Ashley Landers

Ashley L. Landers, PhD, LMFT is an Assistant Professor in the Human Development and Family Science Program’s Couple and Family Therapy specialization in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University. She is an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Clinical Fellow, Approved Supervisor, and Minority Fellowship Alumna. As a community-engaged scholar, Ashley’s research predominantly encompasses projects that are co-created in partnership with the American Indian community. The findings of her scholarship have been used to achieve social change in response to identified needs within the American Indian community related to child removal, reunification, and adoption. Her work was recently cited in the Supreme Court of the United States. Ashley’s research focuses on families in child welfare, more specifically marginalized underserved minority families such as American Indian families involved with the child welfare system. In her research, Ashley examines what happens to children following maltreatment (e.g., foster care, adoption, reunification) and how these children and families fare (e.g., maltreatment recurrence, mental health problems, school engagement). The engaged manner in which Ashley approaches her research mirrors her teaching and supervision. Her teaching promotes learning as an engaged collaborative process. Learning is co-created, and Ashley invites her students to share their own knowledge and experience in the classroom and to study themselves as they are studying families. Ashley’s areas of clinical specialization include: child welfare, complex trauma, trauma-focused treatments, family reunification, and structural family therapy.

Ph.D., Family Science – Specialization in Couple and Family Therapy, University of Minnesota, 2016

M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, St. Cloud State University, 2007

B.A., Psychology, St. Cloud State University, 2005

• Adolescent and At-Risk Youth
• Child Development
• Family Systems
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Maternal and Child Health

Dr. Landers’ program of research focuses on understanding the outcomes of families engaged with the child welfare system, specifically American Indian children, caregivers, and families impacted by child maltreatment, out-of-home placement, foster care, and adoption. Through examining child welfare and survey data, she studies what happens to American Indian children and their families following separation and how this experience influences their mental health. She explores both child welfare (e.g., reunification, adoption, maltreatment recurrence) and health outcomes (e.g., behavioral problems, mental health service receipt) of American Indian families. She conducts both secondary data analyses and original research using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. She uses a community-based participatory approach to advance the knowledge of child welfare research, policies, and practices related to serving American Indian children and families. Her research translates directly into practice by informing tribal efforts to reunify and welcome home formerly estranged fostered and adopted American Indian children.

American Indian Birthmothers Project

In collaboration with First Nations Repatriation Institute, the American Indian Birthmothers Project explores the grief, loss, and mental health of American Indian birthmothers who lost a child to foster care and/or adoption. In phase one, qualitative interviews were conducted with American Indian birthmothers. Findings revealed that American Indian birthmothers experience ambiguous loss, as well as elevated mental health problems and substance abuse following the loss of a child to foster care and/or adoption. Phase two (currently underway) involves the launch of a quantitative tribal survey which will inform the development of culturally appropriate grief-related mental health services for American Indian birthmothers.

Experiences of Adopted and Fostered Individuals Project

The Experiences of Adopted and Fostered Individuals Project is a community-based participatory research projected conducted in collaboration with First Nations Repatriation Institute. Survey data was collected from American Indian and White adults who were separated from their birth families during childhood by foster care and/or adoption. The project aims to explore the experiences of adopted and fostered individuals related to foster care, adoption, reunification or reconnecting with birth family, tribal connections, mental health, and wellness. The research team is currently examining the process of reunification for American Indian fostered and adopted individuals, relationships with permanent and substitute caregivers, and mental health problems.

Exploring the Impact of Geographic Factors on American Indian/Alaska Native Children’s Placement (2023-2024). The Ohio State University, Institute for Population Research (IPR) Seed Grant ($42,443).

Grief and Mental Health: A Survey of American Indian Mothers (2019-2020). Virginia Tech, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Dean’s Faculty Fellowship ($5,000). American Indian Mothers: Grief, Loss, and Mental Health(2018-2019). Virginia Tech, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Incentive Grant ($6,000). Grief, Loss, and Mental Health of American Indian Birthmothers Who Lost a Child to Foster Care or Adoption (2017-2018). Virginia Tech, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Niles Research Grant ($4,000).

Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems of American Indian Children in the Child Welfare System (2015-2016). American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Minority Fellowship Program, Dissertation Completion Fellowship funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ($8,000).

Reunification of American Indian Children in Long-Term Foster Care (2014-2015). American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Minority Fellowship Program, Doctoral Fellowship funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ($19,000).

* Simpson, J. E., Landers, A. L., & White Hawk, S. (2023). I did not belong: The grief and identity development of fostered and adopted American Indian individuals. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples. https://doi.org/10.1177/117718012311881

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., Morgan, A. A., * Simpson, J. E., & White Hawk, S. (2023). The hole in my heart is closing: Indigenous relative reunification identity verification. Child Abuse & Neglect, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106062

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., * Carrese, D. H., * Mpras, E., * Campbell, A. R., & White Hawk, S. (2022). I can still hear my baby crying: The ambiguous loss of American Indian/Alaska Native birthmothers. Family Process, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12815

Landers, A. L., * Reichard, K. D.,Bellamy, J. L., & Muruthi, B. A. (2022). The effect of out-of-home placement on the school engagement of child welfare-involved children. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. https://doi.org/10.1086/718718

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., Morgan, A. A., * Merritt, S., & White Hawk, S. (2021). My relatives are waiting: Barriers to tribal enrollment of fostered/adopted American Indians. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(5),1373-1400. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12797

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., * Campbell, A. R., & White Hawk, S. (2021). Abuse after abuse: The recurrent maltreatment of American Indian children in foster care and adoption. Child Abuse and Neglect, 111, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104805

Landers, A. L., * Carrese, D. H., & Spath, R. (2019). A decade in review of trends in social work literature: The link between poverty and child maltreatment in the United States. Child Welfare, 97(4), 65-96.  +

Landers, A. L., Bellamy, J. L., Danes, S. M., McLuckie, A. & White Hawk, S. (2019).  The reunification of American Indian children in long-term foster care. Journal to the Society of Social Work and Research, 10(4), 501-528. https://doi.org/10.1086/706203

Landers, A. L., * Morgan, A. A., Danes, S. M., & White Hawk, S. (2018). Does reunification matter? Differences in the social connection to tribe and tribal enrollment of American Indian fostered and adopted adults. Children and Youth Services Review, 94, 347-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.09.019

Landers, A. L., McLuckie, A., Cann, R., Shapiro, V., Visintini, S., MacLaurin, B., Saini, M.,  Trocmé, N., & Carrey, N. J. (2018). A scoping review of evidence-based interventions available to parents of maltreated children ages 0-5 involved with child welfare services. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 546-560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.012

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., Harstad, J., & White Hawk, S. (2017). Finding their way home: Factors associated with reunification for American Indian and White adults. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 359-364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.09.002

Landers, A. L., Bellamy, J. L., Danes, S. M., & White Hawk, S. (2017). Internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems of American Indian children in the child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 81, 413-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.014

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., Ingalls-Maloney, K., & White Hawk, S. (2017). American Indian and White adoptees: Are there mental health differences? American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 24(2), 54-75. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.2402.2017.54

Landers, A. L. & Danes, S. M. (2016). Forgotten children: A critical review of the reunification of American Indian children in the child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 71, 137 -147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.10.043

Landers, A. L., Danes, S. M., & White Hawk, S. (2015). Finding their way home: The reunification of First Nations adoptees. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 10(2), 18-30. https://doi.org/10.7202/1077259ar

* denotes mentored graduate student

* Simpson, J. E., Landers, A. L. & White Hawk, S. (2023, November). Longing to belong: The ambiguous loss of fostered and adopted Indigenous relatives. Paper presentation at the 2023 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

* Simpson, J. E. & Landers, A. L. (Anticipated 2023, November). Indigenous adults who were adopted as children: A critical review of the literature. Paper presentation at the 2023 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

Landers, A. L., * Simpson, J. E., & White Hawk, S. (2023, November). Identifying risk factors for clinically significant behavioral problems among American Indian children in child welfare. Paper presentation at the 2023 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

* Hamilton, M. J., Landers, A. L., & White Hawk, S. (2023, November). Now I understand who I am and where I came from: The tribal reunification of Indigenous fostered and adopted relatives. Paper presentation at the 2023 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

* Simpson, J. E., Landers, A. L., Wojciak, A., & Gagner, N. (2023, October). Preventing of tobacco use among Indigenous youth in child welfare. Poster presentation at the 2023 Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy Conference, Provo, UT.  

* Simpson, J. E., Landers, A. L., & White Hawk, S. (2023, October). The relational harm and healing of fostered/adopted Indigenous relatives. Poster presentation at the 2023 Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy Conference, Provo, UT.  

Landers, A. L., & White Hawk, S. (2023, April). First Nations fostered/adopted relatives: Research findings. Workshop presentation at the 41st Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Reno, Nevada.  

* Simpson, J. E., Landers, A. L., Wojciak, A., Gagner, N. (2023). Preventing tobacco use of Indigenous children in child welfare. Poster presentation at theSociety for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2023 Biennial Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. 

Landers, A. L., White Hawk, S., Danes, S. M., Morgan, A. A., * Simpson, J. E., * Merritt, S. (2022, November). I am home now; The circle is complete: Reunification of American Indian Fostered and Adopted Family Members. Paper presentation at the 2022 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

* denotes mentored graduate student