Dr. Jaclyn Kirsch

Speaker Information

Dr. Jaclyn Kirsch (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research program centers on improving global mental health outcomes in culturally diverse and resource-limited settings by integrating community-based research with transformative, mixed methods approaches. Dr. Kirsch’s recent work investigates suicide risk and social determinants of mental health in Southern Belize, exploring how cultural norms, structural inequities, and collective experiences shape pathways to distress and resilience. This project advances understanding of suicide beyond individual pathology by situating it within intergenerational patterns of socialization, stigma, and community systems, offering culturally responsive targets for prevention in low- and middle-income contexts.

In addition to her work in Belize, Dr. Kirsch examines how collective trauma impacts mental health among displaced and marginalized populations internationally. Her scholarship leverages qualitative and mixed methods designs to center the voices of community members and frontline leaders, informing equitable, culturally grounded mental health strategies. Across contexts, she seeks to transform mental health theory and practice by challenging dominant assumptions, illuminating culturally specific mechanisms of risk and resilience, and advancing actionable solutions that restore dignity and promote community healing. Dr. Kirsch’s work contributes to global dialogues on intergenerational trauma, culturally responsive intervention design, and the expansion of mental health equity in both international and transnational settings.