Back to Faculty Listings

Print the Profile

Diplomas / Degrees

Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1994)
Psychotherapy, Tel Aviv university School of Medicine/ Deprtment of continuing education (1977)
MSW, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1974)
BSW, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1969)

Recent Courses

Comparative Approaches To Social Work Research: Qualitative Methods
Field Instruction III Extended
Field Instruction IV Extended
Independent Study Social Work Practice With Families
Independent Study Swk Practice With Families
Social Work Research II

Teaching Specializations / Interests

I teach quantitative and qualitative research methods and practice with individuals, families and groups in the MSW and DSW programs. I also teach a course on practice with immigrants and refugees.

Research Interests

My main fields of interest are:
1. Immigrants and refugees
2. Qualitative and combined research methods
3. Remarriage and stepfamilies
4. Posttraumatic growth in cross cultural context
5. Law guardianship

Grants / Sponsored Research

2006 A grant from The Center for the Study of Social Work Practice (a joint project of Columbia University School of Social Work and the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services) to support an evaluation research of the IN-Service and the Advance Training Programs in JBFCS (with H. Crohn).
2004 President Research Award to study posttraumatic growth in Spanish speaking immigrant women (in collaboration with T. Weiss).
2002 Federal Emergency Medical Assistance grant for developing a curriculum for Working with the Aftermath of Trauma. (with M. Lynn,P. Joyce & G. Gregg).
2001 Research institutional grant, Adelphi University.
1995 Research institutional grant, Adelphi University.
1994 Summer fellowship of the Institute for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

Books

Weiss, T. & Berger, R. Eds. (2010). Posttraumatic Growth and Culturally Competent Practice: Lessons Learned from Around the Globe. Hoboken: Wiley.

Berger, R. (2004). Immigrant women tell their stories.

Polsky, H. W. & Berger, R. (2003). From custodialism to community: Transforming residential settings.

Berger, R. (1998). Stepfamilies: A multi-dimensional perspective.

Book Chapters

Berger, R. (2008). Fostering posttraumatic growth in adolescent immigrants. In M. Ungar& L. Liebenberg (Eds.). Resilience in action: Working with youth across cultures and contexts. (pp. 87-110).

Weiss, T. & Berger, R. (2008). Posttraumatic growth and immigration: Theory, research and practice implications. In S. Joseph & P. A. Linley (Eds.). Trauma, recovery, and growth: Positive psychological perspectives on posttraumatic Stress. (pp. 93-104).

Berger, R. (2006). Clinical Perspective of treating stepfamilies. In A. Roizblatt (Eds.). Family Therapy (Spanish). (pp. 659-676).

Berger, R. (2005). It takes a community to raise an adolescent: Community based clinical services for immigrant adolescents. In A. Lightborn & P. Sessions (Eds.). Community based clinical practice. (pp. 441-458).

Berger, R. (2004). Helping immigrants from the former Soviet Union. In C. Rabin (Eds.). Understanding Gender and Culture in the Helping Process. (pp. 129-148).

Recent Articles

Showing first 5 of 17. View All

Paul, M. S., Berger, R. Berlow, N., H. Rovner-Ferguson, Figlerski, L., Gardner, S. & Malave, A. F. (2009, 12). Posttraumatic growth and social support in individuals with infertility. Human Reproduction

Berger, R. & Joyce, P. (2009, 12). From research to practice: Developing and delivering a culturally competent trauma curriculum for child welfare practitioners after 9/11. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.

Berger, R. (2009, 12). EBP: Practitioners in search of evidence. Journal of Social Work

Crhon, H. & Berger, R. (2009, 5). What works for whom: Evaluating two agenciy-based training programs. Journal of Education in Social Work, 12, 27-37

Berger, R. (2009, 1). Forum: Qualitative Social Research. Review: Ann Lewins & Christina Silver (2007). Using Software in Qualitative Research: A Step-by-Step Guide, 10

Conference Presentations and Papers

Showing first 5 of 7. View All

Berger, R. (08 October 2009). Conducting electronically-based qualitative research: Challenges and strategies. . Advances in Qualitative Methods. International Institute for Qualitative Methodology, , Vancouver, Canada

Berger, R. (25 February 2009). Trauma and its Aftermath in Cross-Cultural Contexts: Research and Professional Education. . Conference for Academic Disciplines , Malta

Berger, R., Crohn, H. & Greenberg, R. (28 October 2007). University-community partnership. Annual program Meeting of the Council of Social Work Education, San Francisco

Joyce, P. , Berger, R., Bogolub, E. & Altman, J. (12 January 2006). Reflective Researchers, Reflective Practitioners? : Evaluating in Practice Ten Years Later. SSWR, San Antonio, Texas

C. Cohen, I. Masank & R. Berger (01 November 2005). Is group work global?. 27 Annual International Symposium on Social Work with Groups, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Selected Dissertations Chaired

Showing first 5 of 13. View All

Carolyn Rassinger (2010). Student-teacher relationship and academic success of middle school Latino students.Adelphi
Ana Carrion (2010). Factors contributing to academically success in Latino middle school students .Adelphi
Joanne Quinn Bears (2009). The experience of mothers who adopted children through the welfare system.Adelphi
Selena Rodgers (2009). Availability of and satisfaction with social support and post traumatic growth in Latina immigrant women in refugee-like situations .Adelphi
Fran Iaaso (2008). Parenting style and locus of control in suicidal male adolescents.Adelphi

Other Scholarly / Artistic Work

Evaluation of the efficacy of two agency-based training programs" Berger, R. & Chron, H. The Jewish Board of Family and Children Services 4/2007

Honors and Accomplishments

2007 Fulbright Senior Specialist, City University of Hong Kong

Professional Activities

2004 Representative of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) to the United Nations.Service on
2003-present Member Porter-Cason Institute Board, Tulane University School of Social Work.
2002-presnet Research Associate, the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, San Diego, California.
2001-2003 Association of Social Work Boards as item writer for certification examination
2001-present Member Editorial Board of the Forum of Qualitative Social Research (FQSR).
2001- 2003 Member International Board of Fifth Annual Advances in Qualitative Methods.
2001–present The Editorial Board of Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Services.
2000-present Member International Board of Elem, an organization for youth in distress in Israel.
1995-1997 The International Advisory Board of the 7th International Conference on Family Therapy.
1994-present Reviewer for Journal of Marriage & the Family.
1993-2000 Chair, professional committee of ELEM NY, an organization for youth in distress in Israel

Community and Corporate Leadership

Member Porter-Cason Institute Board, Tulane University School of Social Work.
2002-presnet Research Associate, the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, San Diego, California.
2001-present Member Editorial Board of the Forum of Qualitative Social Research (FQSR).
2001-present Member International Board of Fifth Annual Advances in Qualitative Methods.
2001–present The Editorial Board of Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Services.
2001-2003 Service on Association of Social Work Boards as item writer for certification examination
2000-present Member International Board of Elem, an organization for youth in distress in Israel.

Licenses & Certifications

LCSW
Certified marriage and family therapy (US & Israel)
Advanced training REBT