Brian Graves, PhD, MSW

 

 

Dr. Brian D. Graves is an Assistant Professor in the Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Graves received his Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Georgia (UGA), his MSW from the University of South Carolina, and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminal justice from UGA. His research interests focus on the intersection of the criminal justice system and social work, particularly during community reentry and among those with substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders.

Dr. Graves conducts program and policy evaluations to assess effective evidence-based practices in criminal justice and reentry, including prior work with the Department of Community Supervision, accountability courts, local law enforcement agencies, and justice-related service providers. More recently, he is working to expand evaluation efforts and community partnerships within Palm Beach County and surrounding areas in South Florida. He also employs advanced quantitative methods to better understand the enduring impact of behavioral health challenges among justice-involved populations.

Dr. Graves has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications, including Social Work, Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology,  and Victims & Offenders. His research stems from prior practice experiences, including working at a county sheriff’s office, as a rehabilitative behavioral health specialist in the nonprofit sector, and working in local and state policy at an institute of government.