Development for Social Change
• Social Work 668:  Organizational Practice II
• Social work 699:  Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Aging

2012 – United International College, Social Work and Social Administration Programme, Zhuhai, China

• Social Work 4130: Social Work with Families
• Social Work 2180:  Human Behavior and the Social Environment
• General Education 2010: Environmental Justice and Social Change

Publications

Erickson, C.L. (forthcoming).  Older Adults and Sustainble Policy in a Global Perspective. (Eds) Link, R., and VanWormer, K.  Sage.

Plitt-Donaldson, L., Hill, K., Ferguson, S., Fogel, S., & Erickson, C.L. (revise and resubmit).  Macro Social Work Licensing:  Impacts on Education and Practice.

Erickson, C.L. Gault, D. & Simmons, D.  (in review).  The Wakanheza Project:  A Public Health Approach to the Primary Prevention of Family Violence.

Hamilton, B. & Erickson, C.L. (2012). Urban Heat Islands:  A social work perspective.  Advances in Social Work, 13(2), 420-430.

Erickson, C. (2011) A Gift Never Given and a Keepsake Taken Away. Cairns, Fall, Unity Universalist Press, Minneapolis.

Erickson, C.L. (2011).  Environmental Degradation and Preservation in Link, R. and Healy, L. Handbook for International Social work.  Oxford University Press.

Hill, K. Ferguson, S.M. & Erickson, C.L.  (2010).  Strengthening and Sustaining Macro Social Work:  A replicable model.  Journal of Community Practice. 18(4), 513-527.

Erickson, C.L., Lee, S. &  Mattaini, M.A. (September, 2009).  A community prevention approach to peaceful schools:  Application of Wakanheza.  School Social Work Journal 34(1). 43-60.

Erickson, C.L. (2008).  Wash ‘em, don’t toss ‘em: This mom wants restaurants to reuse kids’ cups.  Minnesota Women’s Press, 24(17), 5.

Erickson, C.L. (2007).  Living with Parkinson’s Disease:  How Social Workers Help.  Health Section Connection, Issue 1, 6-7.

Erickson, C.L. (2007). Social Work Practice and Parkinson’s Disease. In L.M. Grobman & D.B. Bourassa (Eds.), Days in the Lives of Gerontological Social Workers.  White Hat: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Erickson, C.L. (2006).  Living with illness – your options: Parkinson’s disease services available to individuals and families. www.helpstartshere.org, National Association of Social Workers.

Erickson, C.L. (2006).  Kitchen table recovery.  Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work.  Spring, 21(1), 106-107.

Erickson, C.L. &  Muramatsu, N. (2004).  Parkinson’s disease, depression and medication adherence:  Current knowledge and social work practice.  Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 42(3/4), 3-18.

Erickson, C.L., Mattaini, M.A., and McGuire, M.S. (2004).  Constructing non-violent cultures in schools: The state of the science.  Children and Schools 26(2)102-116.