Kyle R. Caler, PhD, MSW 973-900-1528; krc84@ssw.rutgers.edu EDUCATION Ph.D., School of Social Work (Expected December 2017) Dissertation: Practice Frameworks from the Front-Line: Exploring practice decision making frameworks of direct support staff in community programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities MSW May, 2009 Temple University, School of Social Work Concentration: Clinical Social Work Thesis: Combating the NIMBY Phenomenon as it relates to New Jersey s Olmstead Plan: Creating a Best Practices Framework for Community Integration for People with Developmental Disabilities BA May, 2001 West Virginia Wesleyan College Major: Philosophy Minor: English Writing RESEARCH INTERESTS Intellectual and developmental disability supports and services; direct support staff training and on-the-job decision making; Q methodology as a research and learning tool; critical realism and the use of post-positivist methods in science; social work education PUBLICATIONS Caler, K., Garcia, J. R. V., & Nower, L. (2016). Assessing Problem Gambling: a Review of Classic and Specialized Measures. Current Addiction Reports, 3(4), 437-444. Nower, L., & Caler, K. (2016). Addictions: Gambling. Encyclopedia of Social Work. National Association of Social Workers Press and Oxford University Press.
Townsend, L., Zippay, A., Caler, K., & Forenza, B. (2016). Technology and Opportunity: People with Serious Mental Illness and Social Connection. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 7(2), 000-000. Caler, K. (2008). Combating the NIMBY Phenomenon: Considerations for the Community Integration of People with Developmental Disabilities. The NADD Bulletin, 11(5), pp. 89-92. Caler, K., Garcia, J. R. V., & Nower, L. (2017). Problem Gambling Among Ethnic Minorities: Results from an Epidemiological Study. Asian Journal of Gambling Issues and Public Health (accepted 8/13/14: JGPH-D-17-00006R1) Under Review/Revision Nower, L., Caler, K., Pickering, D., & Blaszczynski, A. (2017). Daily Fantasy Sports players: Gambling, addiction, and mental health problems. Journal of Gambling Studies Manuscripts in Preparation Garcia, J. R. V., Caler, K., & Nower, L. (2017). Gender related differences and the characteristics of New Jersey gamblers. Caler, K. Can we turn our generalists into generativists? Re-visualizing the ecological model through a critical realist lens. Caler, K. Recognition on the front-lines- The applicability of Recognition theory and Street Level Bureaucracy to the development of direct support professionals. Caler, K. Social Work values in the classroom- Using Q methodology as a self-reflective exercise to explore subjective value positions. Caler, K. Direct Support staff decision making in a group home environment- implications for agency training. Technical Reports Nower, L., Caler, K. & Guan, R. (2016). The Prevalence of Online and Land-Based Gambling in New Jersey. New Brunswick, NJ: Authors. Nower, L., Volberg, R.A. & Caler, K. (2016). The Prevalence of Online and Land-Based Gambling and Daily Fantasy Sports Play in New Jersey. New Brunswick, NJ: Authors. PRESENTATIONS Zippay, A., Townsend, L., Caler, K., & Forenza, B. (2017, October, 20). Community connections among supported housing residents with serious mental illness. 2017 Annual Conference of the Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, TX.
Caler, K. (2017, August 8). The use of Q methodology as a Critical Realist tool. Beyond positivism: Theory, methods, and values in social science conference, Montreal, Canada. Garica, J., Caler, K., & Nower, L. (2016, June 9). Gambling among Hispanics: An evaluation of existing research and future directions. 16 th International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Las Vegas, NV. Caler, K. (2015, October 17). Using Q methodology to explore student perspectives on social work values. Presented at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO. Zippay, A., Townsend, L., Caler, K., & Forenza, B. (2015, January, 14). Technology and Opportunity: People with Serious Mental Illness and Social Connection. 2015 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work, New Orleans, LA. Caler, K. (2013, August, 9). Reframing barriers to community integration through the theory of recognition. The Society for the Study of Social Problems, Annual Meeting, New York, NY. Murphy, P. & Caler, K. (2010, December 3). Examining employee preference for positive or negative social consequence at a non-profit behavioral healthcare organization (Devereux New Jersey). 13th Annual Conference of Maryland Association of Behavior Analysis, Baltimore, MD. TEACHING EXPERIEINCE Rutgers University School of Social Work Instructor Chronic Illness and Disability across the Lifespan (MSW program: Spring 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017; Summer 2014 & 2015) Generalist Social Work Practice I (BASW program: Fall 2016 & 2017; MSW program: Fall 2014 & 2015) RESEARCH EXPERIEINCE RESEARCH PROJECT DIRECTOR, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ; April 2015-Current Direct supervision of Center staff including statistician, Post-Doctoral Fellow, graduate research assistants, and interns Data management oversight for yearly online gambling data and two wave prevalence study
Lead analyst on multiple peer-reviewed papers using logistic regressions to explore differences between minority and white gamblers, daily fantasy sport gamblers and regular gamblers, and male and female gamblers Assisted in the finalization of the Gambling Pathways Questionnaire (GPQ); sole developer of GPQ scoring rubric for provider usage RESEARCH ASSISTANT, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ; 2011-15 Project Manager of Pathways Gambling Study (PI Dr. Lia Nower) o Communicated with and distributed measures to over 20 agencies in the US, Canada, and Australia. Facilitated their collection and entry into SNAP. o Data entry and cleaning. Database creation and variable coding Lead Interviewer for Civic Engagement project (PI Dr. Allison Zippay) o Developed relationship with 6 NJ care providers to recruit participants o Interviewed 50 individuals with serious mental illness who lived in community settings around topics of relationship development and technology use. o Lead analyst of qualitative data with Atlas ti and template data analysis Lead interviewer for the Hagedorn Discharge project (PI Dr. Allison Zippay) o Interviewing clients, families, and providers of former Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital patients to inform NJ state government about transition processes and methods for determining appropriate community placements. o Qualitative analysis of themes arising across all key stakeholder interviews EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Post-MSW Experience LEARNING SPECIALIST, DEVEREUX NJ, WEST DEPTFORD, NJ; 3/10-9/11 Oversight, implementation, and delivery of New Hire and ongoing learning modules for southern half of NJ (over 350 employees) Creation and implementation of Direct Care competency training based on current research and the College of Direct Care Support online. Ran social skills group for individuals with Autism PROGRAM SPECIALIST, LOWER MERION VOCATIONAL & TRAINING CENTER, WYNNEWOOD, PA; 10/09-3/10 Case management for 30 individuals Oversight and program development for workshop transitioning into art center Write IEP's; perform vocational and behavioral assessments; modify programmatic elements to individual needs Train vocational staff on goal development and completion for individuals COUNSELOR, NEW HOPE ACADEMY, YARDLEY, PA; 1/09 10/09 Counseling and therapy services provided at private non-traditional school for grades 6-12
Daily sessions with diverse student population utilizing a variety of therapeutic models including CBT, DBT, Strengths Based, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution Focused. Population served included children with substance abuse issues, suicidal ideation, ADHD, ODD, PTSD, and developmental disabilities Pre-MSW Work Experience DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS & TRAINING, ALLIES, INC.; 7/06 11/08 Oversight of Agency Behaviorists (4); created and implemented Behavior Support plans; authored agency s Behavior Support Manual and corresponding policies; integrated Dialectical Behavior Therapy concepts to create evidence based behavior plans for supporting individuals with borderline personality disorder Chair of the Behavior Management and of Oversight Committee, Co-chair for the Human Rights Committee and Committee for Cultural Competency Oversight of training department responsible for training over 700 employees in direct care work, group home management, crisis intervention, and behavioral interventions COORDINATOR OF BEHAVIOR SUPPORT & RESEARCH, ALLIES, INC. 9/05-7/06 Responded to Behavioral issues in agency with 70 residential programs; conducted on site observations; implemented data collection for functional assessments; authored positive behavior support plans Responsible for Unusual Incident Reporting for state-wide agency Lead investigator for abuse and neglect allegations PROJECT DIRECTOR, ALLIES, INC.; HAMILTON, NJ 1/05-9/05 Coordinator for Mercer/Middlesex counties residential programs Oversaw 12 residential managers, 70 direct care staff and over 30 clients, including an adolescent group home PROGRAM DIRECTOR, ARC MERCER; TRENTON, NJ 6/03-1/05 Oversaw four residential programs Responsible for all aspects of residential services for each program including: Advocacy, budgeting, recreation and client finances AWARDS 2011-2014 Rutgers University Graduate Assistantship $24,000 per annum 2014 Rutgers Graduate School Summer Research Scholarship $1500 2014 PhD Qualifying Exam Passed with Honors 2015 Small Dissertation Grant Award $1000
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2013 ATLAS.ti: The life of an ATLAS.ti Project 2014 Rutgers Center for Teaching Advancement, Teaching certificate; Intro to College Teaching 2015 Q Methodology Workshop (Kent State) 2013-2015 Pre-doctoral Leadership Development Institute (Rutgers University) 2016-2017 Critical Realism Graduate Writing Group (Yale University) SERVICE 2012-2015 Member, Search Committee for Faculty of the School of Social Work 2013-2015 Rutgers University Faculty Senate, Student Senator for School of Social Work