Deborah Siegel
Academic Background
| Professor | 1983 to present |
| Ph.D. University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration | May 1982 |
| A.M. University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration | May 1974 |
| B.A. Dickinson College | May 1972 |
Courses Taught
Clinical practice
Clinical evaluation and case consultation
Field seminar
Generalist practice
Child welfare
Currently Teaching
Clinical Practice I and II, Field Seminar, Clinical Evaluation and Case Consultation
Areas of Expertise
Clinical social work practice across the life span, Child welfare practice, policy and research Adoption practice, policy and research Social work research and evaluation of clinical practice
Publications
Siegel, D. H. (2015). “Adoption competency in social work practice.” In Corcoran, K. & Roberts, A. (Eds.). Social Workers’ Desk Reference. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Siegel, D. H. (2015). Trauma Informed School Social Work Practice.
Social Work Today.
Siegel, D. H. (2015). Adoption Trends Today.
Social Work Today.
Siegel, D. H. (2014). Fatherhood and adoption. In Carl Mazza & Armon R. Perry. (Eds.). Fatherhood in America: Social Work Perspectives in a Changing Society. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers.
Siegel, D. H. (2014). Fathers in Adoption: Are They Forgotten?
Social Work Today. 14(6): 14-17.
Siegel, D. H. (2013). “Adoption Competency in Clinical Social Work”.
Social Work Today. 13(6): 16-19.
Siegel, D. H. (2013). Myths and Realities in Open Adoption. Published in Mothering in the Middle, a blog managed by Cyma Shapiro,.
Siegel, D. H. (2013). Some Myths and Realities of Open Adoption. In Cyma Sharpiro. (Ed.). Mothering in the Middle: An Anthology. West Hartford, CT: Shapiro. (The chapter for the anthology is an elaboration of the manuscript posted on the blog.)
Siegel, D. H. (2012). Adoption. In
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. San Diego: Academic Press: 31-39.
Siegel, D. H. & Smith, S. L. (2012). Adoption Openness: Beyond Secrecy to Answers and Authenticity. NY: Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
Siegel, D. H. (2012). Social Media and the Postadoption Experience.
Social Work Today. 12 ( 5): 22-26.
Siegel, D. H. (2012). Growing Up in Open Adoption: Young Adults’ Perspectives.
Families in Society. 93 (2): 133-140.
Siegel, D. H. (2011).
Making Open Adoption Work for You: Curriculum for Birth and Adoptive Parents. NY: Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
Siegel, D. H. (2011).
Making Open Adoption Work for You: Trainer’s Guide. NY: Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
Siegel, D. H. (2011). Open Adoption: Adoptive Parents’ Reactions Two Decades Later.
Social Work.
Siegel, D. H. (2010). “Adoption.”
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Oxford: Elsevier.
Siegel, D. H. (2010). “Russian Adoptions: Lessons for Social Workers.”
Social Work Today, 10, 5: 15-17.
Siegel, D. H. (2009). “ADHD and Adoption: Is There a Link?”
Social Work Today. Vol. 9, No. 2: 10-11.
Siegel, D. H. (2008). “Social work practice in adoption: A strengths perspective.”
Social Work Today . Vol. 8, No. 4: 34-38.
Siegel, D. H. (2008). “Open adoption and adolescence.”
Families in Society. Vol. 89, No. 3: 366-374.
Reamer, F. G. & Siegel, D. H. (2008).
Teens in Crisis: How the Industry Serving Struggling Teens Helps and Hurts our Kids. NY: Columbia University Press.
Reamer, F.G. & Siegel, D. H. (2007). “Ethical issues in open adoption: Implications for practice.”
Families in Society. Vol. 88, No. 1: 11-18.
Reamer, F. G. & Siegel, D. H. (2006).
Finding Help for Struggling Teens: A Guide for Parents and the Professionals Who Work With Them. Washington, D.C.: NASW Press.
Siegel, D. H. (2006). “Open adoption: Practice and policy guidelines.”
Social Work Today. Vol. 6, No. 6: 24-29.
Siegel, D. H. (2006). “Adoption and family boundaries.” In Katarina Wegar,
Adoptive Families in a Diverse Society. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Reamer, F. G. & Siegel, D. H. (2005). “Healthy Parenting – Struggling Teens: How Social Workers Help,” National Association of Social Workers,
Help Starts Hers, available at http://www.helpstartshere.org/Default.aspx?PageID=299.
Reamer, F. G. & Siegel, D. H. (2005). “Adoptions: How Social Workers Help,” ,” National Association of Social Workers,
Help Starts Hers, available at http://www.helpstartshere.org/Default.aspx?PageID=299.
Siegel, D.H. (2003). “Open adoption of infants: Adoptive parents’ feelings seven years later.”
Social Work. Vol. 48, No. 3: 409-419. (Publisher printed a corrected Table 1 in the October 2003 issue, Vol. 48, No. 4: 503).
Siegel, D.H. (1997). “Should HBSE favor social environment theories over theories of individual behavior? Yes!” In Martin Bloom & Waldo C. Klein, (Eds.).
Controversial Issues in Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Siegel, D.H. (1996). “Adoption.”
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Vol. 1. Chadwick, R. (Ed.). San Diego: Academic Press.
Smith-Pliner, D. & Siegel, D.H. (1996). “The second time around: Adopting a second child involves special issues.”
Adoptive Families. March/April, Vol. 29, No. 2.
Siegel, D.H. (1995). “Married life changes when first baby arrives,”
The Rhode Island Jewish Herald, Thursday, February 9, p. A6.
Siegel, D.H. (1994). “Are practitioner intuition and empirical evidence equally valid sources of professional knowledge? No.” In Walter W. Hudson and Paula S. Nurius (Eds.).
Controversial Issues in Social Work Research. Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Bernier, J. C. & Siegel, D.H. (1994). “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: An ecological and family systems perspective.”
Families in Society, March, Vol. 75, No. 3: 142-151. (also translated and published in a Dutch journal)
Siegel, D.H. (1993). “Open adoption of infants: Adoptive parents’ perceptions of advantages and disadvantages.”
Social Work. Vol. 38, No. 1: 15-25.
Smith-Pliner, D. & Siegel, D.H. (1992). “Successful open adoption: Advice for adoptive parents.”
Ours. January/February: 15-17.
Siegel, D.H. (1992). “Should social workers blow the whistle on incompetent colleagues? Yes.” In Gambrill, E. & Pruger, R. (Eds.).
Controversial Issues in Social Work. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Siegel, D.H. (1990). “Commentary: Computer-based clinical practice: An asset or pie in the sky?” In Lynn Videka-Sherman & William J. Reid. (Eds.).
Advances in Clinical Social Work Research. Silver Spring, MD: NASW.
Siegel, D.H. & Reamer, F.G. (1988). “Integrating research and practice thinking,” chapter 3 in Richard M. Grinnell, Jr. (Ed.).
Social Work Research and Evaluation. 3rd edition. Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Siegel, D.H. (1988). “How to integrate research and practice.” Chapter 2 in Richard M. Grinnell, Jr. (Ed.).
Social Work Research and Evaluation. 3rd edition. Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Grinnell, R. M. Jr. & Siegel, D.H. (1988). “The place of research in social work education,” chapter 1 in Richard M. Grinnell, Jr. (Ed.).
Social Work Research and Evaluation. 3rd. edition. Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Siegel, D.H. (1984). “Effectively teaching empirically based practice: Some research findings.”
Social Work Research and Abstracts, Vol. 21, No.1: 40-48.
Siegel, D.H. (1984). “Defining empirically based practice.”
Social Work. Vol. 29, No. 4: 325-331.
Siegel, D.H. (1983). “The future of social work education: Can research and practice be integrated?”
Journal of Education for Social Work. Vol. 19, No. 3: 12-19.
Book Reviews
Welfare mothers speak out. By Milwaukee National Welfare Rights Organization in
Social Service Review, June 1973.
Subordinating the poor. By Joseph Feagin in
International Journal of Sociology, Winter 1977.
A new look at black families. By Charles Willie in
International Journal of Sociology, Winter 1978.
Teaching social work research: Alternative programs and strategies. Edited by Robert W. Weinback and Allen Rubin; and
Identifying, measuring and teaching helping skills, by Lawrence Shulman, in
Social Service Review, vol. 56, no. 1, March 1982, pp. 158-60.
Ethics: The social sciences and policy analysis. by Daniel Callahan and Bruce Jennings, in
Social Service Review, vo. 58, no. 1, March 1984, pp. 160-62.
Serving the people: Social services and social change. By Ann Withorn, in
New England Journal of Human Services, vol. VI, issue 2, 1986, pp. 39-41.
Preventing adolescent abuse. By R. P. Barth and D.S. Derezotes, in
Social Work Research and Abstracts. Vol. 27, no. 3, September 1991, p. 30.
Selecting effective treatments. By Linda Seligman, in
Social Work, vol. 37, no. 5, September 1992, p. 472.
From child abuse to permanency planning. By Richard P. Barth, Jill Duerr Berrick, Mark Courtney and Vicky Albert, in
Social Work, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 568-569.
Somebody’s Daughter. By Marie Lee, (2005). Boston: Beacon Press. Reveiwed in
The Decree, publication of the American Adoption Congress, 2005.
Chasing Away the Shadows. By Zara Phillips (2004). Baltimore: Gateway Press. Reviewed in
The Decree, publication of the American Adoption Congress, 2005).
Welcome Home! An International and Nontraditional Adoption Reader Edited by Lita Linzer Schwartz and Florence W. Kalsow (2003). NY: Haworth Clinical Practice Press. Reviewed in
The Decree, publication of the American Adoption Congress, 2005.
The Cruelest Con. (2005). By Kelly-Kiser-Mostrom. iUniverse, Inc. Reviewed in
The Decree, vol. 23, No. 1: 21-22.
Adolescent Girls in Crisis: Intervention and Hope. (2007). Reviewed in
Families in Society, 2008.
Present Service Activities
Trainer, workshop presenter, consultant to adoption agencies across the U.S.
Founding member, Adoption and Foster Care Certificate Program, RI Member, Adoption Competence Task Force and Implementation Team, RI Chairperson, Assessment Committee, School of Social Work Member of numerous Rhode Island College and School of Social Work committees and national professional associations
Past Experience
1987 to present – Private clinical practice, specializing in families and children whose lives are touched by adoption and families coping with behavioral health issues; Workshop presenter, agency staff trainer, consultant specializing in adoption issues for various agencies, including Jewish Children’s Bureau, Chicago, IL; Friends in Adoption, Middletown Springs, VT; Jewish Family Service, Providence, RI; Children’s Friend and Service, Providence, RI; Mentor, Inc., RI; Adoption Rhode Island, Providence, RI; Office of the Child Advocate, Providence, RI; Mentor, Inc.,Warwick, RI; Adoption Community of New England, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapters; Lutheran Social Services of CT; Open Door Society of MA; Adoption Community of New England; American Adoption Congress; Donaldson Adoption Institute; Adoption and Foster Care Certificate Program, RI; Groden Center, Providence, RI; Rudd Adoption Research Program, U. of MA; RI Adoption Competence Planning and Implementation Team; Legislative advocate on child welfare issues; Manuscript reviewer for Adoption Quarterly (Editorial Board), Families in Society, Family Process, Social Work
