AHEC-SSW Training Partnership, Consultant Information Sheet
Name:
Cynthia Fraga Rizo, PhD, MSW
Position/Title:
Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School
of Social Work
Phone:
305-244-7046 (cell)
E-mail Address:
cfraga@email.unc.edu
Education/Degrees:
 Florida International University, BA
 Florida International University, MSW
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, PhD
Academic Experience:
Teaching Experience - Courses
Confronting Oppression and Institutional Racism. School of Social Work, Master’s Course,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2015.
Human Development in Context I: Infancy to Adolescence. School of Social Work, Master’s
Course, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2014.
Evaluation of Social Work Interventions. School of Social Work, Master’s Course, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2014. 2015
Seminar in Service Learning: APPLES Internship Program. School of Social Work,
Undergraduate Course, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2012, 2013.
Teaching Experience – University Guest and Invited Lectures
“Overview of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the United States.” Injury as a Public
Health Problem. Master’s Course.
“Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the Lives of Adolescents” with Ms. Ashley Givens.
Adolescent Mental Health: Theory and Practice, Master’s Course. School of Social Work,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. September 2014. School of Global Public Health,
Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 2014.
“Using Qualitative Research to Guide Scale Development.” Qualitative Research Methods,
Doctoral Course. School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. April
2014.
“Understanding the Social Justice Issue of Intimate Partner Violence.” Seminar in Service
Learning (APPLES Internship Program), Undergraduate Course. School of Social Work,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. February 2012, February 2013, February 2014.
“Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and the Experiences of Latina/Immigrant
Survivors.” Immigration Law Clinic. School of Law, University of North Carolina. September
2013.
“Interpersonal Violence.” Treatment of Trauma and Violence, MSW Course. School of Social
Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 2010.
“CBT Interventions: Behavioral Interventions.” Treatment of Trauma and Violence, MSW
Course. School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. October 2010.
Community and Agency Trainings
“Cultural Competency Training”
with Mrs. Jennifer O’Brien. North Carolina Victim Assistance Network – Victim Service
Practitioner Certification Academy. Raleigh, NC. March 2014.
“Domestic Violence and Children”
With Ms. Trishana Jones. North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Four statewide
trainings: Columbia, NC; Raleigh, NC; Asheville, NC; and Charlotte, NC. March, 2012, April
2012, July 2012, January 2013.
“Understanding and Responding to Intimate Partner Violence”
Mountain Area Health Education Center. Asheville, NC.
August 2012.
“Domestic Violence Basics and the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and
Parenting”
With Ms. Trishana Jones and Ms. Vivette Jeffries-Logan. North Carolina Coalition Against
Domestic Violence. Five statewide trainings: Elizabethtown, NC; Goldsboro, NC; Jacksonville,
NC; Reidsville, NC; and Rocky Mount, NC. January 2012, February 2012.
Brief Summary of Work Experience:
Research Experience
Research Assistant, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Principal Investigator: Rebecca J. Macy, PhD, ACSW, LCSW
August 2008 – Present
Research assistant on a project funded by the Duke Endowment to evaluate the effectiveness and
implementation of Mothers Overcoming Violence through Education and Empowerment
(MOVE), a parenting intervention for justice-involved partner violence survivors and their
children. My tasks on the project have included conducting systematic literature reviews and
writing IRBs as well as collecting, entering and managing data. I have facilitated interviews and
focus groups with survivors, their children, and service providers. My tasks also involved
collecting survey data from survivors at program entry, program completion, and three months
following program completion. I have conducted data analysis with qualitative and quantitative
data using various statistical software programs, including SPSS, Stata, and ATLAS.ti. This
project has also afforded me the opportunity to work on manuscript preparation and report
writing.
Health Educator, Community Based Intervention Research Group, Florida International
University, Miami, FL
Principal Investigator: Eric Wagner, PhD
August 2007 – August 2008
Health educator on a five year, randomized control trial funded by NIAAA to evaluate the
effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing with an adolescent population of at-risk substance
users. Through this project I received training and supervision in Motivational Interviewing. My
tasks on the project included screening and recruiting participants as well as collecting survey
data at five time points (i.e., baseline, three months, six months, nine months, and one year
following brief intervention). I was also responsible for intervention delivery (i.e., brief advice,
personal feedback report, or motivational interviewing).
Research Assistant, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Principal Investigator: David Cohen, PhD, LCSW
May 2007 – August 2008
Independent research assistantship which consisted of accessing and evaluating literature
regarding existing withdrawal scales for psychotropic medications.
Research Assistant, Community Based Intervention Research Group, Florida International
University, Miami, FL
Principal Investigator: Mark Macgowan, PhD, LCSW
May 2006 – August 2007
Research assistant on a two year project funded by NIAAA to understand factors influencing
group treatment effectiveness among adolescents with alcohol and other drug problems. My tasks
on the project included using SPSS for managing data, coding qualitative data, and assessing
inter-rater agreement.
Independent Research Experience
Principal Investigator: Program Evaluation of the Durham Multi-Agency Collaboration to
Enhance Service Delivery to Immigrant Victims; University of North Carolina, School of Social
Work, Chapel Hill, NC
Co-Investigator: Rebecca J. Macy, PhD, ACSW, LCSW
January 2010 – Present
Principal investigator on a qualitative project to evaluate the Durham Collaboration’s efforts to
provide services to immigrant Latina and South Asian survivors of violence against women. My
tasks on this project included designing the study in collaboration with the participating
community agencies and writing the project IRB. I also recruited participants and facilitated
interviews and focus groups. My tasks also included transcribing, coding, and analyzing the
qualitative data using ATLAS.ti. I was also responsible for writing the research report and
presenting the findings to the Durham Collaboration staff.
Principal Investigator: Feeling Around in the Dark: MSW Students and Domestic Violence;
University of North Carolina, School of Social Work, Chapel Hill, NC
January 2009 – May 2009
Principal investigator on a qualitative project to examine MSW students’ knowledge about
domestic violence. My tasks on this project included designing the study, recruiting participants
(i.e., MSW students and professors), and facilitating semi-structured interviews. I also conducted
a document review of all MSW syllabi for domestic violence related content. My responsibilities
included transcribing, coding, and analyzing the qualitative data using ATLAS.ti. as well as
preparing a research report.
Practice Experience
August 2006 – May 2007: Mental Health Therapist Intern, Mailman Center for Child
Development, Miami, FL
 Provide case management, crisis intervention, and individual and group therapy for: (a)
domestic violence survivors and their children; (b) families affected by HIV; and (c)
individuals experiencing a variety of other psychosocial difficulties
 Conduct clinical and psychosocial assessments
 Identify evidence-based instruments to assess experiences of domestic violence
 Prepare and develop treatment plans
 Attend professional trainings on domestic violence
 Attend weekly leadership and advocacy trainings
 Prepare and present an advocacy lecture on children and families affected by autism
 Conduct dyad observation interviews with mothers affecting by domestic violence and
their young children
January 2006 – May 2006: Crisis Unit Social Work Intern, Miami Behavioral Health
Center’s Crisis Unit, Miami, FL
 Assist in admission procedures, including intake, psychosocial assessments, and joint
treatment planning meetings with adult clients from both the mental health facility and
detox unit
 Assist the facility in opening the detox unit by speaking with and setting up meetings
with community providers
 Facilitate individual and group therapy sessions
 Assist in discharge planning and client placement for adult mental health and detox unit
patients
August 2004 – December 2004: Group Facilitator Intern, Fellowship House, Miami, FL
 Co-facilitate support and psychoeducation group sessions for dually diagnosed clients
Specialization/Research Areas:
Violence against women; intimate partner violence; adolescent dating violence; impact of
intimate partner violence on children and parenting, cultural competency; social work with
immigrant Latino population; intervention development and evaluation
Available for presentations on the following:
 Intimate Partner Violence
 Adolescent Dating Violence
 Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Children and Parenting
 Working with Immigrant Latina and South Asian Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
 Cultural Competency