Cassidy Heinen (left) and Dr. Michael Clarkson Hendrix.
Dr. Michael Clarkson-Hendrix, Cassidy Heinen, MSW, and Dr. Kevin Kearns published an article in Health & Social Work journal.
The article was titled, “Mental Health Emergency Department Use among Treatment-Seeking Adults in a Rural Northern Appalachian Clinic: The Role of Homelessness and Alcohol Use.”
The authors found that nights spent homeless were positively associated with recent mental health emergency department use. Additionally, those who used alcohol daily or almost daily demonstrated greater frequency of mental health emergency department use compared with adults who did not use alcohol within the past 30 days.
The study highlights how social and behavioral factors may intersect with mental health service utilization. It also underscores the importance of addressing clients' broader needs within community-based care settings.
The team plans to utilize the knowledge with local agencies, student interns, and in courses.
Cassidy is a 2023 graduate of the Fredonia Social Work program. She obtained her Master of Social Work degree from the State University at Buffalo in 2025 and was a Fredonia Project Evaluation Center Research Assistant from 2022-2025.
