J. Lloyd Allen joined Wayne State University’s School of Social Work faculty as an assistant professor in Fall 2017. Dr. Allen received his PhD (2017) from the University of Georgia, his MSW (2008) from Florida International University, and his Bachelors (2004) from Hampden-Sydney College. His research interests, over the years, include the exploration of issues associated with gender and sexuality, HIV policy and advocacy, mental health and Black/African American gay men, community mobilization, program evaluation, masculinity, mental health, depression, substance abuse, and gender inequality. His dissertation, “Parent-Child Communications with Self-Identified Out Gay Men: A Qualitative Study”, helped to unearth some unique insights regarding how to better improve policies, procedures, and interventions that may effectively reduce HIV infection rates, improve self-esteem among gay men, address potential mental health issues among gay males, and expand the various communication styles and techniques within this sub-group.

 

Over the years, he has amassed a vast amount of social work clinical experiences as well as helped to coordinate, oversee, and evaluate several public health, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and STI infection programs that affected LGBT individuals. Research wise, his quest for knowledge and understanding were further enhanced by the various micro and macro research projects, which he undertook as a graduate student. In these studies, he collaborated with mentors and professors to examine what options and differences, if any, existed for gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals in comparison to heterosexual counterparts, when accessing treatment for alcohol abuse. Another research project exploring the citation impact scholarship of high-impact women in the top 25-ranked schools of social work, examined African American faculty publication success rates and scholarship character, specifically in the top 25-ranked U.S. schools of social work, and African American men and depression. Overall, his combined work and research experiences has helped to enhance his breadth and depth of understanding on the fundamental obligations of the core social work tenets.

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Degrees and Certifications

• PhD Social Work, University of Georgia, May 2017

• MSW Master of Social Work Florida International University, August 2008

• BA Psychology, Hampden-Sydney College, May 2004

Teaching Interests

• Policy

• Social Work with Diverse Populations

• Research Methods

• Qualitative Research Methods

• Social Work and HIV/AIDS

Areas of Expertise

• HIV/AIDS

• Sexuality

Research Project

Parent-Child Communication Styles

Dr. Allen is currently using data from his dissertation to explore the various patterns of communication between parents and their gay sons. This study is being done in an effort to help improve the communication styles and frequencies between parents and children, especially on sensitive topics such as sex, sexuality, and/or HIV.

 

Depression and African American Males

Dr. Allen is also using previously collected data from to larger study to explore the various effects of depression on Black/African American males, as a consequence of their relationship, or lack thereof, with their family—especially their father. This study is being done in an effort to better explore the unique experiences, if any, of Black/African American males living with depression.