University of Toronto

Aron Shlonsky

Associate Professor
Factor-Inwentash Chair in Child Welfare
Director, Ph.D. Program

Ph.D. in Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley
MPH, Interdisciplinary, University of California at Berkeley
M.S.W., Child and Family, University of California at Los Angeles
BA in Sociology, University of California at Los Angeles

Phone: (416) 978-5718

Aron Shlonsky is associate professor and Factor-Inwentash Chair in Child Welfare at the University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, director of the Ph.D. program, and Scientific Director of the Ontario Children’s Services Database.  Prior to his appointment at University of Toronto, he spent a number of years as a child protective services worker, sexual abuse therapist, and substance abuse counselor in Los Angeles.  His professional interests center largely on child welfare and include risk assessment, kinship foster care, and sibling relationships in out-of-home care.  His interests also extend to evidence-informed practice, systematic reviews, and evaluation research.  He is co-author of ‘Child Welfare Research: Advances for Child Welfare Practice and Policy’ (2008, Oxford University Press) and has authored and co-authored numerous manuscripts appearing in scholarly journals and books highlighting the use of actuarial tools in child welfare settings, the predictors and effects of sibling separation in foster care, issues surrounding kinship foster care, the implementation of subsidized legal guardianship for relative caregivers, and the teaching and implementation of evidence-informed practice. 

Current Projects:
- Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
- Risk Assessment Validation
- Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences 
- Applying Information and Communication Technology to Improve Outcomes for Maltreated Children

Select Publications:

Fallon, B. & Shlonsky, A. (in press). Risk, resilience and outcomes: Special issue.  International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Shlonsky, A. and Ballan, M. (in press). Evidence-Informed Practice in Child Welfare: Definitions, Challenges, and Strategies. Developing Practice.

Mildon, R., Shlonsky, A. (2011). Bridge over troubled waters: Using implementation science to facilitate effective services in child welfare.  Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, 753-756.

Shlonsky, A., Noonan, E., Littell, J., and Montgomery, P. (2010). The role of systematic reviews and the Campbell Collaboration in the realization of evidence-informed practice. Clinical Social Work Journal. DOI: 10.1007/s10615-010-0307-0

Littell, J. and Shlonsky, A. (2010). Making sense of meta-analysis. Clinical Social Work Journal. DOI: 10.1007/s10615-010-0308-z

Shlonsky, A., Baker, T., Fuller-Thomson, E. (2010). Using Methodological Search Filters to Facilitate Evidence-based Social Work Practice. Clinical Social Work Journal. Clinical Social Work Journal (2 December 2010), pp. 1-7. doi:10.1007/s10615-010-0307-0

Browne, D., Verticcio, D., Shlonsky, A., Thabane, L., Hoch, J., Byrne, C. (2010). The family standpoint of investigation: Examining the correlates and costs of parental stress in a sample of families involved with Ontario child welfare. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 29(2), 131-154.

Regehr, C., Shlonsky, A., LeBlanc, V., and Bogo, M. (2010). Confidence and Professional Judgment in Assessing Children’s Risk of Abuse. Research on Social Work Practice, 20(6), 621-628.

Regehr, C., LeBlanc, V., Shlonsky, A. & Bogo, M. (2010) The Influence of Clinicians’ Previous Trauma Exposure on their Assessment of Child Abuse Risk.  Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.198(9), 64-68.

Littell, J. & Shlonsky, A. (2010). Toward Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice in Child Welfare.  Research on Social Work Practice,20(6), 723-725.

Gough, P., Lajoie, J., Shlonsky, A., Trocme, N. (2009). Journal Watch:  An inter-university collaborative e-learning partnership. Social Work Education, 1 (1), 1-9.

Shlonsky, A. & Tugwell, P. (2009). Systematic Reviews of Social Interventions. Evidence-Based Child Health, 4(2), 387-388.

Shlonsky, A. (2009). A fine balancing act: Kinship care, subsidized guardianship, and outcomes. In Achieving Permanence for Older Children and Youth in Foster Care.  Kerman, B., Maluccio, A.N. & Freundlich, M. (Eds.) New York: Columbia University Press.

Gough, P., Shlonsky, A. & Dudding, P (2009). An overview of the child welfare systems in Canada. International Journal on Child Health and Human Development. 2 (3), 357-372.

Gearing, R.E., Mian, I., Shlonsky, A., et al., (2009). Developing a Risk-Model of Time to First-Relapse for Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Psychotic Disorders or Mood Disorders with Psychotic Features. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197(1).

Shlonsky, A. (2008). Teaching evidence-based practice in social work. In Roberts, A (Ed) Social Worker’s Desk Reference (pp1169-1175). Oxford University Press.

Barber, J., Shlonsky, A., Black, T., Goodman, D. & Trocmé, N. (2008). Reliability and predictive validity of a risk assessment tool. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 2(2) 173-196.

Friend, C., Shlonsky, A. & Lambert, L. (2008). From Evolving Discourses to New Practice Approaches in Domestic Violence and Child Protective Services. Children and Youth Services Review, 30(6), 689-698.

Shlonsky, A. (2007). Initial construction of an actuarial risk assessment measure using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. In R. Haskins, F. Wulczyn & M. B. Webb (Eds.), Child protection: Using research to improve policy and practice (pp. 62-80). Washington DC: Brookings Institution.

Shlonsky, A. & Friend, C. (2007). Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence: Current State of Knowledge and Emerging Strategies for Policy and Practice. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention: An Evidence-Based Practice Journal, 7(4), 249-252.

Shlonsky, A., & Friend, C. (2007). Double Jeopardy: Risk assessment in the context of child maltreatment and domestic violence. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention: An Evidence-Based Practice Journal, 7(4), 253-274.

Shlonsky, A., Friend, C., Lambert, L. (2007). From Culture Clash to New Possibilities: A Harm Reduction Approach to Family Violence and Child Protection Services. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention: An Evidence-Based Practice Journal, 7(4), 345-363.

Shlonsky, A. & Stern, S. (2007). Reflections on the teaching of EBP. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 612-618.

Regehr, C., Stern, S., & Shlonsky, A. (2007). Operationalizing Evidence-Based Practice: The Development of an Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 408-416.

Shlonsky, A. (2006). Book Review. Beyond Common Sense: Child Welfare, Child Well-Being, and the Evidence for Policy Reform by Fred Wulczyn, Richard P. Barth, Ying-Ying T. Yuan, Brenda Jones Harden, & John Laandsverk. Social Service Review, 80 (4), 756-761.

Shlonsky, A., Festinger, T., & Brookhart, M.A. (2006). Is survival the fittest? A Post-hoc Evaluation of Event History Estimations in an Experimental Design. Children and Youth Services Review, 28(7), 841-852.

Shlonsky, A., Bellamy, J., Norman, C., & Elkins, J. (2005). The other kin: Setting the Course for Research, Policy, and Practice with Siblings in Foster Care. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(7), 697-716.

Webster, D., Shlonsky, A., Brookhart, A. (2005). The Ties that Bind II: Reunification for Siblings in Out-of-Home Care Using a Statistical Technique for Examining Non-independent Observations. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(7), 765-782.

*Shlonsky, A. & Wagner, D. (2005). The Next Step: Integrating Actuarial Risk Assessment and Clinical Judgment into an Evidence-Based Practice Framework in CPS Case Management. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(3), 409-427.
*Nominated for Pro-Humanitate Award

Mullen, E., Shlonsky, A., Bledsoe, B., Bellamy, J. (2005). From Concept to Implementation: Challenges Facing Evidence-based Social Work. Journal of Evidence and Policy, 1(1), 61-84.

Shlonsky, A. (2004). Subsidized guardianship evaluations: What have we learned? In M. Bissell & J. L. Miller (Eds.). Using Subsidized Guardianship to Improve Outcomes for Children: Key Questions to Consider. Washington, D.C.: Cornerstone Consulting and Children’s Defense Fund. (pp. 57-62).

Shlonsky, A. & Gibbs, L. (2004). Will the real evidence-based practice please step forward? Teaching evidence-based practice in the helping professions. Journal of Brief Therapy and Crisis Intervention, 4(2), 137-153.

Shlonsky, A., Needell, B., & Webster, D. (2003).  The Ties that Bind: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Siblings in Foster Care. Journal of Social Service Research, 29(3), 27-52.

Shlonsky, A., D’Andrade, A., & Brookhart, A (2002).  JSWE Submission Suggestions for Statistical Methods. Journal of Social Work Education, 38(1), 5-13.

Shlonsky, A. & Berrick, J.D. (2001). Assessing and Promoting Quality in Kin and Non-Kin Foster Homes. Social Service Review, 75(1), 60-83.

Shlonsky, A. & Gambrill, E. (2001). The Assessment and Management of Risk in Child Welfare Services: Overview of Contents - Part II. Children and Youth Services Review, 23 (1), 1-2.

Gambrill, E & Shlonsky, A. (2001). The Need for Comprehensive Risk Management Programs in Child Protective Services. Children and Youth Services Review, 23 (1), 79-107.

Gambrill, E., & Shlonsky, A. (2000). Risk Assessment in Context. Children and Youth Services Review, 22 (11-12), 813-837.

Shlonsky, A. (2004). Subsidized guardianship evaluations: What have we learned? In M. Bissell & J. L. Miller (Eds.). Using Subsidized Guardianship to Improve Outcomes for Children: Key Questions to Consider. Washington, D.C.: Cornerstone Consulting and Children’s Defense Fund. (pp. 57-62).