Dr. Mónica Gutiérrez

BIO

Dr. Mónica Gutiérrez (pronouns she/her/ella) serves as an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. Dr. Gutiérrez works at the intersection of social work and policy, employing social work tools to investigate a wide range of macro issues, primarily those directly relating to Latinas/os and neighborhood inequality.

Her research is motivated by her intersecting identities as a Mexicana raised near the Mexicali-Imperial Valley border and years spent growing up in California's Central Coast Region. As a first-generation college graduate, she is dedicated to mentoring other first-generation Latina/o students. Her interest in community-based methodologies stems from a decade of post-social work experience, which has informed her practical expertise in child welfare, veterans' health, criminal justice, and health promotion.

Dr. Gutiérrez has gained recognition for her scholarship, mentorship, and leadership including:

2018-2022 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars Fellowship
2021 Dissertation Completion Funding award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
2022 Dissertation Completion Funding award from the Office of the Vice President of Research and Economic Affairs and Graduate College at Arizona State University
2022 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Doctoral Fellow Award
2022 Finalist for the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) National Outstanding Dissertation Competition

She has a B.A. in Chicano Studies and a minor in Industrial Design from San Francisco State University, as well as an MSW and a Ph.D. in Social Work from Arizona State University.

ACTIVISM

Social Work Praxis

Critical Race Scholars in Social Work (pronunciation of CRSSW: CRIS-DUB) is a space for social workers to actively engage in the praxis of Critical Race Theory. The CRSSW collective was formed to provide a space for social work faculty, students, and practitioners to engage in the praxis of Critical Race Theory.

Leadership: Steering Committee Member

Co-Author: Resolution: In Defense of Critical Race Theory in Social Work

Blog Author: An Interview with Critical Race Scholars in Social Work (CRSSW) Founding Members.

Community Co-Collaborations

Proyecto Movimiento Valverde es una colaboración de la Asociación de Vecinos de Valverde, el gobierno municipal y regional, investigadores universitarios y organizaciones sin fines de lucro que están unidos en una búsqueda para expandir la salud y la riqueza de la comunidad en Valverde a través de inversiones en transporte y seguridad en las calles.

Co-collaborator: Planning Committee

Lead PI: Mapeando Mi Comunidad/Mapping My Community

Mentor: Doctoral and Masters level capstone mentor for students engaged in the Valverde Movement Project

Research

We need to re-evaluate the power dynamics that prevent communities from claiming substantial power in order to restore a more equitable distribution of power in the decision-making process.”

Recently, Dr. Gutiérrez was awarded a Semillas Grant through the Center for Immigration Policy & Research at the University of Denver for her pilot project Mapeando Mi Comunidad/Mapping My Community.

LatCrit Theory

Drawing from theoretical frameworks such as Critical Race Theory, Latina/o Critical Race Theory, and Ecological Systems Theory, Dr. Gutiérrez examines the interplay of power, politics, and placemaking and the disparate impact on Latinas/os’ experiences in the US.

Race & Place

In the United States, structural and institutional racism contribute to the inequitable allocation of power, land,
and resources for Latinas/os. This line of research aspires to elicit and respond to the topics of interest to communities forced to the margins of society.

In 2016, Dr. Gutiérrez established the Community Collab Lab. The Lab enables her to work as a freelance bilingual (English/Spanish) evaluation consultant, providing fee-based and pro bono community-focused strategies and solutions to Brown, Black, and Indigenous communities across the Southwest.

Publications

We must include policy recommendations in our publications if we want our work to have an effect. This is especially true if we conduct our work alongside communities that are not represented in local politics. Researchers should clearly describe the policy in question, including action steps and agencies required for success, and constantly keep communities’ needs at the center of the policy paradigm.”

Google Scholar Profile

Gutiérrez, M. (2022). “Me siento seguro aquí. No quiero irme.” Examining the impact of gentrification and displacement on the well-being of the Latina/o community (Dissertation) ProQuest 2672312591.

Gutiérrez, M., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (2022). Latina/o/x Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) in social work praxis: A tool to dismantle racism and build racial equity. Advances in Social Work. 22(2), 605-627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18060/24996

Gutiérrez, M., Brooks-Hawkins, J., Hassan, K., & Wolfersteig, W. (2022). Relationship of health rating and stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS: A community study. Humanities and Social Science Communications Journal, 9 (98). DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01086-8

Mitchell, F., Lechuga-Peña, S., Poola, C., & Gutiérrez, M. (2021). Incorporating photovoice into a community-based intervention: Practice implications from Your Family, Your Neighborhood. Advances in Social Work. 21(4).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18060/24385

Cassinat, R. A., Bruening, M., Crespo, N. C., Gutiérrez, M., Chavez, A., Ray, F., & Vega-Lopez, S. (2020). Effects of a community-based pilot intervention on home food availability among U.S. households. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 327. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228327

Aguilar-Amaya, M., & Gutiérrez, M. (2019). Implementing compassion fatigue prevention for lay employees conducting naloxone training: An example from rural Arizona. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. 19(3), 314–321. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/1533256X.2019.1640018

Zhu, W., Gutiérrez, M., Toledo, M. J., Mullane, S., Stella, A. P., Diemar, R., Buman, K. F., & Buman, M. P. (2018). Long-term effects of sit-stand workstations on workplace sitting: A natural experiment. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(8), 811-816. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2017.12.005

Buman, M. P., Epstein, D. R., Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2016). BeWell24: development and process evaluation of a smartphone "app" to improve sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in US Veterans with increased metabolic risk. Translational behavioral medicine, 6(3), 438–448. DOI: 10.1007/s13142-015-0359-3

Creative and Scholarly Works and Contributions

Gutiérrez, M., Martinez, R.A., Staley, B. (March 6, 2021). Introducing the student presenters at the 2021 RacismLab symposium: Brittney Butler & Alana Keller. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science Blog, http://ow.ly/KXNo50G55Pv.

Gutiérrez, M., Martinez, R.A., Staley, B. (March 13, 2021). Introducing the next generation of racism scholars, part 2: Rebekah Israel Cross. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science Blog, http://ow.ly/lRkP50G55NJ.

Gutiérrez, M. (May 23, 2020). In spite of the darkness, COVID-19 has propelled social work into the 21st century. The New Social Worker, Op-Ed, http://ow.ly/XJd150G55VO.

Media

Experience: Scholar Perspectives
#HPRSCOREOFMYSTORY

Cronkite News Interview
Rent hikes, Downtown Boom Spur Gentrification of Older Tucson Neighborhoods.

Podcast
The Equity Matters Podcast:
Injustice by Design with
Mónica Gutiérrez

Op-Ed
In Spite of the Darkness, COVID-19 Has Propelled Social Work Into the
21st Century

Podcast
IAPHS Sick Individuals Sick Populations, Season 1 Episode 4: Challenging Place and Power

Online Presentation
Toxic Equilibrium: Structural Racism & Population Health InequitiesVirtual Symposium

Blog
Introducing the Next Generation of Racism Scholars,
Part 3: Tongtan (Bert) Chantarat
and Mónica Gutiérrez

Twitter