Melissa L. Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A

Dr. Villodas joined the faculty of the Department of Social Work in the fall of 2022 and teaches the Foundations of Direct Practice and Community Practice Across the Life Course classes. Her research centers on understanding how social determinants of health impact the mental health of vulnerable young people while considering how to address these challenges through treatment and initiatives at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Dr. Villodas investigates various environments such as neighborhoods, public housing, and schools, delving into topics like suicidality, trauma exposure, and mental health symptoms and outcomes. Her research focus encompasses three key areas: (1) Neighborhood Environment and Social Determinants of Health, (2) Policy, Systemic, and Community Influences on Mental Health and Well-Being, and (3) Mental Health Interventions and Support Services.

Employing diverse quantitative and qualitative methods, she values collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and community partners to develop and evaluate interventions addressing complex social issues. Dr. Villodas holds social work licenses in New York and North Carolina and possesses clinical experience working with youth in foster care and individuals across the lifespan in community healthcare and telehealth settings. She is also the principal investigator of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program CWSP in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services and funded through Title IV-E of the Social Security Act which prepare social work students for a career in public child welfare. Dr. Villodas is a graduate of Nyack College (BA in English Writing), New York University (MSW) and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (PhD).

Research Interests:

• Neighborhood and Social Determinants
• Mental Health Issues and Interventions
• Policy, Systemic, and Community Influences on Mental Health
• Social Connectedness
• Youth and Young Adult Welfare and Justice

Select Publications:

• Pitzer, K.A., Foell, A., Nebbit, V.N., Lombe, M., Yu, M., Villodas, M.L., Enelamah, N. (2024). Anxiety sensitivity among Black youth: A cross-sectional analysis of the direct and indirect effects of community violence exposure, neighborhood risk, parenting practices, and peer effects. Journal of the National Medical Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2024.07.005
• Villodas, M.L., Foell, A., Smith, L.C., Yu, M., McCoy, H., Yang, Y., Enelamah, N.V., Lombe, M. & Nebbitt, V. (2024). Psychometric Properties of the Modified Parenting Attitudes Measure Among African American Adolescents in Public Housing. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02871-6
• Villodas, M.L. (2024) Suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury: A narrative review of measurement, risk, and disparities among minoritized and system-involved youth in the USA. Children, 11, 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ children11040466   
• Shea L., Villodas M.L., Ventimiglia J., Wilson A.B., & Cooper D. (2024) Foster care involvement among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. JAMA Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6580
• Vergara, J.V., Rodriguez, M., Phillips, J., Dohler, E., Villodas, M.L., Wilson, A. & Joseph, K. (2023). An Evaluation Framework for Predictive Models of Neighborhood Change with Applications to Predicting Residential Sales in Buffalo, NY. Urban Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980231189403
• Villodas, M.L., Blank Wilson, A., Ansong, D., Munson, M. Clark Goings, T. & Nebbit, V. (2023). Examining the Influence of Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Connectedness on the Mental Health Symptoms of Black Adolescent Serious Offenders. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-023-00942-
• Foell, A., Amano, T., Newransky, C., Nebbitt, V., Lombe, M., Yu, M., Horton, D., Enelamah, N., Riffer, A., Villodas, M. L., & Tirmazi, M. T. (2023). Stress Biomarkers in Black Youth: Exploring Psychological, Behavioral, and Socio-Ecological Correlates. Journal of urban health: bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 10.1007/s11524-023-00776-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-023-00776-1
• Enelamah, N.V., Lombe, M., Yu, M., Villodas, M.L., Foell, A., Newransky, C., Smith, L.C., & Nebbitt, V. (2023). Structural and Intermediary Social Determinants of Health and the Emotional and BehavioralHealth of US Children. Children 10, 1100. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071100   
• Villodas, M. L., Forte, A. B., & Blank Wilson, A. (2023). Examining the Influence of the Neighborhood Environment on Stress Among Black American Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Youth & Society, 56(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X231179243
• Villodas, M. L., Gibbs, D., Blank Wilson, A., & Munson, M. R. (2023). The relationship between connectedness and mental health symptoms among Black youth involved in the juvenile justice system: a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. Social Work in Mental Health, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2023.217826
• Gibbs, D.J., Villodas, M.L., Kainz, K., Francis, A.M. (2023). The effects of “legal orphan” status for emerging adults aging out of foster care: A secondary analysis of linked AFCARS and NYTD Data. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106805

Degrees

• PhD, Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2022
• MSW, Social Work, New York University, 2015
• BA, English Writing, Nyack College, 2012