Katherine Kitchens, L.M.S.W., Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Assistant Instructor School School of Public Health Department Public Health Biography Download Curriculum Vitae Dr. Katherine Kitchens, a licensed social worker and community-engaged scholar at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, focuses on improving health outcomes in rural and resettled refugee communities. As an Early Impact Faculty Scholar, she leads research initiatives addressing the complex health challenges faced by these populations. Dr. Kitchens' research integrates mixed-methods and community-based approaches to enhance care delivery in charitable clinics and community settings. She advances understanding of cognitive health challenges in both displaced and rural populations through three key approaches: population-level investigations in both resettled refugees and rural communities using census data, psychometric analyses of dementia classification across languages using nationally representative health data, and phenomenological studies of refugee resettlement and rural aging experiences. Her work examines risk factors for cognitive decline, including socioeconomic differences, limited healthcare access, and environmental exposures, to improve early detection of cognitive impairment in underserved settings. Dr. Kitchens has served as a social worker at the Agape Refugee Clinic in Dallas for the past three years and will assume the role of Program Director in June. In this capacity, she partners with healthcare providers and resettled refugees to improve health outcomes. This integration of academic research and community practice enables her to develop collaborative, sustainable solutions that enhance quality of life for rural and resettled refugee communities. Education Graduate School University of Texas-Arlington (2022), Social Work Graduate School University of Texas-Arlington (2022), Social Work Graduate School University of Texas-Arlington (2024), Social Work Research Interest Cognitive screening tool development Community-based research methods Forced displacement and health Refugee resettlement and health outcomes Risk factors for cognitive decline in rural agricultural communities Social determinants of health Publications Featured Publications What is the state of the literature about refugees aged 45 and older from Burma in third-country resettlement contexts?: A scoping review Kitchens, K., Sesay, B. J., Fields, N. L., Stringfellow, M. K., Mitschke, D. B. The Gerontologist 2025 Group-Based Intervention Models in Treating Refugee Mental Health in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. Kirsch J, Kitchens K, Kerr K, Sivakumaran S, Trauma Violence Abuse 2024 Dec 25 5 4173-4187 Unincorporation in counties as a political determinant of health: An exploration of five states. Gomez-Vidal C, Palmer AN, Kitchens K, Ratliff GA, Graaf G, SSM Popul Health 2024 Dec 28 101728 The Role of Education and English Proficiency in Cognitive Health Among Older Refugee Populations in the United States. Kitchens K, Kim Y, J Gerontol Soc Work 2024 Oct 1-16 The Correlates of Collective and Individual Trauma on Mental Health Outcomes Among Afghan Refugees: A Study of Sociodemographic Differences. Kirsch J, Maleku A, Kim YK, Aziz T, Dada S, Haran H, Kitchens K, Community Ment Health J 2024 Oct 60 7 1255-1270 Outcomes that Matter to Youth and Families in Behavioral Health Services. Graaf G, Kitchens K, Sweeney M, Thomas KC, Adm Policy Ment Health 2024 Sep Piloting a Measure of Segregation at the Census Tract Level: Associations with Place and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Life Expectancy. Kitchens K, Graaf G, Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024 May 21 5 Behavioral Health Services Outcomes That Matter Most to Caregivers of Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Mental Health Needs. Graaf G, Kitchens K, Sweeney M, Thomas KC, Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024 Feb 21 2 Did Medicaid expansion close African American-white health care disparities nationwide? A scoping review. Snowden LR, Graaf G, Keyes L, Kitchens K, Ryan A, Wallace N, BMC Public Health 2022 Aug 22 1 1638 Results 1-9 of 9 1 Professional Associations/Affiliations American Public Health Association (APHA) (2025) Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) (2023) Gerontological Society of America (2024) Immigrant and Refugee Research Network (2023) National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (2021) Phi Alpha (2020) Phi Kappa Phi (2020) Society of Social Work Research (SSWR) (2022)
