Michaela L. Zajicek-Farber, MSW, PhD, BCD, LCSW-C
Associate Professor
Phone: 202-319-5465
Email: farber@cua.edu
Education
Ph.D., Social Work, The Catholic University of America, NCSSS, 1990M.S.W., Social Work, The Catholic University of America, NCSSS, 1979
B.A., Social Work and Psychology, Cleveland State University, 1977
Areas of Specialty
Addressing the needs of vulnerable populations; promoting the well-being of children, adolescents, and their families including those with disabilities, and evaluating intervention and program services.
Research Interests
Maternal (post-partum and chronic) depression, children's early literacy and emotional regulation, coping and adaptation of children with disabilities and their families, adolescent behavior, child development, and family psychosocial functioning.
Biographical Information
Dr. Farber started her social work career as an MSW training-fellow in the Leadership in Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program at the Kennedy Krieger (formerly known as John F. Kennedy Institute) in Baltimore, Maryland. Since 2003, she has been the Co-Principal Investigator for CUA and a faculty-mentor for the discipline of social work at the interdisciplinary federally funded (by HRSA and MCHB) LEND program at the Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Since 2009, she has also been the Co-principal Investigator with the Lt. J. P. Kennedy Institute of the Catholic Charities in Washington, DC in developing and implementing a home-based Early Head Start (EHS) program with high-risk multi-cultural families rearing very young children (aged birth-3) with and without disabilities; a project federally funded by ARRA and ACF.
Academically, Dr. Farber began teaching in the MSW program in 1991, joining as an assistant professor in 2003. She has taught MSW foundation social work research methods, generalist practice with individuals, families, and groups, and human behavior and social environment; and advanced social work practice and program evaluation, and context of social work practice with families and children. She has also taught a foundation research course in the doctoral program. With two other NCSSS faculty colleagues, Dr. Farber co-found, later directed, and is a continuing member of a CUA-NCSSS research center, presently known as the Center for Advancement of Children, Youth, and Families (CACYF). She has conducted and developed multiple research projects including population needs assessments and process and outcome evaluations, designed to strengthen the capacity of local and national social agencies to respond to the complex needs of high-risk families with children and adolescents. She is an ongoing member of the National Early Head Start Research Consortium and continues to serve as the senior research analyst for the EHS longitudinal study for the CUA-EHS-site. She frequently reviews grants and has co-written and executed grants for ACF, SAMHSA, and OERI. In 2009, Dr. Farber was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. At present, she focuses on teaching research methods and statistics, and evaluation courses in social work across undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels of education at NCSSS.
Dr. Farber also has over 20 years experience as a clinical social worker, case manager, and a consultant, providing social services in the context of agency and private practice settings to families and children affected by chronic health conditions, developmental disabilities, mental illness, trauma, substance abuse, violence, poverty, and immigration. She maintains LCSW-C license in Maryland and has a Diplomate-level certification by NASW and Board Certified Diplomate (BCD) status at the American Board of Examiners for Clinical Social Work (ABECSW).
Personally, Dr. Farber has derived life-experience from living in North-Eastern Europe (Czech Republic - Prague) and India (Hyderabad, Trichinopolli). She and her pediatrician-husband have two almost grown children, one Siamese, one eastern short-haired tabby, and a Scottish terrier. In some of her spare time, she also enjoys swimming, skiing, and seeking sea-shells besides gardening, cooking, reading, and pondering research projects. She welcomes similarly shared information.
Selected Recent Publications – Abbreviated List
Published Professional Journal Articles
Zajicek-Farber, M.L., Wall, S., Kisker, E., Luze, G.J., & Summers, J.A. (2011). Comparing service use of Early Head Start families of children with and without disabilities. Journal of Family Social Work, 14(2), 159-178.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2010). Building practice evidence for parent mentoring during home-visiting in early childhood.. Advanced online publication: doi: 10.1177/0123456789123456; (2009). Research on Social Work Practice, 20, 46-64.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2010). The contributions of parenting and postnatal depression on emergent language of children in low-income families. Advanced online publication: doi: 1007/s10826-009-9293-7; (2009). Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(3), 257-269.
Farber, M.L.Z. (2009). Parent mentoring and child anticipatory guidance with Latino and African- American families, Health and Social Work, 34(3), 179-189.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2009). Postnatal depression and infant health practices among high-risk women. Journal of Child and Family Studies, Advanced online publication: doi:s10826- 008-9224-z.; (2008). Journal of Child and Family Studies,18(2), 236-245.
Farber, M. L. Z., & Sabatino, C. A. (2007). Therapeutic summer weekend camp for grieving children: Supporting clinical practice through empirical evaluation. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24(4), 385-402.
Farber, M. L. Z., & Maharaj, R. (2005). Empowering high-risk families of children with disabilities. Research on Social Work Practice. 17(6), 501-515.
Recent Book-Chapters
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2012). Caring and coping: Helping the family of a child with a disability. In M. L. Batshaw, N. Roizen, & G.R. Lotrecchiano (Eds.), Children with disabilities, 7th ed., (Chapter 37). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2011). Connections of maternal sensitivity to children’s development, health, and well-being. In Davis, D.W. & Logsdon, M.C. (Eds.). Maternal sensitivity: A scientific foundation for practice. (Chapter 13). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Professional Presentations
International Professional Meetings
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2010). The effects of maternal depression and parenting on emergent language of toddlers in high-risk families. World Association on Infant Mental Health (WAIMH); Symposium on Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Development in the Contexts of Child and Parental Risk Factors, June-July, Leipzig, Germany.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2010). The connections between maternal mental health, knowledge of childrearing, and parental practices on children’s participation in literacy activities and early language competence.6th International Social Work Conference in Health and Mental Health, June-July, Dublin, Ireland.
Zajicek-Farber, M.L. (2010). The links between maternal depression, stress, routines, child emotional regulation, and language competence of preschool children. The International Society on Infant Studies (ISIS), March, Baltimore, MD.
National Professional Meetings
Zajicek-Farber, M. L., & Mayer, L. M. (2012). The Contribution of fathers' parenting in a mediated model between maternal depression, child-routines, and emotional-behavior regulation competence of preschool children In low-income families. Symposium with Manian, Price, & Bledsoe on "Psychosocial correlates of postpartum depression: Bridging research and practice," Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, Washington, DC.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L., & Mayer, L. M. (2012). Ethnic group differences in a mediated model of maternal depression, parenting stress, child-routines, and emotional-behavior regulation of preschool children in low-income families. Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, Washington, DC.
Zajicek-Farber, M.L., Robinson, A., & Peterson, S. (2011). The perception of family centered care in primary healthcare by families of children with special needs: Are we moving forward? Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Annual Meeting, November, Crystal City, VA.
Brady, R., Long, T. Richards, J., Lotrecchiano G., Lyons, L., & Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2011). Distance leaning: Lessons learned. Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Annual Meeting, November, Crystal City, VA.
Brophy-Herb, H.E., Bocknek E. L., Zajicek-Farber, M. L., McKelvey, L. M., & Stansbury, K. (2011). Maternal supportiveness and toddlers' emotion regulation from 14 to 36 months, persistence at age 3 and kindergarten. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD): March-April, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Zajicek-Farber, M.L., & Mayer, L. M. (2011). The protective influence of parental child routines in a mediated model between maternal depression and language competence of preschool children in low-income families. Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, Tampa, Fl.
Zajicek-Farber, M.L., & Mayer, L. M. (2010). The connections between parental mental health, parenting, child emotional regulation, and language competence of preschool children in low-income families. Head Start 10th National Research Conference (HSNRC-10), June, Washington, DC.
Farber, M. L. Z. (2010). The effects of maternal depression and parenting knowledge and practices on children’s involvement in literacy activities and emergent language. Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, San Francisco, CA.
Farber, M.L.Z. (2009). Contributions of parenting knowledge and maternal mental health to the development of emergent language in toddlers. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD): April, Denver, Colorado.
Farber, M.L.Z. (2009). Parent mentoring: Improving infant health practices and postnatal depression through home visiting. Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Farber, M.L.Z. (2009). Contributions of parenting knowledge and maternal mental health to the development of emergent language in toddlers. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD): April, Denver, Colorado.
Farber, M.L.Z. (2009). Parent mentoring: Improving infant health practices and postnatal depression through home visiting. Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), January, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Timberlake, E.M., Farber, M.L.Z., & Sabatino, C.A. (2008). The generalist method of social work practice: A generalist perspective (5th ed.). Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 54th Annual Program Meeting; Meet the Authors, October, Philadelphia, PA.
Current Professional Memberships
National Association of Social Workers (NASW): ASCW, and Diplomate Status
Society for Social Work Research (SSWR)
Council of Social Work Education (CSWE)
American Board of Education for Clinical Social Work (ABECSW)- BCD Status
Early Head Start (EHS) Research Consortium
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Contact information: farber@cua.edu
