Dr. Stephen Ellenbogen | School of Social Work | Memorial University of Newfoundland

Associate Professor

School of Social Work
St. John's College, J - 3020
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Phone: (709) 864-2559
Email: sellenbogen@mun.ca

Stephen Ellenbogen joined the faculty in 2009. With scholarly interests in adolescence and adolescent issues and specialized knowledge in quantitative and mixed methods strategies, Dr. Ellenbogen has recently published papers on (1) impacts of maltreatment, (2) benefits of early childhood education programs to child protective services recipients, (3) mental health service evaluations, and (4) community service learning. General areas of research interest include child welfare, social work education, public engagement social perceptions, human development, behavioural & emotional problems, gambling and life course transitions. Teaching expertise is in research, community development, human development, and theory.

For over a decade, Dr. Ellenbogen has been actively pursuing child maltreatment research using data gathered as part of the Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways project. Most recently, he is examining the consequences of abuse-related shame, guilt, and blame in adolescence. Prior research includes examining the role of social perceptions in the emergence of behaviour problems and the link between abuse victimization and aggressiveness.

A more recent interest is in embedding community service learning and public engagement components into curricular and extra-curricular activities. Engaging with colleagues at the School of Social Work and local community organizations, we are exploring the benefits of involving bachelor of social work students in incremental learning activities, community service learning, and public engagement. As part of this program of scholarship, students developed research summaries and presented them at Exchange 2018, a local conference organized by Dr. Ellenbogen. In Exchange 2020, the outcomes of capacity building projects will be disseminated.

Two projects relate to assessing mental health services. In collaboration with colleague Dr. Heather Hair and Janeway Family Services, we conducted a pre-experimental evaluation of Change Clinic, a client-centred brief therapy model for families who are seeking help for child mental health issues. Dr. Ellenbogen was also lead investigator in an evaluation of Family TIES, a family-focused training for youth with anger, aggression, and interconnected problems.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Ellenbogen published original research on school dropout, bereavement, program evaluation, and gambling. He has participated in community-based research projects to inform intervention planning in social service agencies.

During a clinical career that spans two decades and includes practice in both clinical and community settings, Dr. Ellenbogen has worked with youth in transition, youth in care, homeless men, unemployed adults, and other at-risk populations. He received a Ph.D. of Social Work (2008) from McGill University. Earlier degrees include a M.Sc. in Social Work (1995) from Université de Montréal and a B.A. in Psychology (1987) from Concordia University.

Recent Publications

Ellenbogen, S, Colin-Vezina, D., Sinha, V., Chabot, M., & Wells, S.J.R. (2018). Contrasting mental health correlates of physical and sexual abuse-related shame. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 30(2), pp 87-97. doi: 10.2989/17280583.2018.1485569.
Ellenbogen, S., Hair, H. J., Kirkland Smith, J., & Wilton, P. (accepted). The Change Clinic Counselling Service: Blending Client-Centred and Strength-Based Practices to Improve Mental Health Services to Families. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Ellenbogen, S. (2017) An alternative model of community service learning: Students, community, and instructors learning from each other. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning. 7(3), 315-330. doi: 10.1108/HESWBL-08-2016-0060
Hudson, A., Wekerle, C., Goldstein, A. L., Ellenbogen, S., Waechter, R., Thompson, K., Stewart, S. H. (2016). Gender Differences in Emotion-Mediated Pathways from Childhood Sexual Abuse to Problem Drinking in Adolescents in the Child Welfare System. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s40653-016-0125-9
Ellenbogen, S., Trocmé, N., Wekerle, C., & McLeod, K. (2015). An exploratory study of physical abuse-related shame, guilt and blame in a sample of adolescents receiving child protective services: Links to maltreatment, anger, and aggression. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24, 532–551. doi: 10.1080/10926771.2015.1029183
Ellenbogen, S., Calame, R., Parker, K., Finne, J., & Trocmé, N. (2015). Description and preliminary investigation of Family TIES (Training In Essential Skills), a strategy for treating youth aggression and related problems in a social services agency. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 8(2), 231-240. Open source document: http://www.novapublishers.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=51136
Ellenbogen, S., Klein, B., & Wekerle, C. (2014). Early childhood education as a resilience intervention for maltreated children. Early Child Development & Care, 184(9/10), 1364-1377. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2014.916076
Open source document: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/
03004430.2014.916076#.U_Tzs0gyIeU
Ellenbogen, S., Trocmé, N., & Wekerle, C. (2013). The relationship between dimensions of physical abuse and aggressive behavior in a child protective services involved sample of adolescents. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 6(2), 91-105. doi: 10.1080/19361521.2013.781562
Sinha, V., Ellenbogen, S., & Trocmé, N. (2013). Substantiating neglect of first nations and non-aboriginal children. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(12), 2080-2090. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.007
Ellenbogen, S., Trocmé, N., & Wekerle, C. (2012). Self-generated outcome expectancies concerning violence in intimate relationships: A comparison of aggressive and nonaggressive adolescents in a sample of child protective services users. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement, 44(4), 300-307. doi: 10.1037/a0028690

Recent funding received

Memorial University Public Engagement Quick Start Fund (2019). Phase 2 of Scale-Up: Integrating capacity building. Ellenbogen, S., Power, K, Issahaku, P., Janes, J., & Giwa, S. ($2 500)

Memorial University Conference Fund. (2019). Exchange 2020: Engaging Bachelor of Social Work Students, Graduate Mentors, and Community Organizations through Collaborative Partnerships. Ellenbogen, S. & Power, K. ($2 934)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Vice-President’s Award (2017). Does participation in knowledge synthesis shape the research skills and interests of bachelor of social work students? Ellenbogen, S. (Principal Investigator), Mike Devine & Paul Issahaku ($6 428)

Memorial University Public Engagement Accelerator Fund (2017). Scaling up community service learning projects. Ellenbogen, S. (Principal Investigator), Devine, M., Issahaku, P., Hillier, D. & Kelly, R. ($9 980)

Janeway Foundation Research Grant (2017). Time limited Counselling for children, adolescents, and their families in Newfoundland and Labrador: Next step towards program and policy development. Ellenbogen, S. (Principal Investigator), Hair H., & Kirkland-Smith, J. ($13 274)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Travel Grant. (2017) Prevalence, characteristics, and mental health risks of shame as a result of physical and sexual abuse. Ellenbogen, S. ($1 821)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grants. (2012-2019). Building research capacity with First Nations and mainstream youth protection services in Quebec.: Trocmé, N. (Principal Investigator), Colin-Vézina, D., Fallon, B., Lach, L., MacIntosh, H., Rothwell D., Blackstock, C., Dufour, S., Ellenbogen, S., Goyette, M., Turcotte, D., Shlonsky, A., Thomson, W. ($1 560 352)