PhD, Social Work, The University of Pittsburgh

MSW, The University of Pittsburgh

MS, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Mercer University

MPH, Mercer University

BS, Psychology, Georgia State University

As a researcher Dr. VanHook has extensive training in program development, evaluation, and qualitative research – along with supplementary training in quantitative methods. His substantive area of research is all facets of the mental health of Black boys and men ages 14-29. He focuses on the uptake of mental health care among the population – access, initiation, and retention of services (AIRS) – the facilitators and barriers that impact all three factors. Secondarily, he examines the phenomenon of gun violence that occurs between young men of color within a community. He applies psychological constructs such as moral development, gender norm behavior, interpersonal skill development (e.g., conflict resolution), trauma psychology (e.g., victim-perpetrator paradigm, adverse childhood events), racial identity development, and existential psychology (e.g., search for meaning and place in a racist society) – to foster public awareness of the complexities of community gun violence and develop interventions that are informed by a mental health approach.