Tara Powell, Ph.D. (she/her) is a professor of social work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the implementation, dissemination, and effectiveness of behavioral health interventions in disaster-affected communities.
Prof. Powell's research addresses a wide range of global crises, including complex emergencies, pandemics, and climate-related disasters. Drawing from her experience living in and working with these communities, she collaborates with local populations and global humanitarian organizations to develop, research, and distribute behavioral health interventions. Her work focuses on increasing access to services for those disproportionately impacted by collective traumas.
Her research has been supported through the National Institute of Mental Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
Prof. Powell is currently collaborating with IHSI’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) team on a multi-state randomized control trial funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (1R01MH131248).
Through a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with 800 children (grades 3–8), the study will evaluate the effectiveness of the Journey of Hope intervention in preventing behavioral and interpersonal health problems in disaster-affected children. Journey of Hope is a trauma-informed, evidence-based program distributed by Save the Children. Prof. Powell and her colleagues will also explore how social connectedness, coping, and self-efficacy influence outcomes, assess the role of COVID-19-related stress, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation.
Dr. Jesus Sarol, Jr., IHSI’s Senior Research Biostatistician, has been collaborating with Dr. Powell to develop a randomized cluster design study, drafting the statistical analysis plan and conducting sample size/power calculations. Now, in the data collection phase, Dr. Sarol, Jr. and his team provide the randomization sequence in the assignment of clusters to the treatment groups. BERD is also monitoring the progress of data collection and encoding in Illinois’ Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software. Upon completion of data collection, BERD will be involved in the data analysis phase as well.
"We have been impressed by Dr. Powell's dedication to her work through her strict implementation of the Journey of Hope research plan. She is committed to developing an accessible, evidence-based program to prevent the onset of mental and behavioral health issues among children living in these communities. She has been especially diligent in the recruitment of communities, randomized allocation to the experimental groups and monitoring data collection," Jesus Sarol, Jr. said.
In addition to her collaboration with BERD and use of REDCap, Prof. Powell is a member of the first cohort of IHSI’s Emerging Research Leaders Academy and has participated in the NIH Grant Writing Series. Prof. Powell was recently named Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Work. She holds affiliations with the Center for Social and Behavioral Science and most recently, with the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI).
Can you describe a goal you are currently pursuing?
My current research explores the global mental health impacts of climate change and disasters, with a focus on using community-driven evidence to inform policy and social work practice. Through this, I am partnering with humanitarian organizations, and collaborating with other global mental health scholars to establish a Global Health Collaborative in the School of Social Work.
How has the focus of your research changed or evolved since you first started in the field?
Early in my career, my research focused on testing individual-level mental health interventions to support disaster-affected individuals. Over time, I saw that supporting individual mental health required addressing larger social and environmental factors. My work expanded to examine these broader structural issues, aiming to create lasting change. This shift has allowed me to work with communities around the world to shape global mental health policies and practices.
How is most of your research funded? Do you have any advice for working with these sponsors?
My research is supported through a diverse mix of funding sources. Currently, I hold funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and I have previously secured funding from various organizations and foundations. My primary advice for working successfully with sponsors is to align your research closely with their programmatic priorities, cultivate strong, long-term partnerships, and remain flexible to evolving needs. For instance, I've maintained nearly two-decade-long relationships with global humanitarian organizations such as Save the Children and Americares, which have led to direct organizational funding as well as collaborative grant opportunities.
What is something you want your colleagues to know about you or your research?
I would want my colleagues to know that my research is informed by a commitment to community-based, culturally responsive, and collaborative approaches, which have enabled my work to influence post-disaster mental health programs and policies. I highly value collaboration and welcome opportunities to explore connections between our work to advance real-world solutions.
What would you like to know about other researchers?
I greatly value interdisciplinary and collaborative research and would be interested in learning about other researchers' areas of expertise, the populations or communities they engage with, and the approaches they use to translate their research into real-world application.
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