Melanie Morris
Healthcare should be equitable, yet oral health is often overlooked. As a social worker, researcher, and advocate, I am committed to removing barriers to care and ensuring that oral health is integrated, accessible, and grounded in justice.
Doctoral Fellow Melanie Morris is working on the Economic Case for Social Work in Public Health Settings and Healthcare. She has explored the current literature on the role of social work in healthcare, the cost savings and cost-effectiveness of social work interventions, and how social work promotes health equity. Through this research, she aims to highlight the value of social work in improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and advancing equitable, patient-centered care.
Melanie’s research employs mixed methods to examine the structural and social drivers of oral health within the Latino/a/e community. She also focuses on integrating social work in oral health settings to enhance oral health practice, policy, and patient outcomes, aiming to bridge gaps in access and equity through interdisciplinary collaboration.
In addition to her research, Melanie has practice experience integrating social work practice and values into dental school classrooms and clinics. She educates future healthcare providers on the social drivers of health, advocates for whole-person, patient-centered care, and develops innovative strategies to improve oral health equity.
Melanie, LCSW, holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with a minor in social justice from St. John’s University. She earned a Master of Science in Social Work from the Columbia University School of Social Work , and a PhD in social work from Boston University.
