Kathryn Bonach is the Chair of the Social Work Department, Director for the BSW Program, and Associate Professor. She holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed social worker and a licensed professional counselor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and certified end-of-life doula specialist. Her areas of expertise include trauma and loss related to children and families, family policy, healthcare social work, forensic social work, and end-of-life care. She has presented at national and international conferences and published in national and international peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, and Sociological Viewpoints.

She is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and has served as an editorial reviewer for several other scholarly publications including Child Maltreatment, the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, Journal of Marriage and Family, and the Journal of Family Studies. She has served as a board member, officer, and volunteer for in home care agencies and non-profit agencies such as Visiting Nurses Association and Healthcare at Home Hospice as well as the Center for Family Life, Children’s Advocacy Center, and Child Advocacy and Relationship Enhancing (CARE) Center that provide services to children and families. She grants funded a private non-profit and nationally accredited Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) that provides forensic services to children and their families. She has been a recipient of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Most Notable Woman award.

Education

• PhD – Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (2001)
• MSW – Direct Practice, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (1997)
• MA – Sociology, Human Services Specialization, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA (1994)
• BA – Double Major, Psychology and Sociology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA (1977)

Professional Memberships 

• Professional Member – National Association of Social Workers (1998 – present)
• National End of Life Doula Alliance 
• Council on Social Work Education (2019 – present)
• Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors
• Bachelor of Social Work Program Directors (2019 – present)
• Licensed Social Worker
• Licensed Professional Counselor
• Emerita Professor Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• CARE Children’s Advocacy Center

Research

Interests: Trauma and Loss; Complex Trauma; Children and Families; Child Maltreatment; Healthcare Social Work; Forensic Social Work; End-of-Life Care; Family Policy

Publications

• Hysock-Witham, D. & Bonach, K. “Exploring Perceived Collaboration between Children’s Advocacy Centers and Rape Crisis Centers in Pennsylvania.” Sociological Viewpoints, 32 (1), 37 – 57. (2018)
• Bonach, K. & Heckert, D.A. (2012). “Predictors of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Children’s Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewers.” Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(3), 295 – 314.
• Bonach, K., Mabry, J. B. & Potts-Henry, C. (2010). “Exploring Non-offending Caregiver Client Satisfaction with Children’s Advocacy Center.” Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, Special Issue: Child Sexual Abuse and Forensic, Systems, and Cultural Issues, 19 (6), 687 – 708.
• Bonach, K. (2009). Empirical support for the application of the Forgiveness Intervention Model to post-divorce coparenting. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 50 (1), 38 – 54.
• Bonach, K. (2007). Forgiveness Intervention Model: Application to coparenting post- divorce. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 48 (1/2), 105 – 123.
• Bonach, K. (2005). Factors contributing to quality coparenting: Implications for family policy. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 43 (3/4), 79 – 103.
• Bonach, K. Sales, E. & Koeske, G. (2005). Gender differences in perceptions of coparenting quality among expartners. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 43 (1/2), 1-28.
• Bonach, K. & Sales, E. (2002). Forgiveness as a mediator between post divorce cognitive processes and coparenting quality. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 38 (1/2). 17 – 38.

Awards & Recognition

• Most Notable Women Award, American Association of University Women 
• Professor Emerita, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Emeritus Board Member, CARE Center and Children’s Advocacy Center
• Research Institute (IUP) New Investigator of the Year Award