Joseph P. Ryan
Assistant Professor, Faculty Fellow Child and Family Research Center
Office location: 201 CFRC
Phone number:217-244-5235
Email: jpryan@uiuc.edu
Educational Background
Joseph Ryan earned an MSW from the University of Michigan and a PhD from the University of Chicago.
Research and Practice Interests
Dr. Ryan’s research and scholarship focuses on the experiences and outcomes of families entangled with the public child welfare system and at least one other social service context. He is particularly interested in (1) public policy and clinical interventions to address the needs of children and families with co-occurring problems (e.g., neglect, delinquency, substance abuse, mental health), (2) how children and families navigate and experience multiple service systems and (3) how such experiences impact critical developmental outcomes.
Current Research
Dr. Ryan is currently the Principal Investigator for two large interdisciplinary studies: one in California and one in Illinois. The California project is located in Los Angeles County and focuses on the etiology and trajectories of juvenile delinquency within the context of foster care, and on understanding the overrepresentation of African American youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The Illinois project focuses on substance abuse in child welfare and is a Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration http://cfrcwww.social.uiuc.edu/AODA/. Families in the demonstration project are randomly assigned to various treatment conditions intended to improve substance abuse treatment outcomes and increase permanency rates. Dr. Ryan’s work has received funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Silberman Faculty Fund, the Scholl Foundation, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Campus Research Board at the University of Illinois.
Recent Publication
Ryan, J. P., Testa, M. F., & Zhai, F. (in press) African American youth in foster care and the risk of delinquency: The value of social bonds and permanence. Child Welfare.
Ryan, J. P., Garnier, P., Zyphur, M. & Zhai, F. (2006) Testing the Effects of Caseworker Characteristics in Child Welfare. Children and Youth Services Review.
Marsh, J., Ryan, J. P., Choi, S. & Testa, M. (2006) Integrated Services for Families with Multiple Problems: Obstacles to Family Reunification. Children and Youth Services Review.
Ryan, J. P., Marsh, J., Testa, M.F., & Louderman, R. (2006) Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment and Child Welfare Services: Findings from the Illinois AODA Waiver Demonstration. Social Work Research.
Ryan, J. P., & Testa, M. F. (2005) Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency: Investigating the Role of Placement and Placement Instability. Children and Youth Services Review.