Malitta Engstrom, PhD, LCSW, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice, where she also serves as Faculty Director of the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program, and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine. Her research focuses on substance use, criminal legal system involvement, HIV, mental health, and victimization, particularly in relation to women across the life course and families. Her scholarship aims to advance understanding of the relationships among these intersecting issues and to inform evidence-supported practices to address them.
Her work has been funded by organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Penn Center for AIDS Research. She teaches social work practice courses in the School of Social Policy & Practice, where she received the Excellence in Teaching Award for Standing Faculty in 2014 and 2015.
Engstrom received her PhD in Social Work from the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where, as a National Institute of Mental Health National Research Service Awardee, she focused on mental health services research. She also holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Columbia University School of Social Work.
