» Jessica K. Camp

Jessica K. Camp

Assistant Professor of Social Work, U-M Dearborn

jkcamp@umich.edu

313-593-5099

Dr. Jessica K. Camp is an assistant professor of social work in the Department of Health and Health Services at the University of Michigan- Dearborn. Prior to earning her PhD in Social Work from Wayne State University in 2013, she worked as a therapist for the Community Mental Health System in Wayne County. Influenced by this work, her research focuses primarily on extreme poverty and inequality in the United States, especially among individuals in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. Her recent publications have explored the interaction of race, gender, and mental health disorders on economic and labor market disparities, changes in social welfare policy and the well-being of working women, and the role of medical social workers in providing care for clients with heart failure. She hopes her research will help strengthen national policies that inform economic equality and availability of public mental health services.

Ph.D. Wayne State University; M.S. University of Michigan; B.A. Alma College

Key Issues

Employment

Health

Faculty Projects

Providing Opportunity, Not Punishment: Implementing A Pilot Functional Sentencing Program in Southeast Michigan The project: Over-criminalization and reliance on retributive punishment have resulted in a criminal justice system that entrenches poverty and harms those on the margins. By shifting the focus to healing, rather than punishment, the criminal justice system can simultaneously address the root causes of offending behavior and improve lives while enhancing public safety. In 2017, […]
Exploration of Jobs for Michigan Graduates: Trauma as a Barrier to Economic and Labor Market Opportunity The project: Within the Midwest, Michigan has the highest rate of youth disconnected from the educational and work opportunities necessary for adult well-being. Trauma may well be a crucial player in this disconnect, contributing to later experiences of poverty. New research has shed light on the potential of trauma-informed care (TIC) and Restorative Practices (RP) to […]