James “Dimitri” Topitzes earned his PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006. He worked in a clinical social work capacity for Waukesha County's Department of Health and Human Services (WCDHHS) for a number of years both before and after earning his doctorate. In 2008, Dimitri assumed a full-time social work faculty position at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Helen Bader School of Social Welfare. While fulfilling his faculty responsibilities, he maintains a limited role with WCDHHS.

Dimitri has conducted research in the following substantive areas: the long-term effects of child maltreatment, interventions aimed at preventing or treating early psychological trauma, and the long-term impacts of an early childhood intervention. He has also studied the social determinants of health, tracking the influence of educational experiences and childhood traumas on behavioral health outcomes. 

Currently, Dimitri teaches courses on advanced direct social work practice and trauma counseling to master’s level students. He also co-teaches a Philosophy of Science course to doctoral students. In addition, Governor Jim Doyle appointed Dimitri to the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board in 2009. He continues to serve on the board, currently fulfilling the role of the Grants Committee Chairperson. 

Dimitri values university-community partnerships as a vehicle to bridge the gap between social work research and practice. At present, he maintains a close working relationship with several community collaborators (St. Aemilian-Lakeside, WCDHHS and the Alma Center of Milwaukee) to help evaluate and improve direct practice programming. He serves also as Co-PI for Project Connect, an intervention study designed to reduce problem behaviors among foster children who experienced early child maltreatment. A sample of Dimitri's extant publications follows.

Selected Publications

Topitzes, J., Mersky, J. P., & Reynolds, A. J. (accepted). From child maltreatment to violent
offending: An examination of mixed-gender and gender-specific models. Journal of
Interpersonal Violence.

Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J., & Reynolds, A. J. (in press). Unsafe at any age: Linking childhood
and adolescent maltreatment to delinquency and crime. Journal of Research in Crime &
Delinquency.

Topitzes, J., Mersky, J. P., & Reynolds, A. J. (in press). Early childhood center-based programs and child maltreatment prevention: What do we know, and where do we go from here?  In R. Alexander, N. Guterman, & S. Alexander (Eds.), Child maltreatment prevention. St. Louis, MO: STM Learning, Inc.

Merksy, J. P., Topitzes, J., & Reynolds, A. J. (2011). Maltreatment prevention through early
childhood intervention: A confirmatory evaluation of the Chicago Child-Parent Center
preschool program. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1454-1463.

Topitzes, J., Mersky, J. P., & Reynolds, A. J. (2011). Child maltreatment and offending
behavior: Gender specific effects and pathways. Criminal Justice & Behavior. 38, 492-
510.

Topitzes, J., Mersky, J. P., & Reynolds, A. J. (2010). Child maltreatment and adult cigarette
smoking: An examination of a long-term developmental model. Journal of Pediatric
Psychology, 35, 484-498.

Mersky, J. P., & Topitzes, J. (2010). Comparing the emerging adult outcomes of maltreated and non-maltreated children: A prospective longitudinal investigation. Children and Youth
Services Review, 32, 1086-1096.

Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J., & Reynolds, A. J. (2009). Chronic neglect: Prediction and prevention. Protecting Children, 41(1), 67-77.

Topitzes, J., Godes, O., Mersky, J. P., Ceglarek, S., & Reynolds, A. J. (2009). Educational
success and adult health: Findings from the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Prevention
Science, 10, 175-195.

Reynolds, A. J., Mathieson, L., & Topitzes, J. (2009). Can early childhood intervention prevent child maltreatment? A review of research. Child Maltreatment, 14, 182-206.