Meet Lisa A. Gray, Ph.D. candidate
Gray is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University whose interests lie in advancing mental health among military service members, veterans and their families. She holds an M.S.S.W. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S.W. from Texas State University. Her mixed methods dissertation, “Exploring the Dimensions of Well-Being among Military Spouses,” is currently in the analysis stage and will be defended in early spring 2015. Its purpose is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which spouses of active duty service members are managing the military lifestyle.
Gray is an LCSW with clinical practice experience providing individual, family and group therapy services to children and families in and around the military community who are survivors of abuse and neglect. She currently works as a Military Family Life Counselor while completing her doctorate. Gray previously served as the project coordinator for a faculty-funded community- based research project examining the impact of a mental health promotion intervention within a low-income community and has taught courses in introduction to social work, trauma and social work practice, and interpersonal violence in the B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs at VCU. Her primary teaching interests lie in the areas of military social work, human behavior in the social environment and advanced practice with individuals, families and children.
Following graduation, Gray hopes to generate meaningful initiatives around the prevention, service and treatment of psychosocial stressors and traumas among members of the military community. She also intends to lead efforts toward the continued integration of social work curriculum content that promotes military cultural awareness.
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