Susana Mariscal

Dr. Susana Mariscal (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Indiana University. She is  a community-engaged scholar with an active research agenda centered on the prevention of child maltreatment and promotion of resilience among children and families, particularly those who identify as Latinx.  She has led several federally-funded projects that evaluate evidence-based services in community settings, and her work continues to explore the intersections between child maltreatment, domestic violence, and substance use.

She is the principal investigator and project director for “Strengthening Indiana Families” (SIF), a primary child maltreatment prevention project ($2.74M, Children’s Bureau), that  focuses on the implementation and evaluation of four family resource centers designed to improve the safety and well-being of families in Central Indiana. Intended to prevent formal entry of children into foster care, SIF is being carried out in collaboration with a number of community partners including the Indiana Department of Child Services, Indiana Department of Health, Children’s Bureau, Inc., Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, the Commission on the Status of Children in Indiana, and many local municipalities and agencies.  Families and youth with experience in the foster care system will also be integral to SIF’s design and implementation. Dr. Mariscal is also the evaluator for two federal grants: Child Safety Forward ($750,000, OVC-DOJ) and Marion County Family Recovery Court ($1M, SAMHSA).