Campus: Tulsa
Email: kmcassie@ou.edu
Education:
PhD, University of Tennessee
MSSW, University of Tennessee
MA in Gerontology, Appalachian State University
BSW, Oral Roberts University
Dr. Cassie is a gerontological social worker with over 12 years of practice experience working with older adults and their caregivers. Experiences gained in the field, inform her research which is focused on identifying opportunities to improve the quality of life and care for older adults. Within long-term care facilities, Dr. Cassie’s research has identified dimensions of organizational culture and climate that are associated with depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior among residents. Her research has also brought to light disparities in the use of physical restraints in long-term care facilities. More recently, she has explored the presence of bullying behaviors toward social workers in nursing home environments and the effect of these aggressive behaviors on organizational commitment and burnout. Findings from these studies can be used to begin to develop interventions to improve the living environment for older adults in nursing homes and the work environments for employees.
Dr. Cassie is currently examining the needs of older adults, their family caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Oklahoma. In partnership with the Center for Social Work in Healthcare, she is also examining social work practice in primary care settings and looking for ways to assist older adults at remaining in their homes for as long as possible with the support of social services provided through primary care settings. Her research into ways to improve long-term care residential services for older adults continues with an investigation into the relationship between organizational and employee characteristics on racial disparities in long-term care facilities.
Dr. Cassie is on faculty in Tulsa where she teaches Life Span Development and Social Work with Older Adults. She has been teaching in academia since 2006.
Research Interests
