Dr. Kimberly Hardy

Assistant Professor

Dr. Hardy earned her BSW in social work from Morgan State University and her MSW from The Ohio State University. She earned her PhD in social work as a member of the inaugural doctoral cohort at the Morgan State University School of Social Work. Her dissertation was titled "An Exploratory Analysis of Religious Help-Seeking Behavior Among African-American Christians." Dr. Hardy's research continues to focus on the intersection of social work and faith with a particular emphasis on African-Americans and the institution of the Black Church in both a historical and contemporary context. Her current research focuses on breast cancer and breast health awareness models in urban Black Churches. Dr. Hardy has written and presented extensively in the area of religion, spirituality, and social work and currently serves as the Board Secretary for the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW). Dr. Hardy was a co-guest editor for a Special Issue of the NACSW journal Social Work & Christianity that focused on the Black Church in a sociopolitical context.

Dr. Hardy has taught across the MSW curriculum at her previous institutions with a focus on clinical social work practice. She was on the Casework faculty at the UConn School of Social Work where she was also Chair of the Black Studies Curricular Area and a founding member of the Black Studies Project. She was also advisor for the Organization of Black Social Work Students. Dr. Hardy was also a founding member of the MSW program at the University of Saint Joseph helping to develop the curriculum and other programmatic elements leading to the program's initial accreditation. Prior to entering academia Dr. Hardy was a school social worker in Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, DC. She specialized in direct clinical practice with adolescents in under-resourced, urban schools and provided individual, group, and family therapy. Dr. Hardy's work in Washington, DC focused on juvenile justice-involved youth in a year-round charter school environment which required extensive brokering and negotiation with the DC and Maryland court systems.

Education

PhD, Morgan State University
MSW, The Ohio State University
BSW, Morgan State University

Courses

SWRK330 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
SWRK410 - Practice III: Community Organization SWRK445 - Culture and Diversity

Research Interests

Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church

Publications

Hardy, K. (2015). Capturing the spirit: Validation of the Attitudes Toward Religious Help- Seeking Scale (ATRHSS) among African-American Christians. Social Work & Christianity, 42(3), 385-395.
Brice, T. & Hardy, K. (2015). Introduction to the Special Issue: The Black Church and Social Reform. Social Work & Christianity. Social Work & Christianity & Christianity, 42(3), 273-279.
Hardy, K. (2014). Which way did they go? Uncovering the preferred source of help-seeking among African-American Christians. Social Work & Christianity, 41(1), 3-15.
Hardy, K. (2013). Searching for the spirit: A content analysis of the Black Church in mainstream social work journals. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 32(4), 373-396. doi: 10.1080/15426432
Hardy, K. (2012). Perceptions of African-American Christians' attitudes toward religious help- seeking: Results of an exploratory study. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 31(3), 209-225.

Presentations

Hardy, K. (2013, November). Practitioner-identified barriers to outreach with Black Churches. Poster presentation at the 59^thAnnual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education in Dallas, TX.
Davison, D., Quinn, C., Smith, R. & Hardy, K. (2013, November). "For Colored Girls Who Want to be Scholars." Panel presentation at the 59^th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education in Dallas, TX.
Hardy, K. (2013, October). Practitioner-identified barriers to outreach with Black Churches. Paper presentation at the 64^thAnnual Convention of the North American Association of Christian Social Workers in Atlanta, GA.
Davison, D., Quinn, C., Smith, R. & Hardy, K. (2013, October). "For Colored Girls Who Want to be Scholars." Panel presentation at the 64th Annual Convention of the North American Association of Christian Social Workers in Atlanta, GA.
Hardy, K. (2013, June). Practitioner-identified barriers to outreach with Black Churches. Paper presentation at the 8^th Annual North American Conference on Spirituality & Social Work in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Hardy, K. (2012, October). Blessed Assurance: African-American Perspectives on Pastoral Counseling. Paper presentation at the 63^rd Annual Convention of the North American Association of Christian Social Workers in St. Louis, MO.
Hardy, K. (2012, June). Narrowing the Focus: Review of a Social Work Course on the Black Church and the Role of Religion/Spirituality for African-Americans. Paper presentation at the 7th Annual North American Conference on Spirituality and Social Work in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Hardy, K. (2012, April). Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church: Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration (Invited speaker).Presented at the Annual Alumni Day of the St. Joseph College Department of Social Work, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2012, April). Exploring African-American Christians' Attitudes Toward Religious & Professional Help-Seeking. Paper presentation at the 44^th Annual National Association of Black Social Workers Conference in Atlanta, GA.
Hardy, K. (2012, March). Blessed Assurance: African-American Christians' perspectives on pastoral counseling. Poster session presented at 3^rd Annual School of Social Work Research and Scholarship Exhibition, School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2011, April). Exploring African-American Christians' Attitudes Toward Religious and Professional Help-Seeking. Paper session presented at the 6^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Spirituality and Social Work (USA), Catholic University, Washington, DC.
Hardy, K. (2011, April). Generational Trends in African-Americans' Religious Help-Seeking. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, Greenville, SC.
Hardy, K. (2011, April). Leaving No Families Outside: Challenges for People of Faith (Invited panelist). Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, Greenville, SC.
Hardy, K. (2008, October). More Harm Than Good?: Investigating the Possible Suppressive Effects of Religion for African Americans. Paper session presented at the 4^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Spirituality and Social Work (USA), Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA.
Wells-Wilbon, R., Simpson, G., & Hardy, K. (2008, October). Caregiving Traditions of African- American Women: An African-Centered Womanist Perspective. Paper session presented at the Annual Program meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Philadelphia, PA.
Hardy, K. (2014, June). Making the Most of Your College Experience (Invited speaker). Presented at the University of Saint Joseph MERCY Summer Bridge Program, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2013, June). Engaging youth & newcomers in the Black Church: The need for new wine skins (Invited speaker). Presented at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church's New England Lay Council Scholarship Dinner, Worcester, MA.
Hardy, K. (2013, March). Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church: Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration (Invited speaker). Presented at Central Naugatuck Valley Help, Inc., Waterbury, CT.
Hardy, K. (2013, February). Educational Achievement Among African-American Youth (Invited speaker). Presented at Annual Scholarship Breakfast of the Greater Hartford Alliance of Black Social Workers, Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2013, February). The Significance of the Harlem Renaissance to the African-American Community (Invited speaker). Presented at Global Communications Academy, Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2013, February). Interfaith Empowerment Conference: Empowering the Mind, Body and Soul (Invited panelist). Presented at Faith Congregational Church, Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2012, April). Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church: Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration (Invited speaker).Presented at St. Joseph's College, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2011, December). Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church: Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration (Invited speaker). Presented at Gilead Community Services in Middletown, CT.
Hardy, K. (2011, October). Religion, Spirituality, & the Black Church: Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration (Invited speaker). Presented at the Fall Meeting of Field Instructors, School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2011, September). How to Survive in Graduate School - Talking From Experience (Invited panelist). Presented at the 2011 Graduate Career Workshop of the MBRS-RISE Program and Center for Career Development, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD.
Hardy, K. (2012, February). Race: The Power of an Illusion. Presented at the Black History Month Opening Celebration of the Black Studies Project, University of Connecticut School of Social Work, West Hartford, CT.
Hardy, K. (2011, March). Exploring Trends in Help-Seeking Behavior Among African-American Christians. Poster presented at the 2^nd Annual School of Social Work Research and Scholarship Exhibition, School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, West Hartford, CT.

Professional Memberships

Board Secretary, NACSW
Member, NASW
Member, NABSW
Member, CSWE