"Schools serve as community hubs uniquely positioned to address the complex needs of children and their families. My research focuses on the ways in which schools, families and communities partner to provide innovative, long-lasting and meaningful services that foster positive youth development and promote equity in education."
Social work services in schools; youth development; school-family-community partnerships; educational policy
Annahita Ball explains, "Overall, my research focuses on interorganizational partnerships and interprofessional collaborations in youth-serving contexts that promote the healthy development of children and families. I also recognize the importance of schools as community hubs uniquely positioned to impact the complex needs of children, particularly those who are most vulnerable."
Ball’s teaching interests are diversity and oppression, social work services in schools, human behavior, and policy. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Society for Social Work and Research, Council on Social Work Education and American Council of School Social Workers. Ball is also a member of the Mental Health Education Integration Consortium (MHEDIC), a national consortium of interdisciplinary leaders in the field of school mental health focused on promoting collaboration and workforce preparation for school mental health practitioners.