Master of Social Work

I’m interested in developing and evaluating innovative strategies to prepare social workers and other health professionals to capably deliver Motivational Interviewing (MI) in community settings. MI is conceptually a harm-reduction prevention approach that addresses social determinants of health by offering alternatives to zero-tolerance practices and policies. MI is in lockstep with social work values and the code of ethics and broadly applicable to the variety of populations and types of settings where social workers practice. My interest in MI also extends to the leadership role that the social work profession should assume in integrated health settings as social workers are uniquely qualified not only to implement MI, but to lead in training other health professions in this valuable intervention.

Presentations

• Bohrman, C., & Tennille, J. (2016, November). Everything falls on me: Motherhood, heavy drinking, and intimate partner violence. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2016, June). Motivational Interviewing (MI) in social work. Presentation at meeting of the Tristate Consortium of Field Directors, St. Davids, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2016, January). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Bohrman, C., & Tennille, J.A. (2016, January). Being Superwoman: Balancing motherhood, problem drinking, and intimate partner violence. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2015, November). Motivational Interviewing for PTSD and trauma. Presentation at the meeting of the National Association of Social Workers - Pennsylvania Chapter, Brandywine Division.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2015, October). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Stanhope, V., & Tennille, J. (2015, October). Motivational Interviewing: Creating a leadership role of social work in health care. Presentation at Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
• Tennille, J. (2015, August). Motivational Interviewing: An evidence-based practice for YMSM of color. Presentation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Resource Forum, Wilmington, DE.
• Tennille, J. (2015, May). Motivational Interviewing in social work: An evidence-based practice with broad applicability. Continuing education program at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2015, January). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2014, September). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J. (2013, December). Motivational Interviewing in social work: An evidence-based practice with broad applicability. Continuing education program at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J. (2013, November). How to use Motivational Interviewing to improve your relationships. Workshop presented at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2013, October). Motivational Interviewing in medicine. Workshop presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., (2013, November). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J. (2013, July). How to use Motivational Interviewing to help your loved one and improve your relationship. Workshop presented at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2013, July). Motivational Interviewing in social work: An evidence-based practice with broad applicability. Continuing education program at West Chester University, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Bohrman, C. (2013, May and June). Introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques. Workshops presented at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Publications

• Tennille, J., Bohrman, C., Chen, W., & Holbrook, A. Motivational Interviewing: Creating a community of practice to sustain clinical competencies. Grant in progress.
• Bohrman, C., Tennille, J., & Levin, K. Being Superwoman: Balancing motherhood, problem drinking, and intimate partner violence. Manuscript in progress.
• Stanhope, V., Tennille, J., Bohrman, C., & Hamovitch, E. (2016). Motivational Interviewing: Creating a leadership role for social work in the era of healthcare reform. Social Work in Public Health. Advance online publication.

I am currently engaged in a project with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, designed to build capacity to deliver recovery-oriented services to persons coping with mental health conditions. We are investigating contemporary provider knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding micro- and macro-level interaction related to sexuality and intimacy with clients diagnosed with mental health conditions. Data will be used to shape a modular training toolkit for a variety of provider types. Elements of the toolkit will range from strategies for improving micro-practice on topics of sexuality and intimacy to programmatic and policy revisions that would create more dignified and inclusive environments for persons with mental health conditions. A video of me discussing the importance of this work can be viewed online.

Presentations

• Tennille, J. (2016, May). The role of intimacy and sexuality in mental health recovery. Continuing education program at West Chester University, West Chester, PA.
• Tennille, J. (2013, September). The role of intimacy in recovery. Presentation at meeting of the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tennille, J., & Wright, E. (2013, June). Wellness and the role of intimacy. Presentation at meeting of Mental Health America, National Harbor, MD.
• Tennille, J., & Wright, E. (2012, September). The role of intimacy in recovery. Workshop at the Zarrow National Mental Health Symposium, Tulsa, OK.

Publications

• Tennille, J., Solomon, P., & Bohrman, C. (2014). Using the FIELD model to prepare social work students and field instructors on sexuality and intimacy for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 32(4), 1-15.
• Tennille, J., & Wright, E. (2013). Addressing the intimacy interests of people with mental health conditions: Acknowledging consumer desires, provider discomforts, and system denial. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities.

My interest in HIV stems from direct practice work in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As HIV endures and thrives in corners where oppression and poverty blossom, I remain committed to engaging in research and that shines a light on multifaceted approaches to primary and secondary HIV prevention. 

Presentation

• Tennille, J. (2014, October). HIV prevention: Conversations about sexuality and intimacy. Presentation at the Penn Affiliates Conference Series, Philadelphia, PA.

Publications

• Tennille, J., Faerber, J., Solomon, P.S., McDermott, P., TenHave, T., & Blank, M.B. Can We Talk? Development and validation of the HIV Risk Alliance Scale (HRAS). Manuscript in progress.
• Teitelman, A.M., Tennille, J., Bohinski, J., Jemmott, L.S., & Jemmott III, J.B. (2013). Urban adolescent girls' perspectives on multiple partners in the context of the sexual double standard and intimate partner violence. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 24(4), 308-321.
• Teitelman, A., Tennille, J., Bohinski, J.M., Jemmott, L.S., & Jemmott III, J.B. (2011). Unwanted unprotected sex: Condom coercion by male partners and self-silencing of condom negotiation among adolescent girls.  Advances in Nursing Science, 34(3), 243-259. 
• Blank, M.B., Hanrahan, N.P., Fishbein, M., Wu, E.S., Tennille, J.A., Ten Have, T.R., Kutney-Lee, A.M., Gross, R., Hines, J.M., Coyne, J.C., & Aiken, L.H. (2011). A randomized trial of a nursing intervention for HIV disease management among persons with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 62(11), 1318-1324.

I am researching the complex conditions that constitute the successful act of moving, tailoring, and sustaining recovery oriented practices into real world settings. Field instructors exert a powerful influence on the socialization of students into professional practice habits and my recent research involved the development of a teaching intervention that included field instructors, Field Instructors Extending EBP Learning in Dyads (FIELD). I hope to test FIELD in a larger trial.

Presentations

• Tennille, J., Buck, P.W., & Holbrook, A.M. (2015, October). Beyond implicit and explicit curricula: A third dimention for social work education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
• Tennille, J., Solomon, P. (2014, June). Field Instructors Extending EBP Learning in Dyads (FIELD). Presentation at the International Conference on Practice Research, New York, NY.
• Tennille, J., Solomon, P. (2013, April). The gap is in the field: An innovative EBP teaching model for dyads of field instructors and social work students. Presentation at Bridging the Research and Practice Gap Symposium, Houston, TX.
• Tennille, J. (2013, January). What's the field got to do with it? An EBP teaching model for dyads of field instructors and social work students. Seminar at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Publications

• Buck, P.W., Tennille, J., & Holbrook, A. The practice of engaged research: Building workforce capacity. Manuscript in progress.
• Holbrook, A., Tennille, J., & Buck, P.W. Building capacity for evidence based practice together. Under review for Social Work in Public Health.
• Tennille, J., Solomon, P., Brusilovskiy, E., & Mandell, D. (2016). Field Instructors Extending EBP Learning in Dyads (FIELD): Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Society of Social Work and Research, 7(1), 1-22.
• Tennille, J., Solomon, P., Bourjolly, J., & Doyle, A. (2014). Introducing FIELD: Field Instructors Extending EBP Learning in Dyads. Field Educator, 4(2), 1-19.

• Emerging Practice-Research Scholar Award, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College -- 2014
• PhD Commencement speaker, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice -- 2013
• Herman Levin Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice -- 2010-11 and 2012-13