Melissa Bell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Social Work Program Director

412-365-2768

Coolidge - 227

Hometown: Youngsville, PA
Joined Chatham: 2008

ACADEMIC AREAS OF INTEREST

Dr. Bell's teaching and research interests include access to family planning, emotion dysregulation in women with psychiatric diagnoses, social welfare history, macro social work practice, the influence of political and religious beliefs in social work practice, inter-disciplinary academic coursework, and the transition of military service women and veterans into civilian life.

PERSONAL AREAS OF INTEREST

Traveling, spending time with friends and family, kayaking, and hiking.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Melissa Bell holds a Ph.D. in Social Work and a Ph.D. certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed social worker in Pennsylvania with a decade of post-master’s experience in psychiatric social work. Dr. Bell has an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an MSW with a concentration in direct practice mental health from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed a post-graduate fellowship in intensive clinical services at Yale University. Her professional background includes working at the Eating Disorders Clinic at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and in private practice before joining Chatham University. Her research interests include reproductive decision-making, access to family planning, the influence of politics and religion on social work practice, and resiliency and emotion dysregulation in psychiatric treatment. She has been involved in legislative action ensuring access to emergency contraception for sexual assault survivors in Pennsylvania hospitals. Dr. Bell is the primary author of Reproductive Decision Making: Acting to Help Clients, published by the National Association of Social Workers Press. Her research has been featured in several prominent journals, including Social Work in Public Health and the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. She has presented at national conferences and served as a content advisor on gender issues for the documentary film Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh
Post-Graduate Fellowship in Intensive Clinical Services. Yale University
M.S.W. University of Pittsburgh
B.A. Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

CERTIFICATIONS

Doctoral Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. University of Pittsburgh

AWARDS

Owens Fellowship 1997-University of Pittsburgh
Distinguished Alumni Award 2004-IUP

ORGANIZATIONS

National Association of Social Workers
Council on Social Work Education
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

O'Brien, C. T., Bell, M., Hipwell, A. E., & Stepp, S. D. (2023). Associations between trajectories of adolescent conduct problems and psychological well‐being in young women. Journal of Adolescence.
Al-Krenawi, A. & Bell, M.M. (2022). Gender differences in Syrian refugees in Jordan: Psychological, self-esteem, family function, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction. International Journal of Social Psychiatry.
Bell, M. M., & Edenborn, S. L. (2018). Reproductive decision making: Acting to help clients. Washington DC: National Association of Social Workers.
Bell, M. M., & Newhill, C. E. (2017). Psychometrics of an original measure of barriers to providing family planning information: Implications for social service providers. Social work in health care, 56(6), 556-572.
Bell, M. M. (2015). “But I wasn't told to”: Lack of education and workplace policy as barriers in the provision of family planning information. Social Work in Public Health 30(3) 282-293.
Bell, M. M. & Bayliss, N. (2015). The tough guise: Teaching violent masculinity as the only way to be a man. Sex Roles, 72 (11-12), 566-568.
Edenborn, S. L. & Bell, M. M. (2014). Integrating biology into social work education using interdisciplinary, character-driven case studies. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work. 19(1), 97-114
Valutis, S., Rubin, D., & Bell, M. (2014). Value Conflicts and Value Priorities: It’s Not Just About Religion. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought. 33(2).
Bell, M.M., & Rubin, D. (2013). Social workers and family planning knowledge: Are we still gatekeepers? Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 18, 1-17.
Bell, M., Thornton, G, & Zanich, M. L. (2013). Resources and research in thanatology. In D. K. Meagher & D. E. Balk. (eds.) Handbook of thanatology (2nd ed)(pp 411-427.) NY: Routledge.
Valutis, S., Rubin, D., & Bell, M. (2012). Professional socialization and social work values: Who are we teaching? Social Work Education: The International Journal 31 (8)8, 1046-1057
Newhill, C. E., Bell, M. M., Eack, S. M., & Mulvey, E. P. (2010). Confirmatory factor analysis of the emotion dysregulation measure. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 1 (3).

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Bell, M.M. Reproductive Decision Making with Vulnerable Populations: Educating Social Workers to Empower Clients. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Anaheim, CA. November 2022.
Bell, M.M. Reproductive Decision Making with Vulnerable Populations: Workshop for Empowering Clients. Continuing Education Workshop presented at the National Association of Social Workers – Pennsylvania Annual Conference, Mount Pocono, PA. October 2022.
Bell, M.M. Reproductive Decision Making with Clients: Where Are We Now? Continuing Education Webinar presented as part of the National Association of Social Workers specialty practice series. July 2022.
Bell, M.M. Conduct Problems and Flourishing: Focusing on Strengths in a Social Justice Framework. Paper presented at the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Conference, online. Contributors: Chris O'Brien, Alison Hipwell, Stephanie Stepp. March 2022.
Bell, M.M. “I Can Do It!: Empowering Clients with Their Reproductive Decision Making”, Workshop presented at the National Association of Social Workers-Pennsylvania, virtual format. October, 2021.
O'Brien, C.T, Bell, M.M., Hipwell, A., & Stepp, S.D. “Prospective associations between female adolescent conduct problems and positive outcomes in adulthood” [Poster session]. Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, Chicago IL, May, 2020.
Bell, M. M. (2019, September). Working to Empower Clients with Their Reproductive Decision Making. Workshop paper presented at the National Association of Social Workers - Pennsylvania, Mount Pocono, PA.
Bell, M.M. & Edenborn, S.L. (2018, November). Interprofessional Model for Teaching Social and Biological Dimensions of Reproductive Decision Making. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Orlando FL
Edenborn, S.E. & Bell, M.M. (2017, March). "But I Am Not a Scientist": Teaching Biology to Social Work Students. Paper presented at the Baccalaureate Program Directors in Social Work Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA
Newhill, C., Eack, S., Bell, M., & Keshaven, M. (2016, January). A Trans-Diagnostic Comparison of Emotion Dysregulation in Mental Health: Implications for NIMH Research Domain Criteria. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work and Research, 2016 Annual Scientific Conference, Washington, DC.
Edenborn, S. L. & Bell, M. M. (2015, October) . Eureka! Character-Driven Case Study Increases Student Self-Efficacy and Interest in Biology. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO
Bell, M.M. (2015, October). “Please Tell Me How”: Educating Social Workers on Providing Family-Planning Information. Poster presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Denver CO
Wilson, D., Bell, M. M., & Edenborn, S. L. (2013, November) I Need to Know Science? Delivering Biology Knowledge Through Case Studies. Presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
Bell, M.M. (2012, November). Social Workers and Family Planning: Barriers in Prevention. Poster session presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Washington D.C.
Valutis, S., Rubin, D. B., & Bell, M.M. (2010, October). Professional Socialization and Social Work Values: Who Are We Teaching. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Portland OR.
Bell, M., & Rubin, D. (2010, March). Providing family planning information to clients: What do social workers know? Paper presented at the Baccalaureate Program Directors in Social Work Annual Meeting, Atlanta GA.
Valutis, S., Bell, M., & Rubin, D. (2009, November). Value conflicts and value priorities: What do social workers think? Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
Bell, M.M. (1999, May). Case study of atypical schizophrenia. Paper presented at the Yale Psychiatric Institute, New Haven, CT.
Bell, M.M., & Thornton, G.F. (1995, December). Relationship between anorexia nervosa and death anxiety. Paper presented at the Fifth International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society, Washington D.C.